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He clenches his jaw and grabs me by my shoulder. “Listen, I want you to stay in the car. Things might get ugly and I need to keep you safe. I’ll tell you all—”
“Logan.”
We both spin our heads to the door where the other three are looking at us, a mix of humor and anxiety in their eyes. “Let’s get to it. He could open the door any second now.”
Logan looks back to me, gives me a huff and then turns as he walks up to the others. So do I. If he thinks that I'm going to back out now, he’s mistaken.
“Fucker probably won’t even open the door,” Harry mumbles as we wait. But then the door swings open and a young, attractive man with soft features and golden blond curls opens the door. He looks genuinely surprised, before fear creeps into his eyes and he tries to close the door in our faces.
“Move.” Logan and Mason give the door a firm push and Charlie falls back inside, giving the rest of us the space we need to enter the house.
“W-what’s this about?” He gasps and I see him glancing up at Samuel, who ignores his question, and instead sits him down at the kitchen table. “I-I thought we were done?”
“I thought so too,” Logan grumbles as he hovers over Charlie from across the table. With Mason and Harry behind him, the guy looks terrified. I can’t help but feel for him. I’ve always been afraid of violence and four against one is anything but a fair fight. Logan grumbles, “But I’m starting to think that you have a crush on me, or something. Leaving me notes in my office.” Mason and Harry snicker, but Samuel pales. “You really think you can blackmailme, dipshit? Or did someone hire you to do their dirty work? Were you asked to film us, huh? Talk to me!” He slams a fist onto the table and I jump.
Charlie shakes his head. “You know I can’t tell you anything man. That’s not how this works.”
“You see? This is where you’re wrong. Get his hands on the table, fingers spread.” I feel my stomach churn as I watch how Charlie struggles to hide his hands before Mason puts them flat on display. He spits out a laugh when Harry flings a knife on the table. It’s so close thatifCharlie had the strength and guts, he could have grabbed it and attacked them. It somehow feels like an obscene kind of pissing contest.
“Look at me.” Logan bends over until his face is close to Charlie’s, but the other guy keeps his eyes cast down.
When he speaks, his lips tremble. “I’ve been nothing but loyal.Always. I’m harmless and you know it. You all know it, you, youanimal.” The accusation is that of a rebellious kid and the men mock him for it.
Logan laughs briefly with his crew, before his gaze turns dark again. “I said,lookat me. I won’t ask again.” He speaks slowly, his tone low. Charlie’s eyes flicker to Logan, then to Samuel, then back to Logan. “You know, I’m really disappointed in you Charlie,” Logan mutters. He grabs the knife and lifts the blade to Charlie’s cheek. The man tries to pull away, but Mason’s hand holds him in place. Logan slides the knife agonizingly slow down his neck, following his vein. Charlie gulps and his Adam’s apple bobs. “You worked for The Businessfor nearly two years. I thought we were friends, you know?” He looks around, the knife still lingering on the other man’s neck, ignoring Charlie’s soft whimpers. “But then you turn your back on us. First we see each other in my office, where you try to play a game with some fancy lawyer and some sob story. Then you start leaving me notes.”
“I don’t know anything about notes,” Charlie squeaks. “I haven’t left you any—”
“Sshh.” I watch as Logan brushes Charlie’s cheek with his free hand. “Let’s talk about something else. I love chatting with you, you know? Why don’t you tell me how you got in touch with The Void?” He moves the knife slowly from Charlie’s neck to his lips, chuckling when he sees the man’s eyes following the movements of the blade like a hawk. “If you’re not talking, you don’t need that tongue of yours, do you?” This time I seriously think I might be ill. This side of Logan is plain disturbing, and now I finally understand what he meant when he said that there’s no way out. I don’t know what’s more agonizing. His soft, gentle voice or the actual killing tool in his hands.
“Please,” Charlie begs and his eyes find Samuel again. “They will kill me if I tell you. They will. And I can’t tell you much. It’s not like they called me and came over one night, like you,” he finishes with a weak voice. “You and I were like brothers, right? I would never do anything to harm you guys.”
Logan impales the silver blade into the table with force and Charlie cries out.
“Sorry, the boss got a bit carried away,” Mason smirks before he pulls it out. “You sure are taking your time, man. Perhaps just answer the questions so we can all enjoy a quiet night?” Charlie gulps, then nods shakily.
“Where were we?” Logan’s voice sounds even softer now. “Oh yes, we were talking about The Void and you were about to tell me how they contacted you.” He ruffles Charlie's hair. “Tell you what, since I really would like to go home, we’ll take the shortcut. For every question you don’t answer, you pay with a finger. What d’you think, boys?”
They grin, ignoring Charlie's pleas.
I need to get out of here, this is getting to be too much. As I make my way toward the living room, I hear the guys howl like wolves while Charlie sobs loudly, terrified.
Think.
If the IP address comes from this location, where’s the computer? And if Charlie indeed has a sister, where is she? I scan my surroundings and see that the living room has two doors. One that leads to the hall with bedrooms, but it’s the other one that’s got my attention. As I peek through it, I catch a glimpse of the dark corridor. Are those stairs? Right, a basement.
I should not be doing this. This is not my world. I should go home, perhaps enroll in a music course and play in a band in Lyon. I dig out the inhaler from my pocket and take a deep breath. Who am I kidding?
I switch on the light and duck back to the living room, where I stay for a solid ten seconds as I wait for someone to react to the sudden light. Nothing. Before I can change my mind, I’m already down the stairs, feeling visibly relieved by the fading of the mockery in the kitchen. Music’s coming from behind yet another door. This is Mia’s room, I just know.
I open the door and find a huge desk with two computers and a woman’s back.Jackpot. She’s wearing earbuds, which explains why she’s oblivious to the obnoxious sounds from upstairs. Poor Charlie.
I release the breath I didn’t realize I was holding, when Mia turns her chair around. The friendly gaze turns to shock as she takes me in. She immediately pulls the earbuds out, which causes her curls to bounce around her shoulders. She’s got the same sweet, golden locks as her brother and dark green eyes that now stare right at me.
“Mia…” I state quietly.
“Who are you?” She squeaks.
“You know who I am.”Bluff.
