“Nicholas… where are we?”
I forced my voice steady, careful not to provoke the madman in front of me.
He let out a jagged laugh. “Hahaha, Frank, you’re supposed to be a smart man. Can’t you tell?”
Of course, I knew. But keeping him calm was the only chance I had.
Before I could think of what to say next, one of the men beside him spoke in clumsy English.
“Sir, hurry… better kill now. Ski resort… accident found… no good.”
The words seemed to ignite Nicholas’s rage.
“Shut up! I paid you all plenty. The resort is huge. So what if one person disappears?”
He roared, then struck me hard across the face. My head snapped to the side as his hand fisted in my hair, yanking me up.
“Frank, you bastard! Do you have any idea how much it cost me to win over that whore Agnes?” His voice cracked into a shriek. “I licked her boots, washed her feet, massaged her shoulders. I was her dog–her slave. I even hand–washed her underwear!”
His face twisted, spittle flying.
“For years, I endured it all. And in the end? Just because you knelt on one damn knee, I was cast aside!”
He drew in a ragged breath, madness blazing in his eyes.
“But that’s fine. Once you’re dead—say, in some tragic ski accident–her money, her status, her body… they’ll all be mine.”
He leaned close, his face trembling with manic energy.
“But don’t think I’ll let you die so easily. Tonight, I’ll show you what real torment is.”
The man before me was no longer human–just a frenzied shell, trembling, convulsing, consumed by his obsession.
“Nicholas,” I said evenly, forcing logic into my tone, “listen to me. I’ve cut ties with Agnes. If you give it time, maybe you can win
her back.
“And think about this–I’m abroad. If I die in an accident here, the police will investigate. Once they trace the connections, you’ll
be the first they find. Do you really want to spend your life rotting in a foreign prison?”
For a moment, he faltered, a flicker of thought clouding his manic glare.
But then fury swallowed him again.
“You’re trying to trick me! If you die in an accident, what does it have to do with me?”
1/2
Chapter 2
His voice cracked as he ranted, deaf to reason. Then, from somewhere unseen, he pulled a knife.
“Where should I start? Maybe… with your face.”
The cold kiss of metal brushed my skin. My pulse hammered against my ribs, heart threatening to burst free.
But in the end, he didn’t strike there.
“No… not yet. I want to see how twisted your expression can get first.”
He drove the knife down into my bound left hand.
Pain exploded like fire, ripping through every nerve, threatening to tear me apart from the inside out.
I clenched my jaw so hard my teeth ached, forcing myself not to scream, not to give him the satisfaction.
Because I knew–if he saw my pain, it would only thrill him more.
+25 Bonus
“How’s that, huh? Feels good, doesn’t it?” Nicholas laughed, unhinged. “Come on, bark like a dog. Maybe if I’m pleased, I’ll let
you die quickly.”
I ground my teeth, holding back.
He yanked the blade free, then plunged it into my arm again.
This time, a low groan slipped out before I could stop it.
“That’s better,” he hissed. “Pain gives you value.”
In the frozen northern night of Marshlowe, I felt my blood burning hot as it spilled, only to turn ice–cold against the bitter air.
Support
Share
2/2