Page 169 of Healed

“Still left me to find these bodies. I’m fragile, Dante. This has emotionally drained me.”

“Like hell. I’ve seen you bite a man’s ear off.”

“I’ve seen you rip a man’s heart out.”

“I’ve seen you—”

“Dante… should I take the left?” I interrupted, knowing this wasn’t going to be an argument either of us could win.

We’d both done some dodgy shit.

It was best not to open that can of worms.

“I suppose,” he muttered. He stepped forward, his hand on the door of the bedroom farthest to the right, and nodded at me. I reached for my own handle, and we pushed them open at the same time.

“All clear here,” he said, sounding relieved.

“For fuck’s sake!” I hissed. “Why is it always me?”

“What? What is it?” Dante asked, walking over to me. “Oh, for fuck’s sake!”

“That’s a lot of fingers,” I said. “I didn’t even check Mike’s.”

“I’m assuming they’re on the bed then with the rest of them,” Dante said, pushing my back and nudging me further into the room.

“What does that say?” he asked, looking down at the severed digits.

“Too late,” I read. “I appreciate the artistic flair, but yeah, no shit, Sherlock. Quite clearly we were too late. Talk about stating the obvious.”

“Fuck!” Dante roared, his fist clenching. He looked down at the fingers once more, and then his fist was colliding with the stone wall of the bedroom. “Fuck!” he said again.

My sentiments exactly.

“He’s toying with us.”

“I know,” I nodded. “But it begs the question—if he’s now given up the location of his lair here… where is his new one?”

“You think he’s still in the city?”

“Without a doubt,” I said. “He’s come too far to retreat now. We need to start narrowing it down.”

“Yeah, preferably before anyone else gets killed.”

“Or at least let us offer a sacrifice. I vote—”

“Don’t finish that sentence, for fuck’s sake. Don’t give him any fucking ideas.”

“So you think Chicken and Rooster, too, then?”

“Vienna,” he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose a second time. “Just… go outside and wait for Hacksaw.”

“Need a moment alone to compose yourself?” I teased.

“Vienna…”

“Alright, alright,” I said, holding my hands up in surrender. “I’m going. Jeez.”

Chapter 53