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I shoved Buddy's head back down with more force than necessary, deeming the man insane when he began to laugh
"Malik." That was all I needed to say.
He gripped Buddy's jaw, applying pressure right where the missing teeth had been knocked from, and he began speaking softly.
"Your other ear is next, and when that's off, I'm going to take out your fucking tongue. Next are your fingers. Last will be your goddamn eyes. If you think you'll die before then, you're sadly mistaken. Dozens have learned this same lesson the hard way. Do yourself a favor by not being one of them."
"You're going to make me suffer anyway," Buddy coughed, groaning in pain and trying to lift his shoulder to his severed ear.
"I give you my word I won't. I do not give a shit about you. I just want to know where my people are."
As if Maliki had just made some sacred promise, Buddy winced and slowly nodded his head. "He gave them to me, and I traded them for things I needed. They were going with a nice family to the old Stile Farm."
I was still trying to make sense of his words when Maliki removed his gun from its holster, flipped off the safety, and then jammed the barrel into the spot where there used to be an ear.
There was barely enough time for me to lift my hands and step away before he pulled the trigger. Buddy was mid-blink when an unwanted piece of metal made impact with his skull, shredding the flesh as it entered.
With a flick of his wrist, Maliki sent a piece of something pink sailing from the end of his gun to the floor, and then tucked it back into the waistband of his jeans with no comment on why he’d just blown a man’s brains out.
“Why did you do that?”
“I was keeping my word. I told him I wouldn’t make him suffer. Does it look like he’s suffering?”
I puckered my lips, glancing from Buddy to the infuriating man beside me. “Pretty sure he looks like a man with a hole in the side of his head. And he’s dead. The one person who had info we need is dead.”
“The only information this piece of shit had was what we both just heard and all we needed to know. He wouldn’t know where the kids are, and we already knew your brother was sick. You’re not that naïve, Nyx.”
His words, while truthful, were callously delivered. “Why are you being like this?”
He cocked his head to the side.
“Like what?”
“An asshole. Is this because I asked about your late night flings?”
“I keep telling you they aren’t flings.”
“It doesn’t matt—”
“It does matter. I haven’t fucked anyone since I had my dick inside of you. Why do you think that is?”
This caught me off guard. If he wasn’t sleeping them, then…it didn’t make sense. What was he doing? Furthermore, what was he implying?
I tempered the urge to run my hands through my hair, remembering that I had blood on them. Satanas. Were we really arguing why a man’s brains poured from his head literally right in front of us?
The way Maliki stared me down was answer enough. Yes, we were arguing right here and right now, or at least on the verge of doing so.
Not remotely in the mood for this and wanting nothing more than to get out of my filthy clothes and cleaned up, I strode forward, intending to do that somewhere in this damned building.
I should’ve expected him to try and stop me, but when he stepped in my path and did just that, I peered up at him, letting my annoyance show.
“Why do you keep running from me?”
“I’ve never run.”
“You always run.” Bitter conviction laced his words. I wanted to deny it, but some part of my mind knew he was right. The obvious effect it was having on him was new to me and not intentional whatsoever.
“I honestly don’t know what to say to you right now,” I admitted.
