“Kurt lacked vision. Just like Noah and Riley. I thought at first they were prophets, that they’d help us bring in a new world order. But it turned out they were worms.” His voice thickened with hate. “Just like every other pathetic soul walking this planet.”
“The Feds found the van, Markey. They know about you and Craze. It’s over.”
He snugged Lupita closer and sneered.
“The van was just a decoy. And it worked, didn’t it? Let me guess—the Feds are swarming all over downtown Denver. And they have no idea you’re here. By the time anyone comes looking, we’ll be long gone.”
I kept the Glock high, looking for a gap between Markey and Lupita, a wedge of skin where a bullet could slide in without hitting her. But while Markey was a cold-blooded asshole, he wasn’t a stupid one. He kept himself well covered. Taking a shot was too risky.
For the moment.
I said, “Let her go, Markey. You don’t want your father thinking he was right about you. That you’re the bad son. Show him that you’re better than that. Better than he is.”
The knife vanished, and Lupita shrieked. The shriek rose and rose until I wanted to slap my hands over my ears and run. Then it sank into a deep bubbling moan that made me think Markey was cutting out one of Lupita’s lungs.
She sagged, and he shook her. “Don’t you fall, bitch.”
Drops of blood spattered the floor at her feet.
He looked at me. “Bad idea, talking about my father.”
“Okay, okay.” I made my voice soft and shaky. It didn’t require a lot of acting. “Don’t hurt her.”
“I am the bad son. I’m the monster he created. And now that he knows what I am, he’ll have to live with that knowledge forever. The blood on my hands is on his, too.”
“I understand your anger, Markey.” Keep him talking. “But why hurt Noah? He was your friend.”
“Noah betrayed me. He and that bitch. He got the girl. Then he tried to take away my girl. Erica belongs to me.”
I nodded, going along. “She’s here, isn’t she? Waiting for you.”
“She can’t get enough of me. But who wants chopped beef when there’s filet mignon on the menu? You’re so beautiful, Sydney Rose. And so strong. You think you don’t need a man. But that’s exactly what you need. We’ll make you see that.”
Fury and revulsion tore through me like a double tap to my chest. I rode it out, kept my voice calm. “Then let’s talk about that deal. You let Erica and Lupita go, and I’ll stay.”
“Do you remember that night at the Seven Grand?” Markey plowed on. “I bought you scotch, an expensive scotch. Had it sent to your table. And you told the bartender thanks, but no thanks. Forty-two dollars a glass, and you turned it down. I thought maybe when you came into the comics store, you’d remember me. I was even a little worried. But pretty damn fast I realized that to you, I was just another loser. Just some sad, sorry asshole not worth your time. You didn’t even fucking remember me.”
“I just—” I groped for words, trying to remember someone sending me a drink at the Seven Grand. “I didn’t know it was from you.”
“And then. Then!” He sniggered. “You rejected Craze. Bad move, bitch. Nobody rejects Craze. Ask those old ladies in the nursing homes. You think you’re too good for us. So far above what we can hope for. Well, pretty soon you’ll be beneath us. Right beneath us. First me. Then Craze. We’ll see how you like that. Payback is hell, bitch.”
I edged ever so slightly to the right, still looking for an opening.
“Don’t move!” he shouted.
I froze.
“We’ve been watching you for a long time, Sydney Rose. We know everything about you. All about your fuckboy and your dog. We know about your grandmother and your weak, stupid cousin and how you take flowers to your mom’s grave.”
A lake of ice filled my stomach. I wrapped my fingers more tightly around the gun, as if it were an anchor that would keep me from drifting away.
Markey went on.
“We know what kind of cereal you like. We know about the old Marine T-shirts you wear to bed and what your tits look like and that your fuckboy reads to you at night like you’re a little girl.”
I said, “You son of a bitch.”
“We have a special room prepared for you. A very special room. I’ll take you there myself. And just an FYI. If you think your fuckboy and the dog are coming to save you, well, flush that thought. Your little doggy’s not feeling too well tonight, is he? That’s because I left a treat for him outside your house.”
I ignored how the ice tried to reach into my legs. Don’t think about Clyde. Clyde’s okay. I risked another slight shuffle to my right, looking for a better angle.
Markey adjusted Lupita, his human shield.
Get him angry, I thought. Force him to make a mistake so you can take the shot.
“You know your problem, Markey?” I said. “You are a sad, sorry loser. You think you can win a woman just by sending over an expensive drink. And she’s so shallow that a little flash of cash will make her spread her legs. But women can sniff out creeps, Markey. We can smell them a mile off. You’ll never get what you want.”
“Shut up!”
“Your father and God let you down, isn’t that right? Neither of them gave you what you needed, the looks and charisma to seduce women. Erica doesn’t belong to you. You had to force yourself on her. You’re a rapist, just like Craze.”
Beads of sweat popped out on Markey’s forehead. “Shut. Up!”
In his rage, he loosened his hold on Lupita. His left ear and cheek popped into view. I sighted.
But then Lupita thrashed, and he jerked her close again. The gun was turning slick in my sweaty hands.
