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“Cat got your tongue?” he taunts me, not even bothering to pretend to be a professional. “Pussy, maybe? Heard you caused a real big scene last night.” He clucks his tongue in disapproval. “I gotta commend you for your audacity, though. And your sheer… pluck. How’d you get out, anyway?”
He can’t be talking like this in the police station. These things have to be recorded. There’s no way he can act so casual and ask questions like these and not get in trouble.
“Where’s… Where’s the detective?” I ask numbly. “I’m going… I’m going to tell them who you are. You’re on the wanted list, right? Giulio Pavone’s private assassin.”
Slayer laughs. “Detective Ryan Graham, at your service.”
No.
He flips out a little leather wallet and flashes me his badge, the metal glinting in the light. “It’s real. You can touch it, if you want. I know you like touching things.”
I don’t reach for it. I don’t reach forhim.
“I’m nobody’s private assassin,” he drawls. “I’m a respected member of law enforcement here in New Bristol. One of the best detectives this department has ever seen, as a matter of fact. You must have me confused with someone else. Now.”
He sits down next to me on the couch, far too close to be professional. I start to scramble away, but he snatches my wrist and forces me to sit back down.
“Let’s get this interview started, shall we?”
I squirm, trying to pull away, and he tugs a pair of handcuffs free from his back pocket with his other hand.
“I knew you’d like it kinky once you opened up to us,” he says.
“You can’t… You can’t say things like that here. You can’t handcuff the victim of a crime,” I protest, my head spinning. I should scream. He’s holding me here, threatening me with handcuffs.
“It’s not my fault if you get all worked up and try to attack me when I cite you for prostitution,” Slayer says smugly. “Now stop trying to pull away from me, and let’s have a little chat.”
I stare at him in disbelief. I still can’t even comprehend the fact that he’s here—that someone who should’ve been my savior is in fact one of my captors. How does adetectivehave a nickname like Slayer? Do these people know who he is?
Would they listen to me if I tried to tell them?
I stop fighting him, though, because there’s nothing I can do in a closed room with the door locked.
“Good girl,” he says, the condescension dripping from his voice. “Let’s start with you giving me your name.”
It’s only then that I realize he’s brought a notepad and a pen, and I wonder if I can make a desperate grab for the pen and stab him with it. I doubt it, and I’m already going to be in enough trouble to begin with.
“You already know my name.”
“Miss, I’ve never seen you before in my life,” Slayer says. He even sounds serious, like he’s got the same sort of kink Giulio has about role playing. And to think, Giulio had said he made a shitty cop during their last game.
I should’ve realized. It’s so obvious now, in retrospect… Or is it? No. Not really.
“I’m not playing this game with you,” I tell him, pulling back a little. He gives me a little space, but he’s still crowding me on the couch. The handcuffs lay on his big thigh, reminding me of the other threat looming over me.
I fucked up big time.
“What crime are you reporting, Miss?” Slayer asks, tapping his pen against the notepad.
I don’t say anything at all.
Slayer sighs. “Miss, wasting police time is not a game. Neither are false accusations. So why don’t you tell me why you’re here, and we can decide where to go from there.” Then the serious expression drops, and he winks at me.
“You know what Giulio Pavone is doing better than anyone,” I say bitterly. “Let me guess, you’re his inside guy? His informant, his lackey?”
Slayer tenses a little. “I’m no one’s lackey,” he says. He wants me to believe it doesn’t bother him, but I’ve hit a nerve. He doesn’t like being referred to that way. I file that away—not like it’s going to help me right now.
My one big gamble didn’t pay off. I’m here, at the police station, where I thought I wanted to be, but the situation is even more dire than what Cat had said. I highly doubt Slayer’s going to arrest anyone for prostitution at Ntimacy, but someone is going to pay for this.
