"Come on, Gael... it's just a finger." I smiled at him, watching as tears streamed down his face and blood dripped from his hand.
He was trying to grunt and scream in pain, but he was still gagged and very much immobilized, so I was having my fun while Cleo was still asleep. I knew the room right next to this one was empty because I made sure to rent it as well, just to be certain that no one could hear this fucker.
Gael was big, it took more rope than usual to tie him up but I was very fucking good at it, there was no way he could get out or even move the slightest, and it was probably very uncomfortable for him to have spent the past eight hours like that.
Not that I fucking cared, I fucking wished I could kill him without having to worry about getting answers.
Looking into his dark eyes reminded me of the way he touched Cleo without her fucking consent, groping her as if she was there at his disposal.
His dick was the next thing I was going to cut off, I was just waiting for Cleo in case she wanted to watch or do it herself.
She was deep asleep when I left the room, she crashed as soon as she laid down on the bed, and thank fuck we had only broken the headboard, or else it would've been fun to ask the manager of this dump for a new bed... unless she wanted to share one with me.
I doubted she'd want that, she was still very conflicted about whatever the fuck was going on between us, and to be honest, not even I knew what was happening. The sex was unmatched and just perfect, the slight soreness in my muscles was a great fucking reminder.
But I knew Cleo needed a bit longer to recompose herself, although I was sure her soreness would last another day or two.
Another thing I was sure of was that we needed to talk.
I didn't mind fucking her, I could separate our last names and our history from the current sexual tension we were feeling, but that didn't mean it was easy to let go. And when she mentioned her father last night, I just knew I had to tell her the whole truth.
She'd probably say I was lying, or maybe try to kill me and fight me, but this time I was actually wanting to be honest about it. We were going to spend more time together, we still had another target and also a whole fucking mystery to solve.
And I planned on fucking her again as long as she wanted me to, and if I hadn't pulled away from the kiss last night she would've kept going, but fucking her while she was sore wasn't a good idea, especially since we had work to do today.
Maybe next time, I was quite eager.
She overestimated me, though... she wasn't the only one conflicted about this, I just didn't mind giving in to my urges. I didn't enjoy overthinking things, but spending time with her was making me do the same.
I mean, we tried to kill each other not too long ago and now I couldn't fucking stop thinking about tasting her... how good her cunt felt wrapped tightly around my cock... how addictive it was to kiss her.
Turns out I was fucked, and I honestly had no idea how this would affect our whole situation after we fixed our main problems. This was dangerous... she was so fucking dangerous.
I wondered if she knew the power she had over me, I literally couldn't think about anything else and it was quite annoying.
What the fuck was wrong with me?
This was the reason why I had woken up earlier and made my way straight to this room after I showered and drank some coffee. I put on black jeans and a black shirt just like the one Cleo was wearing to sleep... fuck, the moment she put my shirt on my stomach clenched.
I remembered our almost fight last night because of the innocent mark on her ass, she was making such a big deal out of this. No one was going to see it but me, hopefully. And it wasn't going to last forever, she would heal.
It was such a huge turn on, though... maybe because of the fact she was fierce and ruthless, but when she was with me she completely gave in. We were actually a really good match in bed, though.
But maybe it was dangerous that we both had a pain kink... and also fun.
God, I told you I couldn't stop thinking about her.
I focused my attention on Gael again, and then I looked at his hand. His wrists were tied on the arms of the chair and I had only cut two fingers so far, just for fun. I hadn't even asked him anything, but I was sure he was going to be scared enough to blabber.
And that's when someone knocked on the door, and I just knew it was Cleo. I walked closer so I could open it just a bit, checking to see if it was her and her blue eyes found mine.
She pushed the door open and walked inside, bumping her shoulder into mine on her way. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail and she was wearing a black turtleneck and leather pants, carrying her cigarette pack on one hand and removing her knife from her pocket with the other as I closed the door.
And I couldn't help but stare at her ass, just wishing she'd let me see how bruised it was later today..
"Good morning, baby." I smiled at her and she glanced sideways at me before she placed her cigarettes on top of the desk in the corner.
This room was exactly like mine, despite the face we had prepared this one for murder.
We covered the floor with plastic and also made sure to push the beds to the corner so the blood wouldn't cause any damage to the furniture or the sheets.
Cleo was still walking slower than usual, but only I could notice that because I was very perceptive. I'd been analyzing her ever since we decided to work together, she was just very interesting. She switched her knife from one hand to the other, the only one with the silver snake handle that she had brought along when we ran from that hotel.
I leaned against the wall, watching as she roughly pulled the gag away and Gael was about to scream when she pressed the blade on his throat.
"Don't you fucking dare." She smiled sweetly at him, and the small cut that was healing on my neck was proof of how seriously he should take this. "You'll regret it if you scream, I can assure you."
