Total pages in book: 192
Estimated words: 182641 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 913(@200wpm)___ 731(@250wpm)___ 609(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 182641 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 913(@200wpm)___ 731(@250wpm)___ 609(@300wpm)
I clip my tongue, the taste of copper filling my mouth. I make not a fucking sound, trained to take pain like a fucking masochist.
He presses another button, and that shit doubles, the electricity zapping through me and shaking my every limb, the veins in my arms pulsing and popping out over my flesh. My chest rumbles, low and long, and then he relents.
My body falls forward, chest heaving as sweat drips from my temples, seeping into what must be an open wound there, the second salty sting letting me know there’s yet another cut along my brow. The droplets continue to roll downward, mixing with dried blood until it’s falling into my eye, and I’m forced to blink rapidly to clear the fog.
Pulling in a long, slow breath, I sit back on my heels, shoulders slumped and arms hanging, but by some miracle, the left corner of my mouth rises when I want it to.
He tries to fight it, but a curious sort of frown flashes along his forehead. He leans forward with his elbows on his knees to cover it up. “Why would a man I’ve known all my life, who, at his own free will, was sworn to protect and serve my daughter until his dying breath, turn his back on us for some rankless fool with a death wish?”
“I don’t know, old man,” I trail off, cocking my head at him. “Why the fuck would he?”
This time his eyes do narrow. I know he hears the accusation in my tone, I put the shit there on purpose.
“You’re not helping yourself here, boy. A cocky attitude won’t do you any good.” He sits back, lifting his drink to his lips once more for a ghost of a swallow. “You’ve already lost, so you might as well tell me what I want to know.”
The smile he gives me has my pulse jumping, and I pick the card he wants me too.
“Where is she?”
He shows his fucking teeth now, satisfied. “Gone. Somewhere you can’t reach, no matter how slick you think you are. You’re still just a boy with a lot to learn. Not that you’ll get the chance, so talk.”
Gone. Somewhere I can’t reach.
I fucking warned him, gave him a chance to hold on, even if it would have been with a weaker grip than he was used to. He failed my final fucking test and he failed it hard.
Nodding, I run my tongue along my teeth, tasting the blood there. I spit to the side, slowly bringing my eyes back to his. “Someone hurt your daughter.”
His jaw tics at the truth. “And he has been dealt with.”
“By me,” I snap and his lips curl. “Don’t fucking forget that.”
“You want a fucking trophy?”
“Got me one.”
He flies to his feet, jerking toward me, his control snapping. “You have nothing!” he booms. “And you will never have her. You are lucky you’re still breathing. You think you can come into my fucking territory, pull the shit you did without consequence?!” he backhands me like a bitch, face sneering when my head holds straight.
My jaw is made of fucking stone, and I hold his eyes straight through. Anger boils within him and he grips my neck in the small space above the shackle, doing all he can to crush my windpipe, having no fucking idea he’s touching the answer he seeks.
It’s killing him not to kill me, but there’s a tiny little whisper of his baby girl in his head telling him not to and it’s taking all he’s got not to listen.
“You’ve chosen the wrong circle to weasel your way into. Tell me what made Sai flip on the only family he ever knew!” he demands, releasing me with a shove.
A scratchy laugh leaves me and I shake my head, rising to my feet, ignoring the pain in my limbs and the yank of the metal locked around me, numb to the way the two shorter chains slowly cut into my skin. I strain harder, welcoming the metal into my skin, allowing it to shred and tear me apart, sending fresh trails of blood to the floor around me.
Small creases form at the edge of his eyes, but he says nothing, waiting.
“I watched your daughter from the moment I met her,” I tell him. “Followed and tracked her damn near every fucking move. Even when she thought I was gone, I was there. I was the shadow in the dark you couldn’t touch or find. Couldn’t buy or blackmail, ’cause you’re right, pops, I’m a rankless fucking fool. But you know what that means?” I yank on the chains.
“It means my eyes were fresh, my mind clear. I saw what you didn’t and when that piece of shit got bolder, put his hands on her, I went into that dorm, seconds after he strolled in, and dug a knife into his shoulder, dragged the motherfucker out by the handle of the blade without being seen or caught. I crept through your house while you slept and took photos of her sleeping so you’d know, no matter where you put her, and you put her right where I wanted you to when I needed you to, by the way, you couldn’t keep her from me.