My heart races as Lincoln heads to the table lined with instruments of pain. He picks up a thin blade, no wider than my pinkie nail, and heads back to the man.
“I’m going to ask once more…” Lincoln sighs, swiping the blade on the back of his jeans before pulling on the chains until the man is standing again, his toes just barely reaching the ground. “If you tell me now, we can save you from any more pain. If you don’t… it’s between your life and hers. I’m going to pick hers.”
“Please, sir. No. I don’t know anything!” The man screams, and Lincoln shakes his head.
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” I don’t see what Lincoln does as he stands in front of the man, but the screams that come from the man grow louder, more high-pitched. I don’t flinch or look away.
I told him I wouldn’t think any different of him, and I meant it. Seeing this side of him doesn’t scare me. It probably should, and that likely says more about me than it does about him.
“Name,” Lincoln barks as the screams quiet to whimpers. When the man doesn’t speak, Lincoln moves forward again; the screams that follow echo around the room.
I lose track of time as the screams turn to sobs. Small flashbacks of my time with Panda flash in my mind as the interrogation continues, but I know Lincoln wouldn’t be here if he had a choice. That’s the difference.
When the blood letting doesn’t work, he uses a towel over the guy’s face, pouring the bottles of water over it until he chokes, and even uses the car battery in the corner.
“Thierry,” the man whimpers as Lincoln moves back toward him with the jumper cables. “Thierry Montessary.”
Lincoln watches him closely before nodding and disconnecting the cables. He uses the sink to wash his hands and arms before coming over to where I’m standing. He doesn’t look me in the eye when he speaks. “We can leave now.”
He moves to the door and pounds on it. Seconds later, it opens.
“Thierry Montessary,” Lincoln says to Martin, who nods and waves us out of the room before taking us back to the main house where Rico is lounging on a couch smoking a cigar. God, it fucking stinks.
“Done already?” Rico says, clapping his hands together as he stands to greet us. “I knew you were the man for the job. Bring his friends out and take them back to their hotel. I’ll send my regards to your father.”
Lincoln nods and storms out of the main door where we originally entered as Martin disappears to get the other two.
Well… this isn’t awkward at all.
“Are you okay?” Maverick asks as he stalks toward me.
“Where is Linc?” Finn asks, searching the room.
I walk toward them, sinking into Mav’s open arms. “I’m okay, and he’s outside.”
Finley watches me closely, but nods before heading outside.
“Come on, princess. Let’s go,” Mav says, keeping his arm around me as we leave the villa.
Rico’s laugh sounds softly behind us as we leave, a shiver runs down my spine as he speaks. “I’ll be seeing you again soon, Miss Royal.”
* * *
The car drops us back off at our little beach cottage, but the sparkle and shine of the place is gone. This was meant to be our slice of paradise. Instead, it turned into just another thing the Knights took from us. The drive back was silent, and Lincoln still hasn’t looked at me. He stomped inside the minute the car stopped, face like thunder, before the rest of us had even climbed from the car.
“You should go and speak to him, beautiful. We’ll head down to the beach and give you guys a minute,” Finley says softly, kissing me before grabbing Mav and dragging him toward the beach. My stomach flips. Facing Lincoln isn’t the problem. The problem is making him see that I don’t see him any different.
I know what he said to that man was true. It was between my life and his, and he picks me time and again.
I just wish he’d clue in to the fact that I’ll pick him too.
No matter what.
I head into the cottage and hear the shower running. I bite my lip before deciding on a plan of action. Kicking off my shoes, I pad into the bathroom and find Lincoln furiously scrubbing at his skin. Any blood was cleaned off back at that villa, but it’s like he’s trying to scrub the whole thing away. Instead, he’s just scrubbing himself raw.
My heart breaks for him, seeing him this fucked up over it all. Especially since I get the feeling that it wouldn’t have been this bad if I hadn’t been there.
“Lincoln,” I start, but he either doesn’t hear me or he’s ignoring me.