"And I want you to release Angie," I add. "Tell her she's free to keep working for you, or to work elsewhere."
"You make a lot of demands for someone with a lesser weapon." Madam Karina locks eyes with Eric and yanks her wrists against the binds. "Take this off me."
I step between Eric and Madam Karina, jab my knife to her throat to remind him I'm still armed. Over my shoulder, I say, "I'm going to let him untie you as a show of good faith. But I want your word that you'll release Poppet and Cain."
"Enough with your threats. Let me go!" Rage laces the madam's every word. It's the sweetest music I've ever heard. I smile to Eric and bow like he's royalty. Let him release the beast. When she says it's me she wants, I want her to be on her feet. I want to be on my feet, too.
I step away, and Eric releases Madam Karina. Immediately, the madam covers her wounds and puts pressure on the hole in her gums. Her face furrows, and she moans deep from within her core. I understand then how much pain she's in. It isn't enough. It'll never be enough. If Domino were here, she would've called off the torture long ago. But she isn't here. I am. And Madam Karina has another think coming if she thinks I'll die easily.
Madam Karina straightens and then dashes toward me, fury in her gaze. I lift the knife so it glitters between us and shake it back and forth. Tsk, tsk. She glares at it and shuffles backward. Her eyes flick to Eric's weapon, and she seems to understand she can't risk it. After all, how quickly could I stab her before Eric put a bullet in my head?
"Tell me what you want," I say between my teeth.
"You know what I want."
I smile and open my arms as if I'm all hers. She eyeballs my knife again, uncertain as to whether I'll use it on her after Domino's friends have fled. If I'm still kicking, I'll use it and then some. Her eyes slide past my knife toward the open front door. She narrows her gaze as a crunching sound reaches my ears. Lights flood the front room and I turn to see what she does.
It's Mr. Hodge, sitting passenger side in the car we saw him in yesterday. From here, I can make out the woman in the front seat. It's one of the two ladies from the general store. The thinner one who acted scared of Madam Karina and who said she'd bring by canned pears.
Mr. Hodge leans forward and peers through the windshield, eyes squinting like he can't make out what he's seeing.
"Get out of the doorway!" Madam Karina yells. She shoves Cain and Eric so that they disappear from view. The madam grabs my free hand and presses it to her chest, folding her fingers around my own. I'm startled by her touch, especially since I could cut her throat from this distance. "You want to make a deal?" Her eyes are manic, and her bloodied lips are curled away from her teeth. She takes a small step toward me, and I lift my knife. Her breath is spoiled milk and rusted metal, and she looks terrified that I'll reject her proposal. "Kill him," she whispers. "Kill him, and I'll let you go. All of you." She squeezes my hand tighter. "I won't chase you. You have my word."
So Madam Karina wants me to kill her philandering lover. She doesn't have the guts to do it herself, and it seems she's decided there's something magical about her favorite girl turned rogue doing the deed for her. Eric could do it much easier. One antsy trigger finger and it'd be done. But I do have a flare for making murder long and interesting, and I've shown Madam Karina a touch of that sinister side.
I kill Mr. Hodge and we go free.
One more X on the arm.
One more man.
I turn and glance at the open door, knowing that in a matter of seconds that Mr. Hodge will come through it. I push Madam Karina's hand away. "Get against the wall and let me work."
She inches away and waves for Eric to follow her and to bring Poppet with him. I nod for Cain to do the same, and he does, though he's looking at me strangely. Domino would care about that look, but to me, his feelings are irrelevant. Besides, I know what's best for him. For all of them.
After tonight, they'll no longer live under the giant's thumb.
Mr. Hodge strides through the door cautiously, one hand on the threshold. His meaty head appears first, no neck to be seen.
He takes a second step inside, and his pupils enlarge.
I'm on him in an instant.
Chapter Sixty-Six
The Past is Present
I knock Mr. Hodge onto his side, feeling like a comic book hero. The beefy man scoots backward on the floor when he sees what's in my hand. But I just slither on toward him.
"She has a knife," he yells to Madam Karina.
She doesn't care.
When he realizes she doesn't care, and that no one else does, either, he makes this high-pitched cry that's unnatural for a man his size. I almost laugh. But I shouldn't laugh, right? I mean, the man's about to meet his maker. It'd be rude to poke fun.