Total pages in book: 331
Estimated words: 315585 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1578(@200wpm)___ 1262(@250wpm)___ 1052(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 315585 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1578(@200wpm)___ 1262(@250wpm)___ 1052(@300wpm)
It was an ambush that she willingly walked into.
But at the beginning of the video, they said they wanted me. Why? Why didn’t she let me turn myself in?
One of the masked men wraps a belt around her neck and pulls her over the altar. She shoots him but then is hit herself. She crawls the best she can back behind the altar and out of frame. The fifth one that had entered behind her walks around the altar and points a gun at her. “Goodbye, Eve,” their altered voice fills the basement before the camera shuts off.
“See?” the kid shouts. “I ran out the side door. I never touched her.”
I want to fall to the floor and curl into a ball. The only thing that’s keeping me on my feet is my adrenaline. It’s going to fade, and I’m going to crawl onto the metal slab and hold my wife. After I make this man suffer. “You helped set her up. And that’s enough.”
He thrashes in his restraints and screams at the top of his lungs. He can do whatever he wants. He’s dead to me. “Check my messages,” Christopher rushes out. “I sent you the text.”
I look at Haidyn, and he starts scrolling through the phone. He pulls up an app, and sure enough, you can see he was the one who sent me the text with where she was, and he was able to hide his number. “Why?” I snap.
“She was just the bait. She wasn’t supposed to die. Evan wanted her.”
Evan. The name makes my blood boil. Fucking rage.
“He knew she’d give herself over to him for you.”
“Where the fuck is he?” I demand.
“I don’t know…but I can find him.”
“Was he at the cathedral?” Haidyn growls.
“No. We were supposed to stall. Just hold her until you arrived. Then give her the option…you or her.”
“So that’s why you texted Kashton.” Saint nods to himself. “You needed them both there but wanted her there first. Rough her up, and then when Kashton arrived, she’d give herself over and he’d kill Kash.” He looks at me. “Get you out of the picture.”
Haidyn frowns. “But that doesn’t explain how Eve got there. What made her go to the cathedral?”
“Evan…” He sucks in a deep breath. “He wanted to play with her.”
My teeth grind. He knows that I play with my girl. He was jealous. Wanted to have what was mine and knew exactly what he could do to get it. If he laid one hand on her, she’d fall back into the mindset she had at Dollhouse. Or maybe he planned on drugging her. Either way, he was going to leave there with her. But I didn’t show in time, and they killed her.
“I can find Evan…I’ll give him to you. I swear.”
I snort. I’ve got the kid’s cell, and it will take me right to him. “Haidyn.” I gesture with my hand, and he passes me the cell. I turn to Tyson’s men. “Find him.” Colton nods. “Next time I see you, it better be because you’re delivering Evan. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir,” Alex answers, and they rush out of the basement.
I place my attention back on Haidyn. “Give me your phone.” I hold out my hand to him again.
He does so without question.
I go through it and find what I’m looking for. “Hallelujah” by No Resolve fills the basement, and I turn it all the way up, taking a puff of the cigarette before putting it out on Christopher’s back.
This is for you, Eve. I will make sure the world pays for the cost of your life. To me, it was priceless.
SEVENTY-SIX
KASHTON
Ifill a syringe with adrenaline while a burning cigarette hangs from my mouth. Tossing the vial onto the counter, I walk over and shove it into his chest. His jaw clenches and he throws his head back.
“Once that one starts to wear off. I’ll give you another. And another. As long as it takes. Or until your heart gives out.” Either way. He won’t ever see daylight again. He’ll die down here.
Christopher cries and bows his head. “How long…what takes?”
“Ever heard of flaying?” I hold up the knife in my hand.
His wide eyes go from mine to others in the room as if someone will help him. They won’t. “Now, I will say, I’ve never done this before so we’re going to learn together.”
“You sick bastard,” he screams, fighting the restraints. The adrenaline is coursing through his veins, enhancing his fight or flight.
“From what I do know, there should be some prep work, but I just don’t have the patience for that right now.” I run the tip of the blade lightly along his leg, and he tenses to not be cut. “I’ve heard it’s easier to skin someone alive after they’ve sat outside and boiled in the sun. But we’ll try it this way first. And typically they start with the face. The point was to get it all off in one go. But I’m not too worried about how many pieces it takes.”