Total pages in book: 131
Estimated words: 145402 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 727(@200wpm)___ 582(@250wpm)___ 485(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145402 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 727(@200wpm)___ 582(@250wpm)___ 485(@300wpm)
"I said hello," Nathan said when Nathaniel was upright again.
Nathaniel's lips moved, but no sound came out. It took two more tries before he managed a quiet, "Hello."
"Look at me when I'm talking to you."
A scream felt like it was going to tear his throat open where he was keeping it bottled inside, but Nathaniel forced his stare up to Nathan's face.
"My son," Nathan said. "My greatest disappointment in life. Where is my second greatest?"
"Mom is dead," Nathaniel said. "You killed her. Don't you remember?"
"I would remember," Nathan said. "I would have savored the memory while counting down days to finding you again."
"You broke her," Nathaniel said. "She only made it as far as the California border."
Nathan slid a hooded stare past Nathaniel at Lola, who said, "I believe him."
Nathan nodded, accepting her judgment, and cupped Nathaniel's battered face in his hands. He squeezed so hard Nathaniel thought the gashes on his face would split further. Nathaniel's hands flew up instinctively but he jerked them back away from his father at the last possible second. Nathan gave a thin smile at that close call and shook Nathaniel so roughly his neck popped in protest.
"Who told you that hiding in plain sight was a viable option? You had to know I would find you eventually."
"You should have let me go," Nathaniel said. "You sold me. I wasn't your problem anymore."
"The transaction was never finalized. Tetsuji did not agree to take you because you were not around long enough to convince him. That means you still belong to me," Nathan said. "You made a liar of me to people who are not to be lied to. Do you know what I'm going to do to you?
"I'm not entirely sure just yet, myself," Nathan said when Nathaniel could only stare numbly up at him. "I've had a couple years to think it over but now that the time has come I'm indecisive. I might skin you alive. I might take you apart one inch at a time and cauterize the wounds. I think no matter what I choose we are going to start by slicing the tendons in your legs. You're not going to run away this time, Nathaniel. I'm not going to let you."
"Fuck you," Nathaniel spat at him, voice sharp with horror.
Nathan pushed Nathaniel away from him and held his hand out. DiMaccio crossed the room toward him. In one hand he held Nathan's ancient, dull axe. In the other was Nathan's cleaver. Nathan turned at DiMaccio's approach and considered the weapons with interest. Nathaniel took advantage of his distraction and tried to bolt, but Lola was expecting it. She jumped on Nathaniel from behind and wound her arms around him. She couldn't hold him forever but she didn't have to. She slowed him long enough that DiMaccio could hand off a weapon and thunder past Nathan.
He scooped Nathaniel off the ground with a fistful of shirt, unmoved by the fists that rained down on him. Lola let go and neatly stepped back, and DiMaccio heaved Nathaniel at the closest wall. Impact smashed the breath of Nathaniel and he fell awkwardly to the floor. He caught himself with his hands, which was an awful mistake, but he didn't have the breath to cry out. He was so dizzy he felt ill, but movement in the corner of his eye got him moving. Metal flashed a scarce inch from his face as Nathan took a swing. Terror got Nathaniel on his feet faster than his body wanted to move and he retreated from his father's cleaver.
Nathan didn't chase him. He gave his cleaver an experimental wave, as if reacquainting himself with its weight, and tested its blade against his thumb. He must have just sharpened it, because blood welled up almost immediately.
Nathaniel's last nerve broke. He couldn't get past Nathan and DiMaccio, which meant taking his chance with Lola's knife and gun. He spun and ran for her. The wild smile on her face said she'd expected this resistance. She braced herself for the inevitable collision, knife out and ready to do some terrible damage. She slashed at him as he got closer. Nathaniel twisted away from the blade, nearly spraining his ankle in his hurry. Lola's gun was in his face a second later and knowing she couldn't pull the trigger didn't stop him from ducking.
She came at him, knife hand up for another swipe, and Nathaniel punched her in the throat. He barely heard the terrible choking sound she made through the crackling pain in his ears. Every cut and burn on his hand was screaming in protest. He clenched his fingers tighter and took another swing. Lola dodged, but barely, and left a hot stripe up his chest with the tip of her blade. Nathaniel was now between her and the door, and he threw the bar up to unlock it. Lola grabbed his hair before he could open the door but Nathaniel didn't care how much hair he lost. He surged forward anyway, refusing to let go of the knob.
"Move," Nathan said right behind them.
He was talking to Lola, but Nathaniel threw himself to one side too. Nathan's cleaver came down right where he'd been standing. Metal screamed as he scratched a line down the door, and Nathan turned a hot look on his fallen son. Nathaniel scrambled backwards, hope dying a vicious death in his chest. Nathan stomped toward him, done playing cat and mouse. Nathaniel tried getting to his feet, but a boot in his ribcage sent him sprawling. A fist to the face killed his next attempt and then Nathan was sitting on top of him with his cleaver to Nathaniel's throat.
DiMaccio came up behind them and offered Nathan's axe. Nathan put it to Nathaniel's neck next so he could carve shallow lines in Nathaniel's burned face with his cleaver. "Maybe we'll do both," he said, casual like he was debating the next day's weather. "Skin you an inch or two at a time and carve the flesh out from underneath. If we do it right, you might last all night. Patrick, have them toss us down the blowtorch. It should still be in the drawer by the oven."