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1. Apple Juice, Jessie Reyez
2. Feels Like Home, Bea Mille & Jessie Reyez
3. Belong to You, Sabrina Claudio
4. Bad Intentions, Niykee Heaton
5. God is a Woman, Ariana Grande
6. Sad Together, Oliva O’Brien
7. Empty, Olivia O’Brien
8. I Do, Jessie Reyez
9. Finally // Beautiful Stranger, Halsey
10. Needy, Ariana Grande
11. Burning Memories, Machine Gun Kelly
12. Death in My Pocket, Machine Gun Kelly
13. Chasing Parties, Sasha Sloan
14. See You Again, Tyler the Creator
“I HAVE A PRESENT FOR you.” The corners of my brother's lips turn up into a smile and he looks vehemently proud of himself, a look that never leads to anything good.
I don’t want another reminder that it’s my birthday. Twenty-six years on this earth and nothing to show for it but a trail of blood. Our family doesn’t do perfectly wrapped presents tied with bows, so whatever waits for me is less than pretty.
He leads me into the basement of his casino and I follow him down, deep into the darkness where my surprise awaits. We walk through dimly lit pathways with cinderblock walls and behind locked doors where only he and his most trusted staff can go.
The further we travel, the more my stomach threatens to revolt.
No matter how often I smell it, the lingering odor of rot and death never gets better. The metallic tinge of blood is assaulting my senses, so I know my instinct is correct. My gift is a body.
Our family has a penchant for odd gifts.
Blood, limbs, and corpses are all the norm.
As much as it pains me to admit, there is something sickeningly sweet about seeing the spilled blood of your enemies. Still, I feel torn about the death that surrounds us. A feeling that has been getting stronger lately.
We arrive at a chain link gate in the basement. Declan presses his thumb against the smart lock, which releases with a soft click. Declan is far more sophisticated than me, especially when it comes to securing his hostages.
Once I pass through the gate the smell hits me harder. It’s a mixture of copper and bodily fluids. My stomach turns angrily at the scent as it seeps into my nostrils. My arms lift to cover my mouth and nose without even thinking about it.
I expect the man in front of me to be dead. He hangs limp, his knees barely touching the concrete with both arms strung up from the ceiling. It’s hard to make out his features through the dim lighting. He’s completely naked and covered in blood. It drips from every inch of him falling from the metal chair onto the cement floor. Once he’s gone Declan will hose the room down, all of his blood going down the drain in the center of the basement. His life will be over and his death will be covered up.
It’s sad, really.
When he looks up at me, he’s pleading. He’s nearly immobile. For as long as he’s been tied up here, his joints are probably stiff. If I unchained him he would probably stumble, unable to stand, the blood circulating in his limbs not enough to move them.
