PTE

T TO

e hell i

is underground compound. His boots struck the marble floors with militant

en that was not strong enough to mask the distinct

o the caged chamber. He

shattered glass, were Riot and Cocaine.

ewelry. Blood had soaked the stone floor in thick patches, congealed and dark. Some p

corner like old rags. Sweat dripped from their brows, mixin

h cold fury. "WHAT THE

of them

y, his lips crusted in dried blood. Cocaine sw

e fluttering, the rage in his

ng on broken glass?

uth, but no words cam

. "AND WHY...WHY IN THE NAME OF HELL WAS EMILY IN MY BEDROOM LAST NIGHT? Naked in my bat

g came out. Cocaine finally spoke, voice cracked and fee

iffened

rse. "Said we failed you. You had us pour brok

aid

nly, agony seepin

at his scalp. "That's impossible. I didn't even come down

only for a fresh rivulet of blood to ooze down his

ped, spinning toward them again. "SHE

owed stretched like a

est heaving. "You've starte

n looke

rned you. You're hallucinating now? Seeing phanto

e been kneeling here, bleeding out, delusional, and you're t

p slowly. "Boss, we

" Cocaine added. "Not si

e rain too long. "Then how did she get into my room, huh?

shook th

looked like he might hurl the nearby chair across the room. But

id, "Kneeling on broken glass for twelve hours? That'

blinked.

t and get meds. And if either of you so much as snif

own their calves like crimson paint. They grunted, wobbling, barel

. Cocaine bit down on a whimper as

ocaine muttered under his breath, "Y

ghosts and waking up with naked prisone

eaving a trail of

r of the chamber, head bowed,

the open cell door, the blood stained floor-and his c

d that made

that made

vy silence of the mansion broken only by his pounding footsteps. The air

to his master b

open with a v

MI

had thrashed there during a nightmare. The faint scent of lavender still lingered

again, crossing to

as e

alk in closet,

ess. His mind was a fractured mirror, reflecti

n helping her? Had Riot and Cocaine lied-and risked d

on the pillow-small, delicate,

e hell di

his face. Sweat gli

seek?" he whispered. "Don't fuck with

ep, gripping the side

he murmured. "I told you fu

bbled insid

ple, of all prisoners. And he s

e crept acr

the empty room. "You just mad