Текст книги "The Wrath of Cain"

Автор книги: Kathy Coopmans

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Текущая страница: 11 (всего у книги 15 страниц)

Chapter Seventeen

Cain

I’m sitting on my deck grilling chicken for dinner and sipping on a beer while I listen in envy as Manny tells me about the M-24 sniper weapons he lifted from a fucking pawn shop, of all places.

“Shit. You better not get your ass caught. You driving them to New York?” I ask, flipping the chicken.

I stick my phone between my chin and shoulder to free my hands and listen as Manny scoffs at the thought that he would ever be that stupid. I close the grill and take a long pull of my beer, catching sight of Calla in the kitchen doing her thing. I watch her thoughtfully for a moment.

“You know, Calla told me earlier her dad would help get us out of here. We should come with.”

The more I think about what she said today, the more I want to get the hell out of here. We’d be safer at Salvatore’s house than anywhere else.

“Tomorrow it is, then. I’ll call John. You know his ass will want to come. Cecily, too. All right, buddy. Watch your back. Later.”

I hang up and call John. We talk for a few minutes about tomorrow. My instincts were right. He wants to come with us, which is fine by me. I’m sure Calla will love having time with both of her parents, as well as getting to know Salvatore better. He can talk to her while she’s there.

You wouldn’t think we would need protection from someone as dumb as Emerald, but the truth is, she isn’t dumb at all. She’s played me for a damn fool. I don’t trust her or whoever it is she is working with not to somehow follow us.

I toss my phone onto the small table by the door and walk into the house, stopping dead in my tracks when I see Calla standing at the stove naked, stirring whatever she’s making with one hand while texting someone with the other from the phone I returned to her the other day. I have the notion to both slap her ass and claim it at the same time.

“Are you my dessert?”

She jumps, the wooden spoon and phone falling from her hands onto the floor.

“God, you ass! You scared me!” she shrieks, placing her hand over her heart.

“Sorry, not sorry, babe.”

She bends down, her plump ass going up in the air, right along with my rigid cock.

There’s my dinner right there. No way am I eating this chicken, not when I have the damn gourmet special staring me in the face.

Slipping back through the slider, I cut off the grill. Let it burn; I don’t care. That ass is mine!

“Stop!” she laughs when my arms come around her and my hands palm her naked breasts.

“Put the spoon down.”

“No, I’m starving. And I’m talking to Mrs. Henry. She has all my things packed up. Dad’s going to get them tonight.”

“Give me the spoon. And say thank you to Mrs. Henry.”

Fuck. I’m so damn turned on I don’t even recognize my own voice. I’ve never had the desire to fuck someone’s ass before. Hell, I’ve never had the desire to screw anyone but her, ever. The other women were completely erased from my mind the minute I laid eyes on her again.

I press my dick into her backside and she gasps.

“Oh!”

“‘Oh’ is right. Why are you naked?”

She places the phone and the spoon down on the counter, then reaches for the knob on the stove and turns it off. I squeeze her breasts one more time and swipe my hand up her neck, pushing her hair off to the side to kiss her sweet spot.

“I’m hot,” she says finally.

“I agree,” I say mischievously, making her gasp again when I pinch her nipple. “So tell me the real reason why you’re standing in the kitchen naked?”

“I want you.”

Thank Christ the window in the kitchen is high enough that no one can see her. She’s just as sinful as I am. This playfulness is the way it should be, doing whatever we want to each other whenever we want. I lightly bite into her neck.

“I want your ass. Do you trust me?”

“I do. I mean, I trust you, but I guess I’ve never thought about doing that before.”

She starts to rub her ass up against my dick.

“I’ve never done it before, either. But fuck, I want to with you. We don’t have to; I can just make love to you. But you’re naked and standing in our kitchen. You knew exactly what I would do when I saw you, so I know you want it just as bad as I do. You just tell me how.”

My fingers begin to roam all over her silky flesh, around the curve of her ass to the front of her pussy. It’s hot and wet. I can feel the heat radiating from it before my hands even cup over her mound.

“My ass,” she exhales.

I swallow back my nervousness. Hell yeah, I’m scared. This is new territory for me, too, but it’s one I’m eagerly anticipating will bring us both to one hell of a damn climax.

“You sure?” I swallow hard.

“Very sure.”

Grabbing both of her ass cheeks in my hand, I roughly squeeze them.

