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She’s staring at me with a sort of wonder on her face. I’m sure it’s the same look that I’m giving her. “Stay here,” she says quietly.
I peck her lips again because I can’t help myself. “That’s fine, and no one will ever say a word about it.” I reluctantly pull back. I need to hear what Anton has to say.
I step back into the room and stand beside Caden. “Is she okay?” he asks.
“She will be,” I answer. Bridget is fucking strong in her own right. Just because she can't watch this doesn't change that in my mind. “Torture just might not be for her.”
Caden shrugs. “That’s cool.”
“Did I miss anything?” I ask.
“Nah. He’s going to be tough to crack.” Caden snaps his fingers like he thought of something. “Crack! I got an idea!”
He jogs over to the tool table where Lex and D’s tools are laid out, and I shake my head. He’s just as bad as the twins when it comes to torture. Torture like this isn’t my thing. I prefer to use my hands to beat the answers out of someone. It isn't always as effective, but it makes me feel better.
Caden walks over with something that looks like a goddamn nutcracker. Lex and D step back from their cutting, and Caden walks up with a grin, brandishing his weapon in front of him. “I wonder what this does?” he asks like he doesn’t already know. He slips them onto Anton’s finger. “Why were you working for Mayor Augustus?” I don’t even like hearing that name come from Caden’s lips. Anton closes his eyes, with tears and snot rolling down his face. Caden squeezes the end, and the crack of the guy's knuckles goes off like a gunshot. “Oh. That’s cool!”
Lex chuckles. “Cool as fuck, right?”
“I want to do it again,” Caden exclaims, and I can’t help but smile. It might make me ten shades of crazy, but his excitement is adorable as hell. He lines up again. “Tell us about Augustus.” Anton shakes his head, and another crack echoes through the room. “Tell us!” Caden yells over his screams.
“Fuck! He wanted information!”
“On what?” Caden asks, and Anton clams up again. “Oh, come on. You were doing so good.” Another crack and more screams. “What kind of information did he want?” he asks when the screams die down.
“On your enemies,” Anton sobs.
I step forward. “What?” I bark.
“He wanted to know who your enemies were.”
I look at Lex and D. “He’s been in Abbs Valley?” I don’t know why that thought just hit me. I should have known he would come here, and that thought sends a chill down my spine.
Lex nods. “Yeah. At least in a couple of the videos.” Where the fuck is this information coming from? And why did Cian get it? None of this is making any fucking sense. Then it hits me.
I stride to the table, jerk a knife off the table, and hold it against Anton’s sorry excuse for a dick. “Did you tell him about the Hellraisers?” I push harder when he doesn’t answer, making blood well up around it. “You better fucking answer me, or I’ll cut it clean the fuck off,” I grit out.
“Yes.” That truth hangs in the air. That’s why Tink all of a sudden grew balls and started waging war. My dad orchestrated the whole goddamn thing.
I push the knife, and it slices right through the skin like a hot knife slicing through butter. I drown out Anton’s screams and cut his dick right off.
“Holy shit,” Caden whispers.
I drop the knife like it burned my hand. My chest is heaving, and I feel like I’m on the verge of a fucking mental breakdown. My piece of shit father has been in Abbs Valley, and he’s paying my enemy to try to kill me and anyone I’ve ever cared about.
“Ghost.” I hear my name, but it’s like it’s coming from the bottom of a barrel. “Ghost. Come on. It’s okay.” I swing wild eyes to Caden when he steps in front of me. Anton’s screams are abruptly cut off, and it pulls my attention back to him.
Anton’s throat is gaping wide open, and Lex is pulling his knife back. “Someone who betrays my brothers doesn’t get to live,” Lex mutters, and D nods his head.
I scramble back when Caden reaches for me, memories of my father slamming into me left and right. Every time he locked me in that fucking room for days, every time he starved me, every time he took a belt to me, every time he would make me watch him fuck his prostitutes, every fucked up thing that he ever did to me growing up is hitting me in rapid succession.
My back slams into the wall, my breath coming in little pants. All this time, and I’m still scared of that motherfucker. His evil eyes flash through my mind, eyes just like mine, and my knees hit the floor.
“Ghost!” Caden calls out, skidding to a stop in front of me. His face wavers in and out of view. I’m officially losing it. Caden’s face wavers out again, and then a softer one wavers into view.
“Ghost,” Bridget says softly. I can’t move or talk. It’s like my whole body has seized. I knew Dad would eventually drag me over the edge, and it’s happening right when my life is finally starting to slot into place. “Ghost,” Bridget whispers, reaching out to me, and I recoil automatically. “You helped me. Let me help you.” She reaches for me slowly, and when I don’t move, she clasps my cheeks in her hands. “Listen to my voice. He can’t hurt you anymore.” She has tears rolling down her gorgeous face, and I want to reach out and wipe them away, but I still can’t fucking move. “You’re stronger than him. You’re the leader of the goddamn Vipers with a team behind you. Don’t let him win.”
“She’s right,” Caden adds, grabbing my hand. I feel hands on my shoulders and know my family is surrounding me. I draw in a shaky breath, feeling my body relax.
