Page 191 of Hold Me Until Morning

“Yes, I know exactly who you are.” Cody grunted it at the man’s ear, and he wrenched his arm back farther until he let go of a howl of pain. “A good friend of yours sent me.”

A cold chill rolled through the man, like he was just then catching on that this wasn’t some kind of robbery. This was about what he owed.

“You didn’t think you could just ignore his calls, did you?” Cody warned it, cool and low.

Fear radiated from the asshole who winced in his hold, dude about to piss his pants as he floundered all over his words. “I…I already talked to him. We came to a deal. Just ask him.”

“Ah, see, I know you’re lying because I just talked with him this morning, and he told me you didn’t keep your end of the deal. You were to have fifty g’s in his pocket by last night. He already let that day go by once. It’s not going to happen again.”

“I…I…please, I’ll get it, just…don’t hurt me.” Guilt constricted Cody’s body as the man spluttered all over the place.

Begging.

Pleading with Cody not to be the monster he was paid to be.

Cody forced him down onto his knees.

Bile rolled his throat as he leaned down to issue the vitriol to the back of the man’s head. “You don’t have it by midnight tonight, things are going to get ugly. I’d suggest you take this as a friendly warning because you aren’t going to get another.”

Cody nearly gagged when he clocked the guy on the side of the head, sending him slumping forward, knocking him clean out. The punch was softer than the one that he could have delivered, though. Softer than the one he was supposed to.

He fucking prayed the message would be enough. That this fucking idiot would come through. This guy who had three little kids at home and a wife who probably had no clue her husband was bartering away his life. Putting them all in danger.

Because it was becoming clear what Brent was capable of, and Cody was hoping to God that it wouldn’t come to that.

The only thing he did know as he strode back for his truck, hopped in, and peeled out from behind the building and onto the road was that he was done. This was the last job he was going to do. He had enough to pay off his mother’s debt, and he sure as fuck wasn’t in this to get greedy.

He’d done his duty.

For his mother.

For his sisters.

To his father.

Now, he had to get out of this before it completely warped who he was. Before the demons that had already slithered their way into his soul weaved themselves any deeper. Before the shame grew to something he couldn’t stand beneath.

Because those scars were already there, marking his insides, the depravity that he’d risen to.

No more.

No more.

Because being this monster was someone he refused to be.

He felt the presence crawl over him from behind. Not the bright, shining one he’d come to crave. Not those blue eyes that washed him in warmth and that sweet smile that knitted his heart in comfort.

Nah.

This one was malignant.

Corrupt.

“You did good. Payment came in as expected,” Brent said, as casual as could be, as if he were commending Cody for finishing the fence rather than having threatened and assaulted.

Rather than having incited discord and fear.

Disgust prickled the fine hairs at the base of Cody’s neck, and he ground his teeth as he drove the hammer harder against the nail, fitting the railing to the support pole as he struggled to rein in the shame and dread that gathered like devastation in his being.

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