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When he came over with my favorite type of knife — a hatchet — I lit up like a kid at Christmas. There wasn't a chance of us leaving here clean. We'd be soaked in these idiot's blood, just the way they deserved.
"What kind of freak show is this place?" the loudmouth asked.
I turned to face him, the knife in my hand reaching out to go under his chin. "Funny you should ask. I was just about to go into my speech. You see, we're married." I lifted my ring for him to see.
Daddy joined in to add, "Technically newlyweds. Less than a year for us."
"That's right! Newlyweds, but we're more than that. We have the most interesting pasts. You see, my name is famous around the country for the things I've done. Have you ever heard of The Monster?"
At my question, he began to tremble. "Yeah," he whispered.
His friend went white as a ghost, his eyes wider than I thought possible. He didn't speak, though. That one was smart. If only I had the patience to convert him to our side, then he might have been a good soldier. I'd work on his friend first. If he survived, maybe I'd spare him.
The thought was strange for me. I rarely ever considered letting someone get away from my hold. Being with The Monster was a death sentence. Add in who my Daddy was and there was no chance of survival.
Or there hadn't been.
But things could change. There had been lots of shifts since I took over for my father. I'd made sure the men feared me with a level of respect my father had let slip. I also went out of my way to get to know them. I made this organization a family again. One that wouldn't be so easily overthrown if someone got a wild air to try to take me down.
"Don't forget about me," Daddy said as I contemplated the recent weeks.
"I could never! This is my husband, as I said before. But to most of the people in this city, he's known as Preacher. Want to know how he got that name?" The mouthy one shook his head as his eyes left mine to trail over the massive figure behind me.
"It's because everyone always begs me for forgiveness. They pray to their gods and plead with me for mercy. Yet... I've never spared anyone from my wrath. If you're meeting with me, your end had come." His words were delivered evenly, as if he were discussing a recipe with Emmy or playing cards with Ricardo.
I think that's what made him so effective at what he did. There was no doubt that he was going to kill you. He kept his composure, never once being grandiose or trying to pity you.
"We don't deserve this!" the man in front of me yelled as spittle flew from his mouth to get on the lapels of my jacket.
I abhorred the thought of his bodily fluids on me. Negating the obvious blood I'd have to deal with, I couldn't handle spit and such on me. With lightning-fast reflexes, I slide the knife upward at an angle. The blade crossed his face, tearing open the skin in one swift movement. I watched as rivulets of red cascaded down his face and neck. The image was something out of a horror movie.
Unfortunately, the move did not silence him.
No, instead, he decided to let loose a pitiful scream. His body jolted, as if he thought enough movement would set him free. Even if it could, he'd still have to get through me and my Daddy. There was no chance of that happening.
Since his friend kept quiet, I left my focus on the one breaking down before my very eyes. He whimpered, his face a bleeding mess as he looked up at me. "Won't you spare me? I can be your first."
I laughed at that, though it was without any real humor. "Do you hear him? He thinks he'll be the one I save."
"So, you've considered it?" The fool kept pushing.
To tease him, I gave a slow nod. "I did actually. Though it wasn't you I had my eye on. It was your quiet friend over there. The one who I might be able to break my 'no sparing' rule. What's his deal?"
The guy looked between me and his friend, his gaze accusatory. "I don't know. He was new like me. I don't have details about everybody. We don't work like that over there."
I sympathized with him for all of ten seconds before I locked that feeling away. "I can't help where you were. I can only tell you now that your choice was foolish. There are a hundred other things to do in this city besides sinking into the slum you've found yourself in."
"There's nowhere else for us to go," the quiet friend said. I was surprised to hear from him given I thought he'd keep his mouth shut in a bid to save his life.
"Explain," I demanded, curious to know more.
He shook his head. "There are kids like us who grow up in bad neighborhoods. No matter how much we work or study, we're trapped in a cycle. No one wants to help us. No one cares enough to do anything more than create fake charities meant to help us by hosting galas and fundraisers in the name of networking."
I squat down until I'm eye level between the two men. While the one on my left doesn't stand a snowball's chance of surviving tonight, I'm finding the one on my right rather interesting. His story and the fierce way he holds himself are the makings of a good leader. He has potential. Potential to take on a project I was already considering but hadn't really given much time to yet.
"Daddy?" I said carefully, my eyes never leaving the men. I wanted to see their reactions to our relationship firsthand.
"Yes, baby. What do you need?" Daddy's hand landed on my shoulder in a show of support. Without me saying a word, he could already tell there was something more I needed. He could sense there was more than what I was saying aloud.