"Who the fuck are you? You're insane! Did you follow me to the club?" Gael blurted out, once again trying to struggle with the ropes. "Do you want money? I can give it to you!"
"Please, what you have is merely a change to me." I snorted and Cleo looked at me over her shoulder.
"What?"
She shook her head and then pulled a chair to sit right in front of Gael, and I stayed back as I watched her shift uncomfortably on the chair.
Fuck, I was enjoying this way too much.
"We'll let you go if you answer our question." She said simply, and she was so fucking cruel... and it really turned me on.
There was no way Gael was getting out of this room alive.
"He cut off my fingers! Please, get some ice!" He started crying again and I rolled my eyes.
"Your dick was next, I was waiting for the lady." I winked at him and his eyes widened at Cleo. "Maybe she should be the one to cut it off since you asked for it, behaving like a fucking neanderthal."
"She was dressed like a whore!" Gael was really fucking dumb.
Cleo was quick to clench her fist and punch his face much quicker than he could ever expect, and I could hear a bone cracking.
Fuck me.
"Try it again." She sighed, flexing her fingers as she was still holding the knife with her other hand. "Do the last names Styles or Horan ring any bells?"
Okay, no beating around the bush I see. I was going to let her lead this, I was quite curious to see her procedure. I knew she was famous for her torture abilities, she probably had more patience than me.
"What?" Gael's eyes widened and that was enough to reveal that those names were indeed familiar to him.
I walked closer to them, placing my hands on the back of the chair Cleo was sitting on and looking deep into Gael's eyes.
"Answer her question," I told him.
"I've heard about it because of business deals, you know... the usual." He quickly answered, literally trembling the second Cleo brushed her knife on his thigh. "Stop, please! I've only heard the name Horan. Mason Horan. Nearly eight years ago, that's all!"
What the fuck?
Cleo looked up at me with furrowed eyebrows as soon as her father's name was mentioned.
And if Gael had worked with Cleo's dad all those years ago, then he also had something to do with the trafficking... my dad told me the way the Horans grew on the market, and it wasn't pretty.
It was exactly what I had to tell Cleo, I was so fucking sure she didn't know.
She praised the memory of her father as if he was an angel, and he had raised her to follow his steps, but I doubted he told his own daughter that he was trafficking people from other countries... mostly women. Very young women.
The thought made me sick to my stomach, but one thing people didn't usually know was that human trafficking, including child trafficking, had its numbers estimated among the 60.000 people per year... just in the U.S., though.
It was one of the most profitable businesses, and way more common than you think.
Mason Horan used to be one of the biggest in the country, that's why his name became famous and he got enough money to establish himself in the business, switching to drugs and guns later.
I still had my doubts and I suspected he never truly left that business.
Well, Cleo had to know. She assumed her dad was too good to murder my mother, and he was actually the worst.
"What do you know about him?" Cleo asked through gritted teeth, pressing her knife on Gael's throat again. "Talk."
"He supplied a few... things, for this party I hosted." He hesitated, glancing from me to Cleo. "I heard he was trustworthy and quiet. That's all, I swear! Only and last time."
Why would anyone want him dead, though? I knew he was telling the truth, he was a fucking wanker. I was sure he was about to piss his pants if Cleo kept threatening with the knife.
Was this the connection between our targets? They knew Cleo's dad? What the fuck did that have anything to do with me?
We'd never know about Mark or Roger, but maybe if we went to the next and final target then we could be certain and discover even more.
There had to be a reason.
"Next one?" I asked Cleo when she stood up from the chair, pushing it to the side.
"I fucking hate this, he's fucking useless." She sounded very upset. "I can tell he's not hiding anything, but what the fuck does this mean?"
"We'll talk," I said simply, just knowing a whole fucking shitstorm was coming because she wasn't the easiest person to talk to.
And family was a delicate topic between us... but we were bound to do it sooner or later.
"Fine." She sighed, tightening her grip on her knife. "Are we done?"
"I think so? We don't have much time, we should travel tonight." I shrugged, watching as she walked around Gael's chair until she was standing right behind him.
It was pointless to torture him anymore, this was already unexpected enough and his connection with Cleo's dad was the key.
He said he supplied things to a party... and I just knew they were women.
"Okay." Cleo deadpanned, grabbing Gael's hair and pulling his head back so she could swiftly and suddenly slit his throat.
She didn't hesitate, slicing his neck as he choked on his own blood, with zero chance of screaming or begging for mercy.
There was a little blood on her face and I couldn't take my eyes off her as she looked at Gael's convulsing body.
At least the floor was protected.
And seeing her so comfortable and ex with the knife reminded me of how terrified she looked when I asked her to hold my gun last night.
"God, I needed that." Cleo sighed, looking into my eyes. "Shall we clean up now?"