God of Pain novel · Chapter 12 of 24

Chapter 12: The Book

Nellie's cousin met us at the steel door at three in the afternoon.

The warehouse was empty and bitterly cold, and the ring stood bare under a single work light.

Nellie wanted to come in with me.

I made her wait in the cab.

"I'm not supposed to do this," her cousin said.

"Tino told me you would."

"Tino tells me a lot of things." He rubbed his tired face. "Come on."

He led me through a maze of crates to a glass-walled office at the back.

Inside there was a metal desk, a dead plant, and a leather book with a brass clasp.

He unlocked a drawer and set the book in front of me.

"Don't tell anyone you saw it," he said. "And don't tell the kid I showed you. He'd kill me."

"Why are you showing me?"

He looked at the book for a long time.

"Because I've worked this door for six years," he said. "And I've never watched anything I liked less."

He opened the cover.

The pages were ruled in blue, in a slanting, careful hand.

At the top of every page were four columns: date, night, rounds, paid.

I put my finger on the first row.

Sunday, October 4. Night 1. Rounds: 10. Terms: hands taped to belt, no return. Paid.

I read it twice.

Then I read the next row.

Monday, October 5. Night 2. Rounds: 10. Terms: hands taped to belt, no return. Paid.

My mouth went dry.

"What does this mean?" I whispered.

"It means what it says."

"No return."

"He can't hit back."

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