“I’m going to fuck it hard, Calla. There’s no way in hell once I get my dick in that tiny little hole in this voluptuous ass of yours that I’m going to be able to hold back.”

“Do it. Fuck me until I scream your name. Fuck me until I can’t walk tomorrow.”

My eyes close, inhaling her. God, she’s intoxicating. And she’s mine.

“Come on, babe. This can all wait.”

I follow her down the hall to our room, watching her ass sway back and forth. She holds her head high. That’s my wife walking down the hall in front of me. My self-assured woman. A naughty one. A man’s dream wife. My jeans are off the minute we hit the room. She places herself in the middle of the bed, smiling brightly when she sees me stroking my dick, stalking her way.

“My hand would feel so much better, don’t you think?” she asks.

She doesn’t sound scared at all. She shifts until she’s centered in the bed, spreading her legs wide. I can see from here her pussy is already wet. My dick is screaming, pussy or ass. Either one is fine by me, just as long as it’s hers.

“It definitely would. Touch yourself. Feel how wet you are and spread it around your tight little hole for me.”

She does. Her hand glides down her body and separates her folds. She starts rubbing her clit in quick circles. Jesus Christ.

“Stop!” I yell out.

She doesn’t listen; she just keeps pleasing herself. Her pants are getting louder and I’m going to come just watching her get herself off. My dick sits in my hand, long forgotten. I climb on the bed and grasp her hand. She looks up at me in annoyance.

“Turn over. I think my hand would feel much better, don’t you?” I ask gruffly.

When she flips herself over and her ass is hiked up in the air, I slap it hard, causing her to look over her shoulder in surprise. I bend down and kiss the spot I just slapped.

“That’s for walking around the house naked.”

“I’ll walk around naked more often, then, if I’m going to get spanked every time I do it.”

I roll my eyes at her smile.

“You’re beautiful,” I tell her, changing the subject.

Even though I’m about to take her ass, I want her to know I think she’s the most amazing, talented woman I have ever met.

“I love you,” she declares.

The most beautiful words ever. I don’t care if anyone calls me a pussy for thinking so. When you hear them come out of the mouth of the woman you love with everything you have, those words would be any man’s favorite.

This act is so intense and delicate that I would never dream of doing this with anyone else. Gazing down at her ass, I think back to many dreams I had about her over the years, making love to her in every way possible and then flipping her over and fucking her so hard that neither of us can move.

I was put on this earth to please her, take care of her in any way I can. This may have originally been my idea, but seeing her juices practically dripping out of her weeping pussy, I know it’s something she wants, too.

Not wanting to delay the pleasure, I slowly run my finger up her slick center, my dick dying to slip inside of her with no condom. Just a few more days, I tell myself. My hand goes to her hip, holding her in place the moment I touch her puckered hole. She moans loudly and deeply as I begin to coat her with her wetness, loosening her up. She’s so soaked.

Back and forth I go between her ass and her pussy, hungry to be inside of her in this way and watch her fall apart. My fingers are so wet now that I easily slide in the tip of one. She’s so tight.

I bend down and kiss her between her shoulder blades.

“You all right?”

“More than all right. I’m dying here. I want you in me.”

The vibrations of my silent laughter rumble deep in my chest. Never would I have thought my sweet Calla would turn into a woman of such power and confidence. When it came to sex back then, she was never the aggressor. Once we got into it, she would ride my dick like it was her last day on earth, but she never spoke her mind. Not that I cared. I’ve always loved her for who she is. This new wild side of her I fucking crave.

My eyes are so heavily lidded that I can hardly see straight. I want in there. I want to hear her scream.

I remove my finger. I have no idea if she’s lubricated enough, so I reach over and grab a condom from the nightstand. Her head lays flat on the pillow. One glimpse of the gleam in her eyes and the smirk on her face is all I need. I rip the packet open and smooth the latex over my cock. I take a deep breath, aligning it with that beautiful little hole.

She winces when the tip pushes in slightly. I hold back just a little until I feel her body relax.

“Let me know if it’s too much, baby. We can stop at any time. I’m more than happy to slip inside your tight pussy. The choice is yours.”

Her ass squirms and my dick gets harder.

“Take me, Cain. I’m not scared at all. I want this with you. I want everything with you.”

