Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 73302 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 367(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73302 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 367(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
“Stop. He’ll kill me.”
I laughed. “So will I. Will he be as nice about it as I will?”
“I don’t know where he is.”
I moved in front of him and squatted down so we were eye to eye. “How does he contact you?”
“He doesn’t directly. There’s a guy who sends me messages.”
I dragged the knife along his leg, slicing through his pants. He drew in a sharp breath. “How did you get connected to Ivanov?”
“I… met him at a party.”
I pressed harder, slicing the skin of his inner thighs, and he cried out. “I know the kind of parties he throws. What were you doing there?”
He shook his head frantically. “Um… it wasn’t like that. I didn’t… I wasn’t there to…”
I leaned in and whispered in his ear. “You’re lying. Tape, please.” I held a hand out to Zach. He passed me the tape. I tore off a piece and pressed it over the man’s mouth.
His eyes went wide as I sliced through the duct tape at one wrist, grabbed his hand, and twisted it so I could hold it flat to the table. With no warning, I brought the knife down and chopped off his pinky. He tried to scream as blood poured out over the table.
“Ugh. You’re making such a mess.” I pulled out a lighter and cauterized the wound. Tears ran down his face as he kept trying to scream. Zach held his chair in place as he fought, rocking from side to side.
“Ready to talk again?” He nodded, and I ripped the tape from his mouth. “That was fun. I can keep this up all night.”
“No.” He shook his head. “No.”
“Ivanov should really find stronger assistants. You’re pathetic.”
“Fuck you.”
I studied him for a moment, then frowned. “No, he’s more my type.” I tilted my head toward Zach, who laughed. I met his gaze, and he smiled at me. If I’d had any doubt before, I knew for certain now that he was the one.
I loved how scared Richard looked. He wasn’t getting out of here alive, no matter what he told us, but I needed more information. “Where was the party?”
“A house in Metairie.”
I glanced at Zach, and he nodded. Ivanov had been right here under our noses. “Be more specific.”
Richard gave the address.
“Who’s your contact?”
I didn’t recognize the name, but Zach entered it into his phone.
“How does he contact you?”
“He—he texts me.”
“Where’s your phone?”
“On the coffee table.”
Zach retrieved it and held it to Richard’s face. It opened, and Zach pulled up his contacts. “What do you call him?”
“John M.”
“Got it,” Zach said.
“Phone code.”
He said the numbers. Zach confirmed that it worked.
“Good. We wouldn’t want to have to take your head with us,” I said as I raised my gun.
“What? No!” Richard screamed. “I gave you what you wanted. I gave you everything!”
“And Ivanov would kill you in a much worse way. Since you were a good boy, I’ll make it easier and deprive him of the pleasure.”
I shot him through the forehead, and Zach caught the chair as he fell to the side.
For the first time, I realized Zach hadn’t complained once about my thirst for blood. “You didn’t stop me.”
He smiled. “No. He partied with Ivanov. He worked for him, but worse—he was trying to implicate you. He got what he deserved. Probably less.”
“You really do like to break the rules.”
“I told you so.”
31
ZACH
What the fuck had I done? I’d sat there, watching Rafe torture and then kill a man I could’ve brought into custody. I’d already decided Ivanov needed to die, and I felt nothing for Richard. I’d broken rules before. I’d pushed things too far, but this… this was way out of bounds.
Maria was going to want to know what happened tonight. What the hell was I going to tell her? I had no idea, but watching Rafe fully embrace his psycho side was hot as hell. It shouldn’t have been. But I knew him; he did this because Richard was evil. I hadn’t just allowed it; I’d enjoyed it. And I was going to take Rafe home and fuck him as many times as we could survive.
I should feel something other than relief and desire, but I didn’t. It was time for me to get out of the FBI. Rafe was pacing around, talking on the phone with Remington, who would call in a cleanup crew, and as I watched him, I knew I couldn’t deny it anymore. I loved him. I hadn’t thought I really knew what love was, but what else could explain the way I was feeling?
Rafe ended the call. “Everything okay?” I asked.
“Yeah, it’s all good. Let’s go.”
I wanted to leave with him, but could I? “We probably shouldn’t risk being seen together.”
“I would risk anything to fuck you right now. If I didn’t think you might get squeamish, I’d do it right here.”