He gives me a look that says he doesn’t think I have enough restraint to do just that. That’s fair, I guess. But I’ve also met Lion Castello and I can’t imagine his self-control is any better than my own.
“Then go get them yourself and I’ll handle getting Deavers into the torture basement.”
Oren snorts.
“I’ve seen your eyes cross trying to figure out how to get around the mansion without someone else’s help. No one’s around to help you get to thetorture basementand the right room for it. Someone can get you to Nate quicker.”
I start to argue, and Oren shoves me back. I growl, stepping forward.
“Quit with your macho man bullshit, Li,” Oren snaps. “Get Lion and Nate and stop wasting time. You want your girl? Then tuck your dick away and get moving.”
I turn from him with a snarl. Following the easy path to the main house from the garage, I store away the reminder to kick Oren in the dick for talking to me like that once Malia is home again.
I grumble under my breath when I’m led to The Omen’s office, hating the unfamiliarity of the mansion. I can’t help but wonder if I knew every nook and cranny in this enormous house when I was a child. I don’t like the disadvantage of people I’ve considered my enemies, or those who still look at me as an enemy, having the ability to sneak up on me. Knowing there are hidden doors and hallways doesn’t help ease the tension.
The old woman who brought me to The Omen’s office knocks on the door and walks away without a word. I watch her go, wondering why she thought it necessary to knock on the door for me. This whole lifestyle is a joke to me. I never had a doubt that The Omen was a bit pretentious, but the staff feeling they’re required to do basic things like knocking on doors is beyond ridiculous.
Maybe I’m thinking too hard about this since I wasn’t raised this way. Maybe it’s completely ordinary, and I’m just a bitter asshole looking to hate on everything that makes The Omen who he is, despite my recent thoughts about needing his approval.
Yeah, probably the latter.
The door opens and Lion scowls at me. I return his disdain with a sneer. I definitely hate this fucker and Ireallydon’t want to have to prove myself worthy of the girl I love to him of all people.
“We got him. Let’s go,” I clip in a shorter tone than I intended.
Well, that’s not going to make me friends with the king of the jungle.
The Omen steps beside his nephew, his green eyes assessing me and where my wounds are located. I almost thought I saw worry in them before his mask locks into place.
“You boys head downstairs and start questioning,” The Omen directs.
He gives Lion a hard look.
“Don’t kill him,”—he swings that same look toward me and I raise my chin—“You either.”
“No promises,” Lion says.
Pushing past his uncle, he shoulder-chucks me where he shot me yesterday. I bite back the grunt of pain that tries to escape from the force of the hit. Lion whistles loudly, the sound cutting through the air like a whip.
“Come on, puppy.”
Dick.
The Omen snorts.
“Do you boys need a babysitter?” he asks me with an amused glint in his eyes.
“No,” I growl.
I grind my teeth and follow Lion like the lost puppy he thinks I am. Maybe Deavers is my opportunity to prove myself to him.
As we descend the concrete steps, my mind goes to the man I killed for threatening Malia; a threat I should’ve taken more seriously then. I should’ve let them torture him until he gave us something. He was the first to die at my hand in sheer rage and not a good-guy-vs-bad-guy situation as an FBI special agent.
I take in my surroundings as Lion leads me through the hall. When I was down here before, we missed a majority of the layout because of the shortcut behind The Omen’s bookshelf. Then there was Malia. Always all-consuming. I could never quite pay attention to anything but her when she was around. Even when I hated her.
Or thought I did.
They have their own prison down here. Open cells line the left side of the hallway and private rooms line the right. I hadn’t noticed the musty smell of mildew before, but now the stench has me wrinkling my nose to stave off the building sneeze.