Page 87 of His Pet

She tries to stay professional, but I can see her fighting an eye roll. “Mr. Matthews, you’re safe here,” she repeats. “Detective Small is a decorated police officer with two decades of experience. There’s no way he’d hurt you.”

“Yes,” Small chimes in smugly. “Stop being ridiculous, Matthews. The only one who's a danger to society here is you. Let’s get this over with.”

The deputy still looks torn. For a moment, it looks like she'll refuse the order. Then her radio crackles, and she steps out to answer it, leaving me alone with the clearly insane man.

Fuck.

Chapter 54

Cameron

My eyes dart around the warehouse as I look for a way out or something to defend myself with. I might be cuffed, but I’m not going down without a fight.

Small watches me, feasting on my fear. Madness shines from his feverish eyes, a sign of a man who’s been pushed too far.

In a way, I understand him. He’s been trying to do what he considers right. Now Justin has knocked his perfectly constructed plan down like a block castle, and everything has fallen apart. The lawsuit I filed against him likely helped push him over the edge, too.

I don’t regret taking him down. I’d just prefer to be alive to see the results.

“It’s you,” he mutters through his gritted teeth as he rolls up his sleeves. “It’s always been you.”

“Detective Small, I didn’t know you’re such a romantic. You’re not really my type, though.” The taunt is out of my mouth before I can stop myself, but maybe it’s a good thing. Angry people make mistakes, and Small’s a hair’s breadth away from tipping into full rage. If I can get him to punch me, the deputy won’t be able to brush my worries off anymore. I just need to survive long enough.

Small balls his fists, his knuckles turning white. “You ruined everything. Every single fucking thing.”

As he advances, I step back until my bound hands hit the wall. I brace myself for the pain. I could probably dodge the hit, but I need him to strike first.

“Have you ever seen a dead kid, Matthews?” Another step closer. He scoffs. “Of course you did. You and your fucked-up friends probably rape and murder kids on the regular. What’s a party without a little fun, right?”

“I’ve never touched a minor.” Surprisingly, most crime organizations in the city agree on leaving kids out of the flesh trade. Even Sin strictly enforces her no minors rule.

Small laughs. It’s a dry, hysterical sound. “Right, I forgot. You’re a freaking saint. How did you get Palmer to lie for you? Did you threaten him? His family? Or did you just torture him until he broke?”

“I didn’t torture Justin.” I remain calm, because that’s what’s pissing Small off the most. “He chose to be with me.” I’m not even lying.

“You brainwashed him. He called you his boyfriend. After you kidnapped him, kept him in a cage, and raped him. His boyfriend!”

“He did?” Justin called me his boyfriend. That’s so sweet. Despite everything, it almost makes me smile. Once we get back home, I’m going to pamper him for days.

Small bares his teeth in a snarl. “You’re a sick fuck, Matthews! You had a chance to help me, to do good, to be a fucking hero. You chose to be a villain, and I’m going to end you like one. You don’t deserve to spend the rest of your life in a comfy cell getting three meals a day, courtesy of American taxpayers.”

My pulse jumps as he raises his fist. One hit. That’s all I need to survive, and then I have to avoid him until the deputy comes back.

As I brace myself for the punch, I glimpse a movement on the other side of the warehouse. Maybe it’s the deputy returning?

Small’s fist splits my lip and sends me stumbling onto the dirty floor. Satisfaction spreads through me as I taste copper. He drew first blood. That’s just what I needed.

“HELP!” I scream from the top of my lungs even as I scramble back to my feet. “Deputy! Help! Anyone!”

I dodge another strike, and Small’s fist rings against the corrugated metal. I can’t really defend myself without my hands, but I’m agile enough to dodge him until the cavalry arrives. Except the door stays closed.

“She’s not coming,” Small tells me smugly. He sidesteps my clumsy kick. “I’ve had dispatch send her to the other end of the street. It’s just you and me, Matthews.”

Well, fuck. That didn’t work out as I planned. “You’re not going to get away with this. You’re a freaking cop. You can’t just beat a suspect to death.”

“By the time someone finds you here, I’ll be long gone. New name, new identity. New life. Unlike you, who’ll rot in the filth where you belong.”

I’m too slow. His fist grazes my temple, not hard enough to knock me out but enough to disorient me. Small presses his advantage and strikes at my solar plexus, putting his full weight into the punch. Air knocked out of me, I fold in half and desperately wheeze as I try to draw in a breath. Just barely, I roll away from a stomp that would shatter my ribs.