Artifice - Man x Man - Book Six

Chapter 54

The steak knife rests so temptingly below his palm. It would take one quick movement, he could cut her throat, and she'd bleed out and die with little theatrics, though the blood would be an issue. The spray would prove to be problematic; he couldn't leave here soaked in blood, the waiter would see at the very least, and that would mean killing yet another. 

There was a couple who had been eyeing them all night; of course, they might happen upon a glance, and then what? They, too? How many bodies could this one bit of satisfaction rack up? The voice that had long since been silenced rumbles in like a storm cloud, purring to worry about it later, pleading for sweet justice. 

Did she not deserve to die?

The red-haired woman crosses her arms over her breasts in offense at his silent gawking, reclining back against the plush backing of the booth. "You sound like an insane person. Are we going to do this or what? You're killing the vibe."

Reel it in. You're not done yet. 

Her words bring him out of the mindset of an animal determined for revenge. 

 "My apologies." Verando manages finally, voice struggling under the restraint. He would have to revisit those thoughts later, sort through them, and find their source, as outright murdering someone wasn't really his style. No matter the crime, it wasn't something he took lightly. 

"Allow me to show you the depth of my appreciation." He draws on the word, sobering as it was to come to the realization that this woman was behind at least some of his anguish. 

Red's lips part as he draws her back to the carefully laid out scene; he just needed to get her alone, out of the sight of the general public. Holding out his hand, he stands, and she hesitates, looking him up and down. 

"Skipping on the check? Now, who's being rude."

"Oh, don't worry, I'll be back." He assures her, unable to force the grin from the grimace. He leads her towards the back of the building, heading for the kitchen; perhaps there was an alleyway out back, away from a water source? He couldn't get too ahead of himself; she was still dangerous. 

"Where are we going?" She asks, enthralled and yet cautious. With her hand firmly in his, he leads her through the double doors and into the kitchen. 

"Verando." She demands.

 Verando cursed under his breath; he wasn't dedicated enough, wasn't invested enough to complete the short distance out the back door. 

"Do you think I'm an idiot that I would just leave out the back of the building with you?" Her voice bears down on his back, trying not to cause a scene and yet intending for all ears to hear.

 "Mr.Mercer, forcing himself on a lady." The murmurs surround them as the kitchen becomes quiet, the two patrons standing out like a sore thumb with him so obviously clutching her wrist as a means to take her with him. 

"Let go of me or I will scream." She growls through her teeth, voice low. 

It's enough to crack the careful facade, tugging at the corner of his lips as he checks the time once more. 

Don't do it. Think about Nic. Think about your family. Don't revert. 

Her smug expression eats away at him, thinking she's figured out his loosely veiled plan. 

"Time constraints mean there isn't much time for foreplay, pet. I'm afraid you're going to have to check out early for bad behavior." The grey-haired man tells her numbly.

Fuck it; deal with the fallout later.  

Verando snags the knife off of one of the racks and takes a swing at her; she ducks out of the way to deal a blow to his side as he follows her with the oversized blade. Keeping a firm hold on her wrist, it's comparable to hanging on to a jungle cat with the way she uses her smaller size to twist and writhe.