With no choice, Gary nodded.
“First question, whose car is that?” The man jerked histhumb over his shoulder towards the direction of the car that was parked outfront.
Snatching the tape from his mouth, Gary yelled at the painof his mustache being ripped.
"Look, man, just let me…" Searing pain shotthrough him as a knife cut across his thigh. Gary screamed.
"That's a warning," the man's face wasfrighteningly blank, almost uninterested as he looked at him with bored eyes."Come on Gary, just tell me what I want to know, and we will be done as Isaid."
Somehow knowing this man knew his name scared him even more.“It belongs to this old man three rows down from my trailer,” Gary yelled.
Nodding, the man exhaled tiredly and tilted his head to theside. His black eyes felt as if they were boring into his soul. “Any of yourmotorcycle cronies know you’re here?”
Like hell, Gary couldn’t tell them his old lady’s cunt of adaughter stole his shit. But he wasn’t going to tell this psycho that. Liftinghis head, Gary gave him his best “fuck you” face. “Yeah, some do.”
A slow grin spread across the bastard’s face. The man knewhe was lying. Just as Gary started to yell, the man put the tape back over hismouth.
“Okie dokie then,” his creepy grin was still large as hereached for Gary’s hands on the hook. “We’re done here, time to wrap it up.”
For the briefest second, as Gary felt his full weight shiftback to his feet, he felt a moment of relief. It really was over.
The sudden burning hot, tearing feeling of pain slicingthrough his body did the job of dispelling that tiny flare of hope.
Looking down at his stomach, Gary recognized his goldhunting knife from his toolshed protruding through his stomach. Feeling himselffall with no way to stop it, Gary landed hard against the plastic on the woodfloor.
Opening his eyes, Gary looked up to the sky and realized hemust’ve passed out for a moment.
"What was it, huh? Was it the blog, the kiss on thenews, or that stupid car she ditched?" The sky passed by over his head asGary felt himself being drug on a makeshift plastic sled across the snow. Abovehim, the man chatted casually to him, not expecting a reply. "You know fora while she really thought you would come after her. I swear, I had the devilof a time convincing her you weren't dumb enough to do that. And now look whatyou did," the man paused, and Gary could faintly hear noises of thingsbeing moved around. "Do you know what my life would be like if she ever foundout, she was right?!" The dragging continued and Gary let out a long moanwhen he felt the blade in his gut shift and more of his blood gushing outaround him only to pool at his back on the plastic sled. "Well fuck youvery much Gary, because hell no am I going to endure that I-told-you-so songand dance. I am far too prideful for that."
Finally, the moving stopped. Coming to stand next to him,the psychotic bastard stared at him as if he was regarding a piece of gum onhis shoe.
“Tell me, Gary, besides sticking your disgusting fingers inher sweet cunt,” Gary’s eyes went wide and he stilled in fear. The man justscoffed. “Oh yeah, don’t worry about that, I know already. I just want to knowif you did anything else?" Shaking his head, Gary tried to scream that hedidn't. Twisting his lips in a dubious frown, the man's black eyes somehow wentcolder. "For some reason, I don't believe you. Well, that's okay,"looking up, the man stared at the sunny sky with the smile. "Me andAlessia will get through it regardless. Fuck, I wish I had more time with you,though." Looking back down at him, Gary felt his bowels shift again at thesight of the man's sudden cold fury in his black eyes. "I just can't takethat chance, you understand don't you Gary, the rapist?"
Tears streamed down Gary's face as he watched the man bendand pick up something. When he did see the item, Gary's bowels involuntarilyreleased themselves in his pants.
Holding up a sledgehammer, the man grinned maniacally."Now, let's get rid of those teeth, shall we?"
~*~
The front door opened just as Jax was stepping out of thebathroom with a towel around his neck. Coming through the door, Alessia had thecat carrier in one hand and a cardboard box under the other arm. Alreadytalking to him without looking up, she managed to close the door with her foot.
"I'm sorry I am so late," she said, turning andplacing the box on the counter. "I was…"
Looking up to him, her words died on her tongue as she gavehim a wide-eyed goofy smile. Satisfaction coiled through him as her eyes drankin every inch of his bare chest. Jax would never get enough of her stunnedreaction to his body. He always took sheer discipline not to let his egoinflate when she ran her hands across his muscles with obvious delight.
Stepping over to her, Jax leaned down and placed a kiss onher lips, enjoying how she leaned in closer. Taking the cat carrier from herhand, he unzipped the opening and picked up the warm ball of heat.
“You actually got home at the perfect time; I was justfinishing up some things.”
“Ooh like what?” Hugging his waist, she buried her facehappily in his chest.
“Some chores and a surprise,” he set the protesting kittenon her shoulder.
Smiling, Alessia reached up to the kitten and put him on thefloor as she stepped back. “I like surprises,” she hinted for him to tell.
Shaking his head, he grabbed her by the shoulders and gentlyturned her around and pushed her towards the couch. “All in due time, I stillwant to hear about your day at the library. Did you and Hershenhorn talk theguys who run the bed and breakfast into your idea?”
Turning around, she beamed proudly, practically bouncing onher tiptoes. "Yes! Yes, we did. Oh Jax, I'm so happy," whirlingaround, she circled the couch to sit down when she froze. Pointing to a spot onthe kitchen floor, she frowned back at him. "Jax there is some blood onthe floor. What happened did you cut yourself?"
