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“Get much sleep?” I start. He just stares at me.
“Nah, I didn’t get any either. I’ve been sitting at Cas’s beside all night because that’s what you do when you’re loyal. Not that you know a fucking thing about that. You…” I take a deep breath, fighting to keep my calm. “You think you know best, when in reality, you know nothing, and it’s resulted in you getting your parents killed. You’ll probably blame us for it to justify your actions, but we both know their blood stains your hands.”
He fights against it, but the water pooling in his eyes is too strong to fight. His parents were his weakness, and he’s nothing without them.
“You played us longer than you should’ve got away with, and that’s on us. Now, you know as well as we do, what we have to do to you. You must’ve known the risks before you plotted against us. My question to you is why? What fed your anger toward us? Was it your mom? Was it because of what happened to her?”
His lips remain firmly closed, but I don’t let the frustration I feel show.
“You’re not going to die today, so we have plenty of time for you to talk. And trust me, by the time we’re finished with you, you’ll tell us everything we want to know just so we kill you.”
“Perhaps he should feel the pain his mommy did if that’s what he came after us for. Some kind of fucked-up justice to rid the world of clubs like ours.”
I smirk at Pope, liking how he thinks, especially when Ethan’s face pales and he swallows thickly.
“Someone, go get the blowtorch from the garage,” I order, keeping my eyes on him.
From the corner of my eye, I see JJ slip off the table and head for the door. Ethan watches him go, and I sigh.
“While we wait, tell me what we do that’s so bad?”
I’m real curious, and he’s not going to be up for talking much by the time I’m done with him. I’ve not tortured anyone in this manner before, but I’m not flaking away from my responsibilities. It’s how it is in our world.
“Are you joking? You ruin people’s lives. Even if you don’t shoot anyone, or nobody has you on your knees at the end of their guns, the way you work affects people around the world. India’s dead. Victoria is deaf. Your own wife bears scars from men in a club like yours. We’ve all heard stories over the years, and it isn’t just the men who wear the patch who get caught up in your fights.”
“So you’re our judge and jury? A jumped-up prick of a kid like you gets to determine our fates? I don’t think so—”
Before I can finish, Zach’s fist is pummelling into Ethan’s jaw. Lurching forward, I stop Ethan from tipping over in the chair.
“Don’t use my sister to justify your betrayal. Say her name again, I’ll set you on fire myself and watch you burn,” he threatens.
Ethan spits out a mouthful of blood, refusing to look at him until he moves back to the corner of the basement.
The door opens, and JJ’s steps grow louder. Once he’s at my side, he hands me the blowtorch.
“Tell me about the fed, and I’ll hold back on your hands.”
Narrowing his eyes, he runs his tongue over his busted lip. Growing tired of this, I heave myself up, ready to get this shit over with.
You can’t say I didn’t give him a chance.
“Okay, okay,” he blurts out as I stand behind him, looking down at his hands tied behind his back. “He was an old acquaintance of my dad who retired after my dad did. He takes on jobs to help with the boredom. Once a fed, always a fed.”
“Bullshit. He had his credentials. The feds take them off you when you’re dismissed.”
“I don’t know how he had them. I got into contact with him after Ind—after Ellis.”
“What did you give him, and don’t fucking lie or hold anything back,” I growl.
“I told him everything that happened with Ellis. I told him to look into the death records of everyone who’s died, and then we were building intel on the deal with the Haywards.”
Fucking Christ.
Pope’s nostrils flare. “Where was he staying? And don’t tell us you don’t know.”
“Twelve-ten West Street in town.”
He has nothing to lose by telling us the truth at this point, but he has his pride, and only time will tell if he’s still clinging to it.
