Page 76 of Depraved

He held the phone out to me, his eyes dark and doleful. “It’s Neon’s phone. One of the prospects found it outside the front door. Granite, Neon never goes anywhere without her phone.”

Just as I took the phone from him, the video caller rang. My gut twisted into a thousand tiny motherfucking knots.

Biting my lip, I slid my finger across the screen. And true as fuck, Slither’s ugly motherfucking face appeared.

“Hello, Granite.” His split tongue lapped over his lips. “It’s a fine day today, isn’t it?”

“What the fuck are you doing, Slither?”

“Just making conversation. I have to say, your huge-ass face looks tiny on this screen. Much less…intimidating.”

A heaviness crashed down on my chest, my body wracked with chills. “Don’t fuck with me. Where is Neon?”

“Oh, she’s here. Hold on.” The screen image went vivid as he moved. “There she is.”

On the picture was Neon, gagged, naked, and hanging upside down from the motherfucking roof, blood dripping down her arms.

I stumbled back, the phone shaking in my hand. “I swear to fucking God, I will cut your dick off and shove it down your throat, you motherfucker!”

Slither laughed, full-on hysterical laughter that was meant to mock me, then turned the camera back on himself. “Now, now. No need for such violence. You knew when you started this shit it would become messy.”

“Let her go.”

“No.”

“Slither—”

“You think those two prospects you killed the other night were the only two pairs of eyes I had on you?”

Anger surged, and I grabbed the first thing I could find—a wrench—and threw it across the room, the clanging sound as it hit the wall resonating through the garage. “Don’t fuck with me, Slither. You let her fucking go, right now!”

He brought the camera closer to his face, eyes narrowed. “You chose to fuck with me the day you mind-fucked my newest prospects into thinking kidnapping the PC’s daughter was actually a good idea. Well done, by the way, getting my guys to do your fucking dirty work.”

I bit my tongue. Did he really think I was that stupid? The call was most likely being recorded, so there was not a chance in hell I’d fall in that trap by confessing.

“I told you, we don’t have the girl.” Clenching my jaw, I tried my fucking best to sound confident in my own lie, but the image of Neon hurt was fucking with my head.

“You see, Granite, I call bullshit. One of my scouts saw your blue-haired pixie shopping for clothes that would…well, fit a ballerina. Do you have a ballerina in your midst?”

This guy knew exactly which fucking buttons to push. “Motherfucker, how many times do I have to tell you we don’t have the fucking girl?”

“I don’t believe you. Now, the deal is simple. Let the girl go home. That’s it. I don’t want her. Just let her go home to her loving family, confess this kidnapping sham was all the Kings’ doing, and I’d let your little blue-haired pixie go.”

“There’s just one problem with that, you sick fuck. We don’t have the girl!” I shouted into the receiver while kicking my boot against the fucking wall. “And if you’re so fucking convinced we have her, why not go to the PC yourself?”

Slither snorted. “I’m not stupid. You and I both know I can’t do that without evidence.”

“Exactly what I thought. You got nothing.”

“But you got something, don’t you Granite? A pretty ballerina.”

“I. Don’t. Have. Her.” I gritted out between clenched teeth.

“Liar. Let’s see if this will get the truth out of you.”

A scream ripped through the receiver. “Neon! Jesus Christ.”

Ink cursed, pulling his hands through his hair while we listened to her scream. The sound was scraping against my bones, penetrating every goddamn vein in my body. The intense pain and horror coming from her screeching cries was agonizing, and if I was a man with a heart, I’d probably feel the burn of tears. “Stop, Slither. Stop, motherfucker! What are you doing to her?”