AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He turns and looks at me as he descends the steps. I follow him, my pulse spiking as we lower ourselves deeper into the darkness.
Kaspian’s hand brushes against mine, and then he’s gone, a light flickering to life to my right before a few more turn on. It’s massive and somewhat jarring. Broken concrete makes up the floor, and beams and poles are everywhere. Looks like a good section is split into stalls.
“What the hell went on here?” I ask.
“Probably where they slaughtered the animals.”
“Well, thank you for this beautiful gift.”
He laughs and takes my hand. “Come on.”
We walk to the end, approaching a section that’s blocked by what looks like a newly erected wall. When Kaspian pulls me around the partition, he gestures with his other arm like he’s presenting me with a brand-new car. Instead, I find a man tied to a concrete slab, eyes covered and mouth gagged. He’s only wearing pants, and he’s completely still.
“Who is this?”
Kaspian leans against the wall. “Your gift.”
“I gathered,” I say, walking toward the man. “Explain.”
“I’m just trying to get you to understand that I get you. You don’t have to be anybody but yourself with me. You want this. You crave this,” he says, gesturing to the motionless figure. “I’m giving it to you, and I’m the only one who can.”
I take a deep breath. “Don’t act like this is completely selfless.”
He smiles. “Of course it’s not. I want you to appreciate what I’ve done for you. I want you to reward me.”
I stare at him for several seconds. “Where did he come from?”
“Out of town. No connections.”
“How’d you lure him here?”
“Well,” he says with a head tilt. The man on the slab starts moving. Kaspian’s eyes bounce between me and him. “You gonna do this? One way or another, we have to get rid of him. He’s seen my face.”
When the man hears our voices, he starts making noise and jerking against the ropes. Kaspian moves to a corner where there’s a small toolbox. When he walks back toward me, he holds out his hand and shows me a thirteen-inch, black stiletto knife.
My eyes dart to his. He knew the right type of knife to get. “I can’t. I can’t bring him back,” I say, alluding to Quintin.
He shakes his head. “He won’t be found. There will be no way for anybody to pin this on you.”
I reach out and take the knife, running my finger along the blade. My body trembles as Ezra disappears and Quintin emerges. I toss the knife in the air, watching it flip before it lands in my hand. I gaze at Kaspian, my lips pulling into a nefarious grin. His eyes light up.
Standing beside the man, I remove his blindfold. He squints before he notices Kaspian, and then his eyes go wide and he looks at me, moaning and murmuring behind his gag, pleading with me through his frightened eyes.
I bring the knife up and place it against the black material stretched tight across his face. “Shh.”
He freezes, quieting only slightly.
Kaspian moves back, watching from a stool in the corner.
I cut the cloth, nicking his face in the process, then I remove the ball of material from his mouth and toss it aside.
“Please, man. Please. Oh god. Don’t kill me. I don’t know what I did.”
He’s frantic. Terrified. Desperate. Everything I love. It fills me with power.
“What did he do, Kaspian?” I ask, watching the man’s face.
He tries to find him but can’t move enough to get a good look. “I didn’t do anything! I swear. He came on to me! I didn’t touch him. I’m not a fucking fa—”
