A loud bang yanks me from my daydream. My laughter slowly dies on my lips. Something thuds, and there’s a shout, and another, louder explosion.
I run to the door and fling it open.
Rory stumbles toward me down the hall. Blood gushes from a wound in his chest, dripping between his fingers in heavy spurts. He’s got a gun in his hand, but it falls from limp fingers onto the floor as he collapses face-first, more blood spilling everywhere, thick dark red rivulets of it, arterial blood, thick and heavy.
I scream and stagger away from his corpse, my hands flying to my mouth, as Hugh appears, grinning massively, a gun smoking in one fist.
“Hello, Tara,” he says and steps over the body, leaving footprints etched in blood.
I try to run into the bathroom but Hugh catches me by the hair. I shout in pain as he flings me down to the floor and kicks me once, twice. I groan, coughing, and he drags me to my feet and pulls me back into the main room.
Blood’s splattered all over the kitchen. I’m guessing it’s all Rory’s blood, the poor guy. Rory, dead in the hallway. Cormac’s sitting at the table, frowning and wiping at his suit. Other men stand around—five more in total, all of them armed, all of them looking angrily around like they’re ready to kill a hundred more guards.
But there are none, not all the way out here.
If we were closer to the main building, this place would be swarming already, but we’re not.
I trapped myself.
“They would’ve heard the shots,” I say as Hugh flings me down hard into a chair. “Kellen’s going to come.” Even though I’m not sure that’s true.
“Good,” Hugh says, grinning. “I want him to.” He ties my wrists tightly with a thin cord of rope. I try to wiggle my fingers to keep circulation going but I can already tell they’re going numb. When Hugh’s done, he comes around and slaps me across the face hard enough to make my ears ring.
“Easy now,” Cormac says. “We don’t want to kill her.”
“But we do want to make her scream. What’ll draw Kellen here faster than his new wife in danger?” Hugh leans close to me. “What is it with you and my cousin? I assumed you were in it for money, but that can’t be it. I have plenty of money and you could’ve come to me if you needed some. What did he offer you?”
“Nothing,” I say, glaring, even though my defiance is worthless. Rory’s dead and I’m their prisoner, and they can do whatever they want with me.
Hugh slaps me again. “Come on, Tara, play the game. What’d he give you?”
“Go to hell, you prick.”
He slaps me harder and sighs as he turns to his father. “What now?”
I taste blood in my mouth.
“We wait,” Cormac says, drumming his fingers. “Kellen will be back from hunting us soon. Once he realizes his wife’s not in the main house, he’ll send guys looking. We kill anyone that shows up as quietly as we can, and eventually when Kellen shows, we kill him too. We’re ending this confrontation here and now.”
“Works for me,” Hugh says smiling happily. “I told you weeks ago we should’ve taken him out. My plan would’ve worked if you were smart enough to help.”
“Watch your mouth,” Cormac growls. “It’s your fault we’re resorting to this desperation. If you hadn’t tried such a stupid attempt on his life, we’d have more subtle options.”
“Subtle, how? Like your poisoning plan?”
“The poison works, boy. You know it does and you should be thanking me for making it happen. Goldie’s given you absolutely everything and Orin was stupid enough to go along with it because he was too damn myopic to imagine his own brother would be the one slowly driving his wife insane.”
“At least until this gardening bitch ruined all our fun.” Hugh turns to me and winks. “Isn’t that right?”
I stare at him and feel my stomach twist into knots. It’s like I’m seeing him from a distance at the bottom of a deep well and he’s a tiny dot up above. I try to move my mouth, but I can’t. I think it’s swollen shut.
“Speak up, girl,” Cormac snaps. “Answer my son or he’ll start hitting you again and I know you don’t want that.”
“I don’t—” I start and stop. “I don’t know—” I clear my throat. “I don’t know what you mean.”
Hugh laughs. “Listen to her, Dad. I don’t know what you mean.” He rolls his eyes. “We all know what you did to Orin, gardener girl. Honestly, it was relief when it finally happened and I was glad when you did it, but really, you could’ve at least tried not to make such a mess.”
“Wasn’t clean,” Cormac agreed, glaring at me.