Page 64 of Lord of Punishment

“That’s the point. I think it is. It’s just that you haven’t figured it out yet. As my mammy used to say when she was alive. Reflecting on one’s person is often the most difficult thing for a man to do. You were given a gift of being someone else, standing on the outside looking in, so to speak. It’s what you do with that special knowledge that counts.”

“Your mammy said all that?” He’d grown up being raised by his grandmother, the only reason he hadn’t been tossed around from one foster home to another. I knew how her death at the hands of some asshole he’d accosted had affected him. As I’d reminded myself more than once. We all had our weaknesses.

“Yep, the day she finally agreed to bailing me out of jail.”

“I didn’t know you were in jail.”

“Yep. I was seventeen and got caught stealing. She told the arresting officer to allow me to rot in jail and that she didn’t want anything to do with me.”

“Wow. That’s tough love.”

“Yeah, well, I went through the system, spending thirty days and nights cooped up with some guys who outweighed me by hundreds of pounds. Trust me when I say I was scared straight. Of course until I met you.” He grinned and I almost felt bad for recruiting him. Almost.

“You mammy was a smart woman. You did clean up your act.”

“You bet I did. But I gotta tell you. Spending time in the cell wasn’t nearly as bad as what she did to me when I got home. Whew.”

We both laughed but I knew what he was telling me. He was right in that seeing myself in a different light had changed me. Whether I liked it or not, I was a different man. “I’m headed to my brother’s house for dinner tonight. Enjoy a night off.”

“Are you sure that’s wise, boss?”

“Maybe not but I’m not going to appear as if what happened bothered me in the least.”

“Understood. Enjoy your date.”

“Very funny.”

“I’m not kidding. Oh, and I sent the photographs taken of Rico to your email. It’ll give you an indication of who he’s spending time with and where.”

“Excellent. Good work.” Now I almost wanted to apologize. Almost.

After he walked inside, I glanced at the sky, half laughing. But there was a constant ache now, a knowing that things would never go back to the way they were.

I headed inside, checking my watch. The ferocious woman had five minutes until I’d consider her late. I had a feeling she’d wait until the last second. I headed toward my desk, pressing the spacebar on my computer and pulling up the email Andres had sent. I had to laugh since I’d yet to go through the two hundred or so I’d received in just a few days. They were stark reminders that I was a businessman first and foremost, including owner of several profitable and legitimate businesses with employees counting on me.

Sure, I had an accountant, a controller, and a half dozen amazing people working in my accounting department to ensure folks were paid and any insurance claims were handled, but ultimately the buck stopped with me. I’d been too caught up in figuring out whether my guest was lying or in the rage that refused to leave given the way she was treated to return to my normal schedule.

Even if she’d embellished the story she’d told me, which I highly doubted, the truth couldn’t be ignored. I wouldn’t allow Rico to die quickly. His death would be slow and torturous, taking several days or weeks. It would all depend on my mood.

When I pulled up the first photograph, whoever Andres had contacted made certain they provided an excellent picture of the club the man was in. I made a mental note to find out more about it as well as emailing copies to Diego. At this point, entrance into the Brotherhood was on the backburner, but the man’s offer was a decent one.

Why not repay the offer with some level of professional courtesy?

The second photograph of the man laughing, enjoying a night out on the town with a beautiful blonde who looked remarkably like Georgia fueled the rage even more. Using a pair of pliers on his tongue would be the kindest punishment I doled out. Exhaling, a wave of uncontrollable fury pulsed through my veins, my blood pressure skyrocketing.

Within thinking, I raked my arm across my desk, sending everything but the computer monitor to the floor. The second I pounded my fists in the desk, ready to smash my foot down on the electronics, I realized I was no longer alone.

I slowly lifted my head, cognizant of the snarl on my face.

Like a vision of beauty and grace stood Georgia in a stunning emerald-green dress. Her expression was hardened and she immediately grabbed Dillon, pulling his face against her legs to keep him from witnessing my near breakdown.

My chest was heaving, the anger still keeping my pulse skyrocketed.

“You said six-thirty. Here we are,” she stated, the tone of her voice clearly chastising me. “I would appreciate it if you’d keep your violent outbursts to yourself. I don’t need my son subjected to your tantrums.”

If anyone else would have issued those words, I would have ripped them a new asshole, but with her, I backed down out of respect for her position. And her kindness. “Understood.” I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She’d even curled her hair, placing it in a loose bun that allowed both sides of her long, beautiful neck to be exposed.

The few seconds we shared were awkward but not because of my outburst. She had the same heated gaze on her face that I likely had, allowing her eyes to take in the casual attire that was unusual for me to wear.

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