“Fine,” I rasp at last, voice hoarse. “I’ll tell you. But why are you so obsessed with that necklace, anyway?” I squint against the harsh overhead light, trying and failing to see him clearly. All I can make out is a looming shadow pacing back and forth like a restless predator.
“It’s just a stupid necklace,” I add. “Fake. Trust me.”
He growls—a low, guttural, vicious sound that makes the hairs on my neck stand on end. He knows I’m lying.
“You f*****g b***h,” he snarls. “That necklace isn’t fake. It vanished nearly a decade ago. Do you have any idea how long I’ve been hunting for it? How many people I’ve tortured, killed, bribed—ruined—just to find that damn thing?!”
A chill runs down my spine as I picture the trail of destruction he’s left in his obsession. But that fury—that slip in
