What a twisted bastard. I gasp a laugh in surprise. “Because he can just swallow it. Come on, killer. Help me out. I thought you wanted me to learn your ways.”
“I think you have surpassed me. Just have your fun.” Talon steps back, putting more space between us. Something indecipherable crosses his face. I think he wants to know if I’ll actually follow through with my threat as well.
“Hurry up, Princess. The fucker is getting a boner.” Christos grimaces.
I flick the man’s shaft, making him howl again. “Then we will fucking kill it. Last chance, asshole. You have to give us something. We can end this really quickly.”
Again, the man doesn’t talk. All he does is thrash.
Damn it.
I slowly, begrudgingly, continue on my mission to inflict pain and hope that he will actually talk. Using my thumb and index finger, I pinch his foreskin with my nails, putting enough pressure to make him freeze.
“I don’t have a fucking name! All I have is a wire transfer. It’s in my phone. Please, don’t fucking do this, you sick bitch. You said if I talked, you wouldn’t.” The man snaps his teeth at me, turning rabid, like an animal now shoved in the corner.
“I’ve already looked at it. It gives us nothing,” Christos says, stretching the guy even more. “He has a contact, Princess. He’s not saying everything.”
The man hollers again. “Check my bank account. I’ll give you the password. It’ll give more than the fucking email. I swear.”
“What kind of fucking hitman are you, leaving a trail?” Talon asks, looking around the small room until he finds the table of the man’s belongings.
“I’m just a desperate man who needs fucking money. I owe a debt. It was either this or losing my fucking arm. And you fuckers? You want to take my dick. Just let me give you what I can. The Executioner will kill me if you don’t, so please just give me this mercy.” The man stretches his neck, looking at me.
I freeze. Did he just say what I think he did?
“Please,” he begs, his mouth quivering. “Just check.5T7EDw!with a lowercase w. You’ll see what you nee—”
A gunshot booms out, and I startle, staring at the bullet hole oozing from the hitman’s head. I whip my attention from him and gawk at Talon, standing feet away with his gun still aimed. My mind races, my heart thudding hard enough to hurt my chest.
I huff a shaking breath. “Did he say Execute—”
“Stacia, I—”
“Holy fucking shit. I’m in.” Christos’s voice cuts off Talon. I hadn’t even realized he moved, grabbing the man’s phone. “Carroll Credit Union from Lewis Smith of Hawk Enterprises. Who the fuck...” His voice trails off.
“That’s a mistake. There’s no fucking way,” I say, stumbling to my feet. I shuffle the few steps to Christos, feeling as if I might die if I don’t verify the words for myself.
Talon steps closer, towering beside me. “Stacia—”
I snatch the phone from Christos, holding out the screen to Talon. “Someone is fucking framing you. I can’t believe this shit. The fucking idiot. How unbelievable for them to use your alias to hire a hitman to kill me.”
Christos remains utterly silent, hovering close enough that our arms brush together. I reach out and lace my hand with his, my body shivering as my adrenaline slips away as fast as the hitman lost his life.
“We need to call my dad. This is all so crazy.” I shift on my feet, staring at Talon’s expressionless face. “Why would someone do this?”
Talon tucks his gun away, his face hardening into a series of lines. “No one hacked me, wild child.”
I whip my head back-and-forth. “I know it’s hard to believe but look. It’s a Society of Secrets bank and your company. It’s your alias.”
“Nobody hacked me, Stacia,” Talon repeats, snatching the phone from my hand. He tucks it into his pocket. Turning to Christos, he says, “Take her back to Leandro’s. I’ll take care of everything here.”
What in the actual hell? He’s too calm. Too emotionless. Talon just saw for himself that someone is trying to frame him for a hit on me, and now he just wants us to leave? I don’t understand.
Christos tugs me back only to step in front of me. “Talon, what the fuck do you mean when you say no one hacked you?”
“Don’t worry about it. Just take her back to Leandro’s.” Talon turns away, shutting down any sort of conversation.
Christos doesn’t accept it and shoves his hands into Talon’s back. “I will fucking worry about it! What the fuck is going on?” Yanking his gun from his jacket, he aims it at Talon. “Tell us.”