“You’re sharing an apartment with a female. I saw you leave tonight, followed you.” My smile twitches. I’d almost allowed the lassie to live in peace until she arrivedhere. “Nice room, aye?”
“Very nice room,” Tom spits back, and a few others grunt their agreement.
“So,eun beag,I’ve decided to let you go. I tallied all theshiteI’ve done. Like choke and hold you against your will.”
Again, she whimpers. Pretty little tears slide down her cheeks, glossing over the metallic-silver tape.
“Please,” I murmur.No crying, little bird.
Tom lifts his gun.
I hold a hand up to him, and he brings the revolver away from her wet face. “Passion is a powerful,dangerousthing. I’m prepared to free you now, Ava.” I switch positions in my seat, sitting straight forward. “As I take it, though, any assaults to your person haven’t met the severity of stealing a man’s heart. You’re dying tonight, little bird.”
I return my attention to the blubbering man prepared to offer me the world. I’ve secured lots of additional assets while torturing the rich. Then Itakewhat the dead intended to offer.
“I’ve a question for you, sir. Do you believe death is just punishment for Ava? Did she steal your heart as well?” I click my tongue.
The henchmen in closest proximity to Adnan snatches the tape from his mouth. The bastard blows hard air from his mouth. “Ou . . . Shit, that frggg!”
“Sounds like you’ve something to say to me.” I sneer. “Something which will perhaps have me cut your tongue out of yourmotherfeckinmouth.”
“N-no, sir.” Licking the rawness from his lips, Adnan shakes his head. “Sh-she tried to kill me.”
The nugget makes my fingers clutch into fists. Thearseholelacks afeckingspine. I order, “Why?”
Although astonished by Adnan’s declaration that Ava attempted to murder him, I take it my question bewilders him too. His eyebrows tighten as I bark, “Talk!”
The bampot stumbles over his speech. “I-I found out Ava married me for my money. We divorced. She couldn’t,” he clears his throat, and his eyes dart a fraction, “cope.”
I nod slowly.Lies, but what does that matter now? “Appreciate that bit of information. As it would seem, I’m a man who knows my enemies. Except you, Adnan. You’re the only nemesis of mine I never had the pleasure of gleaning.” I’m suddenly aware that Ava’s a gorgeous stranger.
I cast an accusatory glance at Ava. Tears flow over her cheeks. It feels like someone took an ax to my chest, but I covet the sight. I stare her dead in thefeckingeye. So, I’ll never allow another woman to break me. “All I strived for was my little bird to open up to me. So,you. . . confide in me.”
“She’ll tell you anything,” Adnan replies, chummymotherfecker.
“Anything, yeah?” I laugh, watching my bonny heart wiggle and snap at Tom’s touch.Feck, one of her tits will pop out. If a single one of my men sees a nipple, they die too. “That’s our Ava,” I heartlessly tell Adnan.
The weasel edges out, “So, may I go?”
“No,” I lengthen the word, devilishly teasing. “You had her. You die. Heh, I’m that type of lad, Adnan.”
The confidence drains from Adnan’s face. “Wh-what? What!”
“You sound like an intelligent man. I’ve choked and hurt the lassie. She’ll get one, wee bullet snug in her forehead. You, well, you will get the royal treatment.”
He begins screaming to high heaven. A flurry of punches descends on his face.
“That’s enough,” I grit out. Tom replaces the duct tape.
With a huff, Adnan favors the armrest of the loveseat, slumping his entire body over the velvety area. Blood leaks from his busted eyebrow, and more smears over the duct tape. Adnan glowers daggers at me.
“Mind your manners, Adnan. You’ll be needing your eyes when you meet Nan, and of course, there are the rest of the MacKenzies. You’ll know when I return to the MacKenzies that your time has come to an end. Nan has requirements, such as no deaths under her roof. So, while we transport you from the MacKenzie basement to another location, we will provide you with a last meal.”
I laugh to myself. I can hear Camdyn say, “The mind fuck,” while mentioning a last meal. Or rather the Camdyn I once knew.
Removing my smile, I lift my fists and hiss, “Myhands will end you.But if it’s any consolation, Ava dies first.”
I click my tongue. Tom lifts the Glock in his hand and returns it to the place where it belongs. The center of my little bird’s forehead.