Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 104127 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 521(@200wpm)___ 417(@250wpm)___ 347(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104127 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 521(@200wpm)___ 417(@250wpm)___ 347(@300wpm)
“East wing cellars.”
“Let’s go.” Before he can say anything else, I’m striding out of the room.
Together, we walk down the long path underneath the manor. Few know of its existence, and those that do need a special clearance to enter.
Stepping inside the cell, I’m met with a draft. The concrete walls keep the room cold and dank. A rotten smell of mildew lingers in the air.
It smells like a mixture of fear and sweat.
Currently, our guest is locked behind the metal bars of one of the cells.
“Put him in the chair. Strap him down.” I point to the center of the room where I want him set up.
Once he’s naked and tied up, I walk over to the little metal cart we keep down here.
My tray of tricks.
I’m a sick fuck when I need to be. But it works in my profession. People fear me, and that’s good when you need answers.
I narrow my eyes at the tools in front of me, deciding how I want this to go down.
“There’s this thing my predecessor and I liked to do…” I tell him as I grab the knife. “Tobias Kosta, I’m sure his reputation precedes him; he liked to make margaritas with his guests.”
The man in the chair starts to pull at the ropes. A scream bubbles from his mouth but is caught in the tape.
“The thing is, I’m more of a scotch man myself, and I wouldn’t waste a drop on you.” I step closer to him. The long silver blade glimmers under the overhead light bulb that hangs from the ceiling.
He screams again, but it doesn’t stop me from doing what I need to do.
Leaning forward, I slice at the skin on his left pectoral, then trail the blade down his stomach. Crimson rivulets drip down his chest, collecting on his groin.
He hollers, begs, and pleads. But to me, it only sounds like grunts. “What’s that? You want to talk.” I slice his thigh. Crisscrossing the pattern until a bloody x forms on his skin.
His head bobs up and down rapidly. With my free hand, I rip the tape off his mouth. “Go ahead, talk.”
“I don’t know anything.”
I shake my head in annoyance. “See, that’s where I think you’re lying.”
“I’m only after the bounty,” he cries out.
Probably true. Weasels like him are only here for the easy cash. “How much?”
“Half a million.”
Fuck. Every fucking dreg in the city will be looking for her. “And what’s the bounty for?”
“They don’t want her dead. Taken alive. I wasn’t going to hurt her,” he pleads.
“Do you know why?”
“Didn’t matter. For that kind of money, I don’t ask questions.”
I look over at Julian, who has a knowing look on his face. Then I turn back around and slice the little shit across the throat. His body convulses as he chokes on his own blood.
For a moment, I stand there and watch him die before Julian coughs, and I gesture for him to speak.
“What do you want to do?” he asks.
“Dump the body.”
His face is like stone, with no emotions passing over his features. “And Sasha?”
“Don’t worry about Sasha. I’ll take care of her.” I drop the knife back onto the cart. “I need you to handle point.”
“Where are you going to be?”
“I’m going to take her away. While we’re gone, I want you to check everything this shit said,” I growl. “I want to know how many people were told of this fucking bounty.”
With nothing more to say, I storm out of the cell and back down the hall until I’m taking the steps two at a time to get the fuck out of here.
It feels like the concrete walls are crumbling in on me.
I anticipated that people would want to find Sasha, but to know there are an unknown number of assailants searching for her has my blood boiling.
I’m so distracted by my rage that I don’t see her at first when I round the corner and stride down the hallway.
“Gideon.” Her soft voice stops me in my tracks. “What’s wrong?”
Her brows pinch, and she takes a step toward me. I step back. I’m wound up too tight to be near her. “Nothing.”
“You-you can tell me.” She approaches me like I’m a caged lion that she needs to be wary of.
A sigh escapes my mouth. I have to tell her. I know I do, but it doesn’t make it any easier.
Moving closer to her, I bring my hand up to touch her cheek.
“Gideon. You’re scaring me.” Her words rush out.
“Fuck.” Lifting my hand, I run my hands through my hair, pulling at the root. “There’s a bounty on your head.”
Her knees buckle.
She’s about to fall to the floor, but before she does, my arms reach out and catch her.
Now encased in my arms, I pick her up and sit us both on the floor.