I inhale deeply again, only this time it’s not for fear of hurting her; it’s those words. Fuck, those words mean as much to me as when I hear her say ‘I love you.’

I drive myself in inch by inch. Once I’m fully sheathed, she nearly shoots off the bed. I’ve never felt anything so tight on my dick in my life. I could come right now.

“You all right?” I tenderly ask.

“Yes, but if you don’t move that big dick of yours, I’m going to spank your ass,” she grumbles.

And there she is. My hardcore control freak. The woman who has changed in so many ways. I have no damn clue how I can even move in and out of her when she’s this tight, gripping me like a pair of damn pliers. I’m not going to last more than two minutes.

“You’re so tight, babe. Play with yourself. You feel so good I’m not going to last long at all.”

Her hand glides down. Her breathing matches my own; hard, heavy, and loud. My movements start to pick up.

“Cain!” she cries out.

Her hands move fervently on her pussy. I hear how wet she is. How close she is. A few more pumps and she screams my name as she comes.

The way she yells out my name is so outrageously engaging to my soul that I come hard. Gripping her hips, I still myself. I never want to come down from this high. Never want to leave this bed. And I never want to go another day without her.

***

We ended up having to eat BLTs instead of the dried up, burnt chicken we neglected. We laughed hard when we looked at it after I brought it into the house.

“You’re walking funny,” I observe, an hour after we’ve gotten cleaned up.

I’m serious. She is. I know she’s sore but too stubborn to admit it.

She also has another one of my shirts on. We’re in our room packing so we can leave early in the morning. I want us to be in New York by nightfall.

I swat her ass.

“Go run a bath and soak for a while. You don’t need all this stuff. Your dad has all your clothes. Go.”

“Join me,” she coaxes.

“I need to make one quick phone call and then I will,” I promise, tossing the last bit of stuff into my bag.

I watch her retreat into the bathroom and wait to hear the water start. I snatch up my phone and walk down the hallway completely out of her earshot.

“Cain. Is everything all right?” asks Cecily, sounding out of breath on the other end.

“Everything’s great. I need a favor.”

I hear the smile in her voice.

“Of course.”

“Well...” I scratch the back of my neck. “I never bought Calla a wedding ring. I have no clue what the hell to do. I thought maybe you might be able to help me, maybe get someone to come to Salvatore’s house so we could look at some.”

I hesitate, her silence making me nervous.

“Hello. You still there?”

She clears her throat before speaking.

“Well, I would love to help, but I’d like to show you something first, if you don’t mind.”

“Sure,” I say, more out of confusion than anything else.

She must catch it in my tone. She knocks me back when she speaks again.

“I have my mother’s wedding rings. They’re stunning. I think Calla would love them.”

I’m in shock. Family means everything to all of us. She would love to have those rings. Hell, I would love to put them on her finger.

“That’s perfect. Those would mean the world to her.”

“I think so, too,” she agrees. “I’ll get them out of the safe. We can get them sized and cleaned up.”

A deep hole has just been filled in my heart. There are a few more demons I’ve been holding back from her, ones that are intimate, and that up until now, I have kept to myself. It’s time to finally let go of my past. But first, I have to go make sure my girl is okay.

“I can’t believe how fast this fills up,” Calla says when I help her into the tub and sink down behind her. My lips go straight to her neck, my arms circling her waist.

“Nothing but the best for you.”

I nuzzle into her neck. She has her hair piled on top of her head, her neck exposed. I love that spot on her neck just as much as she does.

She slumps down further into the water. My lips leave her neck, giving me the perfect opportunity to answer the question about my tattoo I’ve been avoiding.

“The other day you asked me about my tattoo. Do you remember?”

“Yes, and you evaded it very smoothly,” she remarks.

I hold back my laugh. I should have known she wasn’t fooled.

“You may think I’m crazy for getting it, but my reasons are my own. You and I have been with others...”

I hate the fact we both have. There isn’t a damn thing I can do about it, so I continue on.

“...but no one has ever seen that tattoo but the person who put it on me, myself, and now you.”

She goes to speak, but I press down on her stomach and she halts.

