Dulce

I move to the kitchen area and tip over the utensil tub and smile. I was always good at improvising.

Snagging the few items that look interesting, I line them up on the counter before turning to face Luke.

Hmm...this will be fun. Not.

Tugging my knife from my boot, I move behind him and cut him free from the chair, but keep his hands and feet bound.

I catch him before he face plants on the floor, which I think is exceedingly nice of me, all things considered.

I spread the rug and carefully lower him onto it before using the rug to drag him closer to the trapdoor. Once we get there, I realize there is no easy way to get him down there. That man is heavy as fuck, so I’m sure as hell not going to be carrying him on my shoulder.

With a shrug, I shove him through the hole and wince when he hits the ground with a thud.

He moans as I climb down to join him.

I drag him to the chair and manage to maneuver him onto it, using the attached cuffs to keep him in place. Sweating like a whore in church, I climb back out and grab the tools I selected before returning to Luke, who is drifting in and out of consciousness.

I take a second to compose myself. “I really need to up my cardio again,” I mumble with a huff as I catch my breath. I pull my cell from my pocket, surprised to see I have cell service.

I wait another five minutes for Luke to stir, firing off texts to Reese and Sugar so they know what’s happening before I get bored of waiting. I’m not sure why he is still out of it as much as he is. I’ve been knocked out a time or two, but it’s never taken me this long to come around.

Maybe I hit him harder than I realized, cracking his stupid skull. I’m not sad that he might be bleeding to death on the inside, but I’d like some fucking answers first.

Stepping over to the hose on the wall, I tug it free from its reel and aim it at him before turning it on. It coughs and splutters for a moment before a stream of water jets out and hits him, making him rear back. I keep spraying until he’s fully awake before turning it off and placing it down as I strut toward him.

“Hello, Luka.”

His head lifts, the effort looking like it costs him. His eye is swollen and turning purple around the edges, and he has a split lip that’s oozing blood again.

“What the fuck?” he hisses when he sees me before his memories kick in and he remembers I’m the reason he’s here and in the condition he is.

“What the fuck, indeed.” I sigh, sounding put out as I sit on the floor in front of him, and cross my legs, flashing him my panties.

“A guidance counselor. Really? Because what you’re doing isn’t sick enough, you have to up the ante and take on the role of someone these kids could trust with their confessions, their worries, their hopes and dreams, and then you use it all against them.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but you’re making a mistake. Now, you haven’t done anything too bad yet. I can help you if you let me.”

I laugh incredulously. “You think I would want help from you? Are you high?”

“Everly—”

“Don’t.” I shake my head, climbing to my knees and crawling toward him. My hands skate up his legs to his thighs until they are a hair’s breadth away from his dick.

“Don’t lie. Not on top of everything else. You’re a bad man, Mr. Garin. Might as well be honest about it.”

His eyes widen when I use his real name. If I wasn’t sure before, I am now.

“I’m not, I don’t know—”

I pull out my knife and jam it into his thigh.

He screams as I get to my feet and grip his jaw, tipping his head back.

“I told you not to lie to me. Now let’s try this again. How long have you been trafficking girls, and who is working with you?”

“Fuck you, you whore. Once I get free, I’m going to fuck you until you’re bleeding from every hole. You’ll be begging and pleading for me to stop,” he snarls.

“Like every other girl who crossed your path, I imagine.”

“You know shit. Let me go. You have no idea who you are messing with.”

“Oh no! Are you going to hurt me, mister?” I twirl my hair and bat my eyes before pulling back my fist and punching the motherfucker in the face.

“You sound like every lame-ass movie villain. And let’s be honest, mister, I’m so much scarier. You haven’t got a fucking clue who you’re dealing with either.”

“I’m going to kill you,” he grits out, red coating his teeth.

“Of course you are, sweetie.” I tap his cheek harder than necessary, smiling when he winces.

“Now, I’ll be the first to admit, I’m doing all this on the fly. I’m usually more organized than this, but when I realized what you had in store for Cassandra, I saw an opportunity and took it.”

His eyes widen before he glares, but he doesn’t say anything.

“Aww, it’s cute that you think your silence is worth shit to me. Should have kept your mouth shut before, then it might have made a difference. I’m sure you think you’ve been so damn smart up until now. But a word of advice?”

I grab a handful of his hair and yank his head back. “Always check before you open your mouth that the room is empty.”

His eyes flare as his brain catches up.

“You were there.”

“I sure was. I’ll admit, drugging and selling Cassandra aside, I was surprised by the whole you fucking Cassandra thing. I didn’t think you had it in you after the speech you gave me the other day, Mr. Counselor. But then you put on that one-minute-man performance, and it all became clear.”

“Fuck you, you whore.”

“Yeah, you said that already. Trouble is, I take it as a compliment, not an insult. I am a whore, but I don’t sell my body for money. I do it for information. I do it for all the girls who came before me and all the ones who will, unfortunately, come after, because that’s the thing with you guys, isn’t it? You’re like a damn hydra. Cut off one head and two more grow back. It won’t stop me, though. I’ll hack, shoot, cut, and claw my way through all of you if it means I can spare them a minute of torment.”

“A bleeding heart,” he mocks.

“You’re goddamn right I am. I’m human. It’s my heart and conscience that sets me apart from an animal like you.” I grab the items I collected from the kitchen and line them up on the floor near the chair so Luke can see them. Pursing my lips, I decide I need a little something extra.

“Be right back.”