Entrapment (Morelli Family 7.5)

Obviously this is horrifying news to poor Leroy. He slowly looks back at me, pale and sweating, his dull mind grasping desperately for something he can say to save his own hide.

I nod my head. “That’s right. And can you imagine what I do to someone who hurts a member of my family, Leroy?”

“I didn’t hurt her! I didn’t. She… you don’t understand. She flirted with me.”

“Jesus fucking Christ.” Alec abandons the ladder to walk away, not having the stomach for this shit. Adrian grimaces, since Leroy’s focus is on me.

I’m the one who has to keep the poker face.

I feel it slipping. Before I can stop myself, my arm acts of its own accord—pulling back and flying forward, punching this sack of human garbage right in the face.

He cries out and lurches backwards.

“A twelve-year-old girl flirted with you? That’s your excuse?”

“She always wanted to spend time with me,” he cries, bordering on shrill. “She’d turn on these stupid girly fucking shows and we’d sit on the couch. She’d tell me about her day. She’d wear these little skirts and shirts with no bra.”

“Okay, stop,” I say, standing. My hands keep clenching and unclenching. I wanted to draw this out, but he’s making it so goddamn hard not to kill him.

Adrian doesn’t practice the same control. Before Leroy even has a chance to keep going with his bullshit list of Mia’s sins, Adrian walks up and punts him in the head.

Alec looks like he wants to join in, but he keeps his distance and lets Adrian work.

“Did it cross your mind, your worthless sack of shit, that a fatherless little girl might look to her mother’s boyfriend to fill the fucking void?” Adrian asks, just before kicking him again. “That’s not fucking flirting, asshole. A twelve-year-old can’t flirt with a grown man. You know why? Because she’s twelve.”

Leroy is crying again. I let Adrian kick him around some more and get out some frustrations. Leroy yelps and cries and begs for help. He begs Alec, since he’s the only one not actively beating him at any point. He doesn’t know Alec just doesn’t want to ruin a new suit.

Leroy is sobbing like a 12-year-old girl now, saliva and blood dripping from his face. I was planning on punching him some more, but Adrian got angrier than I anticipated and I don’t want to touch him now. That’s okay. I’ll improvise.

“Hang him up,” I tell Adrian.

“With fucking pleasure,” Adrian mutters, grabbing Leroy by the hair and pulling him up off the ground.

“Please. Please, please. You don’t understand. I’m not… Please…”

“Has he admitted enough for you, or do you want more?” I ask Adrian, ignoring sad, sad Leroy Weiss.

“Fuck this guy,” Adrian says. “Let’s just kill him.”

I nod once and look to Alec. Wordlessly commanding him to help Adrian with my eyes, I take a step back, cross my arms, and watch them lift this sad man. Once he’s suspended from the ropes, hanging from the meat hook, I pull out my gun.

“Please don’t kill me. I’ll do anything. Please!”

“I do have one question,” I tell him. I hesitate though, glancing at Adrian and Alec. Ordinarily I wouldn’t think twice, but it occurs to me I don’t want to share Mia’s issues with them.

Adrian frowns, confused.

“You two give us a minute.”

Discomfort oozes from Adrian. “I was joking about comparing notes. Please, for the love of God, don’t do that.”

I roll my eyes. “Five minutes. Go.”

Sighing heavily, Adrian mutters under his breath as he follows my orders. Alec is not similarly hesitant; he couldn’t give fewer fucks, he just wants to get out of here.

Since I have to wait until they’re out of earshot, I walk up behind Leroy, raise my foot just behind his ass, and give him a good kick.

He cries out in alarm and pain as his body swings back and forth.

“I bet that’s uncomfortable, isn’t it?” I ask him, smiling. “It’s uncomfortable for any man, but a portly body like yours, that’s gotta hurt like hell.”

Leroy continues to sob.

“I wasn’t there when she lost her virginity so I can’t say for myself whether or not she was a virgin. Was she?”

“How am I supposed to know? I didn’t rape her,” he says, shaking his head. His chins jiggle. I cock my head, wordlessly questioning the reliability of this answer. “I didn’t! I swear to God, I didn’t.”

“If there is a God, I doubt he wants to hear from you.”

“I didn’t fucking rape her!”

“Good.” I nod once. I didn’t think he did, but there was no harm in checking. This next part is going to be a lot harder, but right now he’s terrified and he knows I’m disgusted by his predilections. I need to turn the tides a bit. “Can I tell you a secret, Leroy?”

His Adam’s apple bobs. His eyes seem to have permanently widened. He gives a shaky, spastic nod. He doesn’t know what to do here.