“Listen. Not only has my heart belonged to you since the first day I saw you, my entire being has, including my dick. What you and I had back then meant more to me than anything. I never had any type of real, honest love until I met you. I grew up with a father who I know loved me in his own way, but who lied and deceived me my entire life. I know my mom loved me before she died, but I was so young, I barely remember her. We were young. We fell in love. That love never once died for me. The whole time you were gone was spent cleaning up the mess my father made of this place. I turned it into something I wanted. Something as honest as possible, given that everything I did behind the scenes was illegal as hell.

“But you... I needed to have a part of you with me. And well, that’s where I decided to put it. It was either there or over my heart. It felt too sacred for me to put it over my heart. I put it the one place I always wanted you to be. And I don’t mean that in a dirty way. It’s just that, every time we made love back then, it meant the world to me.”

I wait while she absorbs what I just told her, wondering if she thinks I’m fucking crazy. Finally she sits up, straddling my lap. Tears stream silently down her face, a look of love and admiration in her eyes. I let out the breath I was holding. Her tiny hands cradle my face.

“That’s the most beautiful thing I have ever heard,” she whispers.

“You think so, huh?”

“I know so,” she affirms, leaning down to brush her lips over mine.

I kiss her longingly.

“One more thing and then I’m done. No more secrets.”

“These lips have never touched another woman. Only yours.”

Her shocked expression leaves me tense.

“You mean to tell me you’ve never kissed anyone? How? I mean—”

I place a finger over her mouth.

“No one. I can’t take back the things I’ve done. Everything I did, I did to protect you. Kissing is an intimate act, and those other women meant nothing to me. I meant nothing to them. But you? I would do anything for you. There isn’t another person on this earth who I want to kiss, or let my lips touch theirs, or let my tongue touch any part of their body. No one.”

“Oh, God, baby. I… I don’t know what to say.”

Tears keep rolling down her face. I hate making her cry.

“Don’t say anything. Except promise me you will never leave me again. No matter what happens. No matter how tough it gets, or what life throws at us. Just don’t fucking leave me, all right?”

“Never. I get it now. All of it. I’m coming to terms with it all. I’ve accepted it all. My family. You. Everything!”

She grins, then smiles. It spreads wide across her face.

“Now kiss me. It seems those lips have been deprived for way too long.”

I have no problem with that at all.

Chapter Eighteen

Calla

“Really, Dad? A toy hauler?”

I laugh at my dad when he, my mom, and Manny climb out of his truck.

“These fuckwads want to bring their bikes. And between you and your mother and all of your clothes, you would think we were moving there, for Christ’s sake,” he grumbles jokingly as he climbs up the steps and swoops me up into his arms.

“You look so happy. I do believe we have our baby girl back, Cecily. Who would have thought that this dickhead over here was the one who would bring my girl happiness?”

“Fuck you too, old man,” Cain retorts from behind us.

“You’re not my type, asshole.”

Dad sets me down, lifts one of the suitcases, and retreats to the back of the hauler.

“This is going to be a long ride. Good thing I brought my computer with all those Nicholas Sparks movies we love to watch,” Mom says, winking at me. We are both suckers for those movies.

The drive seems to take forever, but when I see the New York City skyline all lit up the closer we get, I exclaim in excitement.

“Holy shit!”

Dad catches my attention in the rearview mirror.

“It’s something else, isn’t it?”

“It’s remarkable. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Salvatore lives on Long Island, right on the water. I crane my neck when we cross over the bridge only to head east away from the city.

I haven’t been deprived by any means; my parents and I traveled everywhere when I was growing up. Now that I know what my dad truly does, I almost burst out laughing, remembering all those times we went to Disney World.

He never once complained about having to go on any of those rides with me. Always my protector. Always holding my hand, showing me his love until I grew into a teenager. Even then he would always kiss me goodnight whenever he was home, or if I was already in bed before he got home, he always looked in on me.

Now as I watch him steer us through the traffic with ease, I can honestly say that I love my dad even more. Not at all because of the things he does, but simply because he’s my father, the man who is still protecting me to this day.

His phone rings. He’s short with whoever is on the other line. I’m assuming it’s a job by the way his eyes flicker back and forth between the road and me, where I sit between Cain and Manny, who are both busy on their computers.

Everyone has a job to do in this family at the moment but me. Do I feel left out? No, not at all. I want to finish school and make a life with Cain. Build on it, and eventually have a family. My gut feeling tells me I will finish school. However, I’m more than curious what Salvatore wants to talk to me about.

