Page 83 of The Predator

“Strong enough to sit here and watch me cut her until she admits every vile filthy thing she’s done to me?” His voice drops, with a slight tremble that gives way to vulnerability. “I’m strong, too, but I’m not sure I could watch you do something like that.”

“We do this together. Fight the demons of our past. No more secrets. I can carry this, too, until you’re able, just like you did for me. I’m not judging you. I’m judging her.”

There’s a scuffle by the door, and we look away from each other in time to see Tanya trying to stumble her way out.

Seb surges to his feet, grabs her by the back of her dress and throws her down to the floor hard enough my knees ache in sympathy with the impact. It’s nothing she doesn’t deserve. He crouches down to her level again, his eyes on her widespread fingers.

The knife descends, and I squeeze my eyes closed. I can be here, but I’m not sure if I can watch him dissect her.

Tanya wails again, and I have to look. I have to know. This cut, on the back of her hand, is a two-inch wide gash, blood pouring between her fingers like a lover’s hand entwining with hers.

"Let's discuss specifics," he croons, and I feel another wave of icy indifference wash over me as I watch Sebastian. "Do you remember the time you brought over a few friends and had me satisfy all of them?"

Tanya settles back on her heels, rocking slightly, her makeup smudged all over her cheeks.

"I call that a fantasy. What man wouldn't want multiple women at once?"

Sebastian glares and swipes out. This cut goes across her forearm in one wide gash, blood flowing forth immediately and sliding down to the floor beside her.

Tanya stares at it open-mouthed like she can't believe he did it. Sebastian is gazing off over her shoulder now. "Man? I thinkyou’re forgetting a very important detail…. That I wasn’t a man. That I was a boy, a boy that you forced to grow up too fast, a boy that you took something from when it wasn’t yours to take. Now I have to live with that, and before I end your pathetic life, you’ll get a small taste of what it’s like to live with that, too.”

Tears fall fast down Tanya's cheeks but it seems like she's given up the theatrics at least. "Tell me what you want me to say, Sebastian, and I'll say it. I'll go, and leave you to your...wife," she bites out.

Sebastian laughs that cold laugh again, and I wrap my arms around myself tight, holding myself there, to keep from going to him and soothing away all this pain, all this hate. Is this who I was before I killed Yanov? The thought makes me freeze. Shit. I remember who I was after Yanov, and now a slow slither of fear replaces everything else.

Sebastian is going to need me after this, more than ever, probably all of us.

We'll take care of him.

Another cut, another whimper from Tanya. "I want you to say you're sorry and mean it, but even an apology won't save you now."

"I'm sorry," Tanya whispers. "I'm sorry for hurting you, for whatever pain you feel from what happened between us."

I roll my eyes and shake my head but stay quiet. If she thinks saying the words is good enough, then she doesn't understand what she's done, just like Yanov didn't understand what he did either.

Sebastian presses the blade to Tanya's throat, right below the curve of her jaw. The second the blade touches her skin she leans back, toppling over onto her ass, her legs splayed sideways beside her. Sebastian follows until Tanya has scooted all the way to the wall near the door, her chin tilted up as she tries to get her vital arteries away from the razor sharp edge.

"This is your last chance, Tanya. You can give me closure."

"So you can just kill me after? Why should I?"

Sebastian smiles and sighs. "Some part of me was hoping you'd say that. Do you remember the time you gave me a hand job while we were at a business event and it was all I could do to sit there and not react while my insides boiled to cut your hand off at the wrist?'

Tanya blinks. "No. I don't remember that."

Seb shoots forward and nicks her pale neck. Blood pours out immediately.

Tanya reaches up to clamp a hand there. "Oh God, you...you really are going to kill me."

Sebastian nods. "Yes, I really am. No matter what you do or what you say, you will die. I'm just trying to give you a nobler death, maybe. Which is dumb, as you wouldn't know anything about mercy or being noble. You don't know anything but selfishness and greed."

Tanya blinks up at him then over at me. "Help me. We...stop him. He seems to listen to you."

I give her a droll look and glance over my shoulder, "Oh, are you talking to me? Well, let me just get right on that."

I glance up at Sebastian, who flashes me the briefest smirk. It's enough to soothe my raw insides, enough to let me know my Sebastian is still in this cold, unfeeling creature before me.

Tanya looks between us a few times, and her shoulders slump. "I'm done talking. Just kill me."