“I didn’t want them hurt.”
“You know about Amelia’s condition.”
Rory’s eyes flick to mine.
“You know what cold does to her body, and you left her tied on concrete in a basement.”
“She would have been fine.”
Maverick tilts his head.
The movement is small.
Almost curious.
Then he smiles a smile so merciless that I feel it to my very core.
“I hope you can handle pain, Rory.”
Rory swallows.
“But just in case, I’m going to introduce you to it slowly.”
“Listen, man.”
“I’m going to take my time.”
His voice is so quiet now that I can barely hear it.
But every word lands like a blade.
“You won’t die tonight. You won’t die tomorrow. Your death will be earned one breath at a time, and before it comes, you will beg me to let you die…But I won’t.”
Rory lunges.
Maybe for me.
Maybe for Livy.
Maybe for the stairs.
He never makes it two steps.
Maverick moves so fast that my brain can’t process it.
One second he’s standing in front of the stairs, and the next he has Rory by the throat and slams him into the support post hard enough to shake dust loose from the ceiling.
Rory’s head cracks against the wood.
Livy gasps.
I pull her behind me as much as I can.
Maverick doesn’t look away from Rory.
“Close your eyes,piccola,” he says. “Hands over your ears and sing a song loud enough that Uncle Steffy can hear it at the hospital.”
“He’s alive?” she gasps, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks.
