Devil's Heart by Naomi West

Author:Naomi West [West, Naomi]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-11-03T16:00:00+00:00

15

Mason

If I get out of this alive, I’m smashing every bottle of whiskey I can find.

They keep forcing slugs of it down my throat. They’ll beat me around a little and then shove the end of the bottle in my mouth and tip it, making me drink. It’s either drink it or cough it all over myself. I’ve done plenty of coughing and that only makes it worse. They just get another bottle. The room is dark except for naked bulbs right above me and across the room above Danny.

At least, I think that’s what’s happening. Between the liquor and the pain surging through my skull like lightning bolts, I’m not exactly sure where I am. Hallucinations are dancing and the world keeps flickering back and forth.

My jaw is pulsing like my old man just gave me a working over. And this blood dripping down my face and neck; it could be mine or it could be the pigs I just slaughtered. The old man likes to make me use the claw hammer since he says it’ll make me stronger. Maybe he’s right about that, but there’s something sick about the way they squeal.

I shake my head as my old man steps into view, right at the edge of my spotlight. No, not my old man. The bald prick with the tattoos covering his head. Trevor. Deadman.

“Just give me one address to one warehouse,” he says, teeth gritted.

I shake my head. He’s living in a dreamland if he thinks Danny or me are going to talk.

I want to spit at him or say something that’ll bring him down. But torture is a motherfucker, and I know if I do that I’ll only make it worse. I’ll never rat on the club. I’ll die before I do that. But I’ve gotta be smart, too. How long have we been at it? It’s hard to know when just holding my head up is an effort. Hours, at least.

“Don’t be stupid.” He walks across the room and stands behind Danny. His face is a patchwork of bruises and cuts. He grins at me; winks. Then Trevor puts his hand on his shoulder and squeezes. For a ratty motherfucker, he really does have some strength. He clamps his hand down so hard on Danny’s shoulder that he starts whining. It’s a fucked-up sound, not at all like Danny. But then torture changes every man, surely.

“I’ll kill him,” he growls. There are men all along the walls, silent watchers. Sometimes I wonder if I am imagining them but then somebody will laugh or lift their cigarette to their lips. The glow gives them away, the real bastards.

“I’ll kill you all!” I bark, stupid, stupid. Letting my anger get the—

He flies across the room like a man on a mission. I try to weave my head to the side but they’ve got me tied to this chair pretty good. I manage to roll with it, at least, snapping my head aside as his fist catches me in the jaw.

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