AustinAnother round of trembling passes through her and I give her a moment to gain control. She finally sucks in a long breath and goes taut. The room is cold and she has goosebumps on her flesh. I grab a blanket from the low shelf where I’ve stored my supplies. I cover her from her hips down. “Relax and it won’t be as painful,” I say before I can stop the words vomiting from my mouth.“Fuck you.” Her body sinks into the bed and I begin rubbing my special combination of coconut oil and shea butter deep into her skin. I use the combo so my needle doesn’t hang up on dry skin. When her flesh is supple, I step on the pedal, dip my needle into a cup of dimension black, and bend my wrist. My mind turns to the art like a switch flicking on and lighting a room. My brain focuses on lines and swirls. Color and shading now fill my world and it’s time to allow it free reign.I begin with decisive lines and work on an area about twelve inches long. I never listen to music when inking. The hum of

AustinFernandez is doing everything he can to pin his sister’s disappearance on my organization. He’s suspicious, but he has no proof and that must be driving him insane. My men are keeping close tabs on Fernandez, while Andreas is keeping me apprised of any changes in the situation. Fernandez has no solid proof about what happened to his sister because I covered my tracks. I had Edgar, my computer genius, find the information on Melina and keep it quiet. My men weren’t aware of my plans until after I took her.Taking on Fernandez immediately after gaining the reins of Victor’s organization is not the smartest move I could make. Doing nothing makes me weak too. Right now, I want Fernandez paranoid because he thought his sister safe. I want him to question the men around him and wonder who betrayed him. His screams when I kill him will delight my ears.My men are another story. I don’t have a fucking clue how to run this organization. I only ever trusted Victor and I do not trust the

Melina“You behaved, so I have a treat for you.” I stare at him without comprehension. This is the second longest string of words he’s put together since I arrived. “You’ll get one chance at this. If you blow it, I won’t take you out of here again. Or, I should say until I take you back to your brother.”The intense look in his eyes tells me he can’t wait to send me back. “I’ll be good.” My voice breaks slightly. Fuck me. Will I be good? This could be my one chance at escape. “I promise,” I add because he just keeps staring at me with those same cold eyes that say he could break my neck just like my brother did Feather’s.He gives me the slightest nod. “Follow me.” He turns and heads up the stairs.He’s really taking me out of the dungeon. Shakily I make my legs move. I lift the blanket higher so I don’t trip. He opens the door and looks back at me while holding it. I keep climbing until I walk out of the door into a large kitchen. I was raised with money, ill-gotten, dirty money but

AustinI’m careful about the blood as I begin systematically removing his fingers. The plastic tarp beneath him flows red and his screams are deafening. I’m tempted to cut out his tongue even without the information I came for. Only two fingers remain on his left hand when he starts talking. Diego Fernandez has his fingers where they don’t belong and those fingers will come off one by one too. The bullet I place between the man’s eyes cuts off his final scream. I look at the three men standing in the warehouse with a dispassionate stare. This is my business now and I’ll respond exactly as Victor would. Death is a gift. The men in my world respect that. They know Victor held me on a tight leash and I don’t want them to see all of the monster quite yet.Without a word, I wash my hands in a small sink, remove the rubber apron, roll down my sleeves, and place my jacket back on. I casually pull my shades over my eyes and walk from the warehouse, leaving the men to dispose of the body. A st

MelinaI don’t cry. I can’t. Tears never help anything. Reliving the day at the zoo was good for me. My mom was happy that day. She was a shy woman with no backbone. My father kept her easily in line by threatening me. I often wondered why she didn’t kill him. I wondered the same about myself as I grew older.Austin begins wiping down my skin and tapes on more plastic wrap when he’s finished. I take comfort in his touch. For once I appreciate his silence. He eventually leads me back to the wall. He gives me to the darkness without a backwards glance. Remembering is exhausting and I sleep like the dead.The next morning he turns on the overhead light when he brings food. After breakfast I feel refreshed for the first time in days. My heart thumps in anticipation at what the overhead light means. I crave the release the needle brings.Austin doesn’t speak. We have a routine now and I offer no trouble when he leads me to the bed. Even his eyes appear somber today. He prepares his equipme