Both Cain and I think he wants me on his team of legal defense. One of his consigliere, as they call them. A confidant, advisor. It baffles my mind. I’ve researched the mafia online until I was about ready to throw my computer across the room. I know I’m family, but everywhere I’ve looked, they typically don’t have outsiders as one of the closest people to the leader. I mean, hell... they’re pretty much the only ones who can argue with the boss and get away with it. So why me? Being family is one thing; being a minnow in a shark infested ocean full of lawyers is another. And if that’s not what he wants, then what the hell could it be?

“Lost in thought, cuz?”

Manny snaps his laptop shut and sits it on the floor in front of him, shifting my way.

“Just wondering what your dad wants to talk to me about,” I say, hoping he might know.

“You’ll find out soon enough.”

I nudge him in the side with my elbow. I’m more than ready to get out of this damn truck, anyway. I want a shower, some decent food, and a bed. That’s a simple enough request, if you ask me. And let’s not forget my clothes and shoes. God, I cannot wait to slip into some heels.

“I know you know what your dad wants with me, Manny. I’m a lot smarter than you may think,” I whisper in his ear.

“I know you know, smart ass, but it’s not my place to tell you. It’s his. My father is one of the most laid-back men in this business. But he expects loyalty, honesty, and most of all, respect. I love my father, and no matter how much you sit there with your little lip sticking out like you’re eight years old, I’m not telling you.”

He gets another nudge, this one harder.

“Goddamn, that hurt.”

“What hurt?” Mom, Dad, and Cain all ask at the same time.

“He deserved it.”

“Like hell I did!” He points into the darkness. “You see that ocean over there?”

I look at him like he’s nuts. It’s so dark outside, I can’t see a thing.

“Yeah, didn’t think so. That ocean is scary as hell at night, and if you don’t keep your scrawny ass elbows out of my ribs, I’m going to toss you in it.”

Mom and Dad start laughing, and then Cain and Manny join in.

We are all still cracking up when we stop at a street light. Then everything happens so fast. Bright lights shine into the truck. Dad draws his gun and screams for everyone to get down, but we are hit by a massive semi before anyone can move.

I hear my mother screaming for my dad as Cain grips me tightly. The semi isn’t stopping; we’re bring pushed. I can feel the truck being lifted off of it axles.

My dad is yanking on the door handle, trying to get it open.

“Motherfuck! Fuck! Fuck! Get me out of here, goddamn it.”

I’m panicking. We all are. I’m in the middle with no seat belt on. It’s my own damn fault. I didn’t put it on after gawking out of every window in awe of the city lights. I’m being pulled, tugged, and yanked in every direction.

“I don’t have any goddamn fucking control of this thing!” my dad screams.

I see the gun come up and he shoots a hole in the window then beats it with his fist until it gives.

“Oh, my God, he’s shooting. He’s hanging out of the car. Dad, noooooo!” I scream, reaching for him, only to be jerked back by Cain.

After that precise moment, my mind is a fog. It feels like someone hit the slow motion button on a horror flick, only this isn’t a movie. This is really happening. One moment Manny and I are teasing each other like family members would, and the next we are getting hit by a truck. The thundering noise echoes throughout the darkness, the grating sound of metal against metal, twisting steel, and screeching tires.

The lights from the dashboard illuminate the horrific scene as my mom’s head jerks forward, the seatbelt digging into her flesh as the truck begins to flip. I scream in terror as I watch my dad being ejected from the vehicle. Suddenly we come to a stop. Cain and Manny try to get out of their seatbelts as Cain hangs on to to me for dear life. It’s chaos. There’s no other way to describe it.

There are no noises now. No yelling, no screaming. Everything has gone from the lightest shades of gray to the darkest black. I don’t know if I’m dead or alive. If I feel numbness or pain. If I’m moving my hands and feet or not. Nothing. If I’m alive, then why can’t I hear my family? Where are they? Am I alone? Thrown from the truck like my dad?

Is this the fear one gets right before death? You try to inhale a breath, not even knowing if you truly are. I feel detached from my body. If this is it, then take me. Take me so I don’t have to think about my family. Take me so I can breathe. Just take me!

“She’s coming around.”

My muscles constrict. My heart starts pounding. All of my limbs are weak and tingling. Yet, that voice, it doesn’t sound like the sweet voice of an angel. It’s rough, deep, and more like the voice of the devil. I’m going to hell. That’s where I am, just like Monty said. The voice is gone now. I’m floating. Floating through nothing but blackness.

