Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 90211 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90211 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
“See, this isn’t so bad, right? This doesn’t have to get ugly. We need to talk.”
“What the fuck do you want from me?” His eyes dart to the entrance, but it’s too far for him to run. He’d never make it before I blew out his knees.
“I want to know why you fucked that Russian girl in Regan’s bed.”
His mouth twitches. He grimaces, eyes locked on mine. “What the fuck do you care about that for?”
“Regan cares. I’m only curious. Why’d you do it? Are you really that stupid?"
“I guess so.” He sneers at me. “I know you married her. Is she still heartbroken? Does she still talk about me? Regan was fucking mine first—“
I crack him across the teeth with the barrel of the gun. I do it hard, lashing out. It’s not smart, since I need him conscious and talking, but fuck it feels good. He groans, toppling sideways. I kneel on his side, pinning him against the nasty ground, and pluck the gun from his waistband. I make sure he’s watching when I throw it into a nearby dumpster.
“Don’t talk about Regan like that again. She was never yours. You were never good enough for her. Do you understand me?”
“We were together… for a long time…”
“And you threw all that shit away the second you took another woman in your bed. Stupid mother fucker. You really think that Baranov girl is half the woman Regan is?”
“Regan’s a little child… can’t grow up…”
I hit him again. He moans and spits blood. “Who helped you steal from Regan’s father?”
He looks dazed. “What the fuck?”
“Who helped you, Kieren? Don’t tell me you’re smart enough to do it yourself, because you’re not. I’ve been watching you. I haven’t moved on you until now because I thought you were hiding something. Now I realize what it is. You had help.”
“No. I didn’t.”
“You’re lying to me. I really don’t like lying.” I hit him twice, relishing the crack of his skin against my fist. I don’t normally enjoy torture like this, but hurting Kieren is deeply satisfying. I only wish Regan were here to see it too.
He moans, head lolling. I grab his hair, yank it back, and jam the barrel of my gun into his throat.
“Who helped you?” I press, whispering harshly.
“I don’t… nobody…”
“If nobody helped then you’re fucking worthless to me.” I press the gun harder. “Give me a reason not to end you now.”
“Wait!” His eyes widen in terror. The bastard’s been holding up better than I expected until right now. “No… you don’t have to…”
“I really fucking do. Beyond the fact you took important information from Regan’s father, I don’t like you. It’ll be very satisfying to blow your fucking brains out.”
“Please—“ His face contorts. “I’m engaged! To marry Vera!”
I laugh in pure delight. “Are you joking? She agreed to that.”
“Yes! And if you kill me, her father—“
“You think I give a fuck what the old Russian thinks? Killing you will distract him from the fucking war he started. That’s even more of a reason to paint your brains all over the ground. Now start talking, Kieren, before I run out of patience. Who helped you?”
“I don’t… I can’t…”
I lean back, move the gun down to his hand, and pull the trigger.
The gun barks as a bullet blows his palm to pieces. He screams in agony, twitching and struggling against my weight. I put the now-hot barrel against his neck again, holding it steady. He’s breathing, spittle flying down his chin as he gasps in and out, bloodied and ruined hand clutched to his chest.
“Last chance.”
“Please,” he moans, crying now. I should put him out of his misery. “Please, don’t… I can’t… If I say…”
“Fucking tell me. Who helped you, Kieren?!” I punch his injured hand, not even putting much force into the blow, but it’s enough to make him howl in pain.
“Luke!” He screams the name, bucking against me. “Luke did! He showed me where everything was hidden! Luke helped!”
Kieren sobs into his mangled hand as I get off him and step away.
Fuck.
God damn it.
I knew we had a leak… I didn’t think it would be Regan’s brother though.
Fuck.
This is going to crush her. There’s no way Luke can be spared from punishment, and I doubt the Whelans are going to be interested in mercy, not after all the blood that’s already been spilled.
Horror rings through me. I start pacing, cursing quietly under my breath. What the hell am I going to do? If I tell Finn, that means Regan’s brother is finished, and that’ll kill her. She’ll lose her damn mind, and I don’t want to do that to her.
But Luke deserves it. He betrayed his own family, stole from his father, gave critical secrets to the enemy.
All for what?
What the hell could he possibly want that he doesn’t already have?