Page 30 of Stolen Rebel

He arches a brow. “Debatable.”

“Do you want to eat through a straw for the next eight weeks?” My nostrils flare. “As long as she keeps up this Erin shite, I can’t break through.”

He leans back, knitted hands resting on his abdomen. “If this was an enemy, what would you do to make them talk?”

“Pull out their fingernails, then break every bone in their hands, then move onto the eyes. It’s usually the eyes where the weaker ones cave in and give up the intel.”

“Well then.” He makes a dismissive gesture. “There’s your answer.”

Back at the warehouse, this was my exact plan. Except Kai got inside my head and persuaded me to bring her back here. Now that I have, the ability to physically hurt her is waning. The forced proximity idea has weakened me when it was supposed to strengthen my position and destroy hers.

“Are you suggesting I apply these tactics on Rowan?”

He shrugs. “Why not? Your current approach doesn’t seem to be working.”

Okay, I take it back. He’s not the nicest one of us. He’s a fucking brute.

“Rowan isn’t one of those women. She won’t easily break.”

“Have you tried?”

“I kept her tied to a chair in a warehouse in London before bringing her here. Threatened her. She stuck to her fucking story and didn’t flinch.”

“But you didn’t physically hurt her?”

“No.”

“Then shortcut it. Forget the fingernails and the bones. Stick a knife to her eye and watch her crumble.”

I play out the scene. Imagine myself with the blade glinting in the light. Rowan’s eyes flaring with terror, sweat breaking out on her forehead as the knife inches closer to blinding her.

A visceral pain sears my chest. I can’t do it. I can’t fucking bear the thought of hurting her like that, of disfiguring her. This is why men like me should never fall in love. It weakens us, stops us from doing what’s necessary. Gives our enemies fuel to usurp our turf.

My fists clench. “I can’t.”

“I’ll do it if you want.”

My fist comes down on the table before I acknowledge I’ve moved. Jack, the two alcoholics, and an elderly couple who arrived a few minutes ago all look over at us. “Don’t you dare fucking touch her.”

The bastard smirks. Smirks after he just threatened to torture my woman. “Okay, then, the answer is easy.”

I grind my teeth. “Really? Go on then, Einstein. Fucking enlighten me.”

“You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar, brother.” He cocks his head and smirks in such an annoying way, a vision of me smashing his head into the table fires into my mind. Fuck, it’s tempting. But the worst part is he’s right. I’ve been trying to force Rebel’s hand, forgetting that I know this woman as well as I know myself. Pinning her into a corner is not the way I make her spill her secrets. She’s as stubborn as me. Maybe more so.

Time for the charm offensive.

As much as it pains me, I force a smile. “You’re an annoying twat.”

His broad smile almost splits his face in two. “I fucking love being right.”

That makes two of us. Which is why I’m fucking raging that I didn’t come up with this plan first.

Chapter 17

ROWAN

Having a taste of freedom downstairs with Darragh has left this room feeling smaller than ever, and my pacing has my thighs burning. I had no idea Liam would lose his shit the way he did when he got home.