“Wake her up,” a brooding voice says close to my ear.

“I’ve tried. Her eyelids flutter every now and then, but then the bitch is right back out again. She’s been banged up bad. Bruises and cuts everywhere. You really should let me see if she has any internal damage.”

Is he a doctor? Please let him be talking about me. I’m not dying. Not being sent to hell.

“She gets nothing. If you don’t get her to come to within the hour, it’s your ass right along with hers, Doc.”

I feel an arm on both of my shoulders shaking me adamantly.

“Listen, girl. You need to wake up. At least for a few minutes.”

“Pl…please. My family.”

My eyes flutter open, trying to adjust them to the bright light. I can vaguely see an older, gray-haired man leaning over me. He’s too close. His eyes show years of wisdom mixed with something else. Compassion? I just don’t know. The devil as we know him is the king of tricksters. But something tells me this isn’t the devil and I’m not dying.

At least not yet, anyway, I think to myself, remembering the other person’s threat.

“It’s about damned time you came around. That will be all for now, Doc. Thanks.”

The voice I heard earlier is coming from my left. I turn my neck towards it.

“It’s you and me now, Princess.”

I’m unable to open my eyes all the way, but I am able to get a glimpse. If I were able to gasp or cry out, I would.

He is the scariest man I have ever seen. He’s not much older than I am. His head is shaved bald and he wears a black patch over one eye. A thick scar, old and healed, runs from the center of his forehead all the way down his cheek. It’s ugly and twisted, as if someone had sliced him with a jagged knife.

The scruff on his face matches his voice. Coarse, rebellious, and dirty. But in spite of the scar and patch, this man is downright sexy. This is a smoothly polished professional who I have no doubt is a trained killer.

His eyes tell a story. A long, fucking scary ass story. I’ve been trained how to read people, and my observation tells me he’s seen and done some horrific things in his life. What I want to know is, what does he want with me?

I shake my head trying not to think about what he is going to do. He presses my shoulders down with so much force I can feel my bones start to rattle.

“Get off me!” I scream to the best of my ability through my scratchy and sore throat.

He withdraws his hands.

“You have it in you, I see. Good to know.”

I’m seething. My body is bruised from head to toe. I remember the accident. The way I was tossed and flipped around in the truck. Everything. Now that I know I’m not dead, I want my husband and my family.

He took me from them. But how? How did he get away with me without anyone coming to save me? There is no way my dad, Cain, or Manny would just let someone take me. My mother, either. They would all fight. Unless... Oh, God. No!

“Where’s my family?” I demand.

He doesn’t answer me. He swings his head slowly to the right, his demeanor becoming uncompromising.

It takes every bit of energy I have to lift my head, using my elbows to hold me up. I cry out as pain shoots down my neck and arms. In the corner of the room is a man who has his back to me.  He’s leaning over a man whose head is slumped down, resting on his chest. Those clothes he has on. I recognize them.

A bloodcurdling scream escapes me when I see the man pick up a long, shiny knife and bring it up to the light. He examines it closely, twirling it around in his fingers. My cries and pleas are ignored as my abductor laughs.

“You sons of bitches! Let us go! Do you have any idea who he is?”

I’m hauled up by the hair and dragged off of the table. My body crashes to the floor. I’m too weak to try and fight. Too bruised, too battered, too shocked.

“Let her take a look at him. Let her see what’s about to happen if she doesn’t help me get everything I want,” he says, looking down at me. His eyes bore into mine.

“This is the kind of torture your father inflicts on people when they won’t give up the information he wants. Only I’m not your father. I won’t end his life, not until I’ve drained every ounce of blood out of him. Not until I get what is rightfully mine. I want you to watch, and if you disappoint me and look away, I’ll instruct Raymond here to do the exact same thing to you, except he likes to play with women before he tortures them.”

No words come out of my throat, as it is choked with my sobs. Tears drip steadily down my cheeks, landing beside me on the cold, tile floor.

Raymond doesn’t say a word. He licks the tip of the knife. His eyes are crazed, darting back and forth over his target, who slowly lifts his head. Oh, God. Please don’t look at me. I don’t think I can bear to see him. When his almost unrecognizable face comes into view, I scream.

“Manny!”

No! What have they done to him?