Page 34 of Tempting Fate

“Anyhow, enough chitchat. I’ve got better places to be.”

Alex doesn’t seem too concerned by my farewell. He relaxes with his back against the headboard, apparently content to watch me work out my escape without an argument. Since Toker has drawn my attention to the shuttered window, I search around the perimeter of the security screen for a switch to raise it. When I can’t find anything useful, the hope that surged within me at the knocking falters.

I’m on the verge of chancing a run at the bedroom door, even though it’s within Alex’s reach, when the lights in the bedroom go out and the shutter lifts of its own volition. Once it’s completely raised, I pull the window up, wave at the man who haunts my nightmares, then climb outside into the dull evening light.

Turning back to Alex, I give him a wave. “Don’t go anywhere. My calvary will be right back to deal with you.”

6

VENOM

When Hugh comes to in the garage at Sander, Cub, and Fret’s house, he immediately tries to free himself from the chain suspending him from the ceiling. It takes him a second to admit defeat, and when he does, the fear that widens his eyes is more than a little enjoyable.

In truth, I’d find it immensely entertaining if I wasn’t short of time.

It’s not every day that I find myself with an excuse to torture one of the Maddison clan.

Especially one as high up in the ranks as Hugh St. James.

“Wakey, wakey, hands off snakey,” Slash singsongs as he slaps Hugh in the face. Discovering that he’s surrounded by Shamrocks, Hugh tries to speak, but my best friend ignores his muted efforts. “We’ve got a couple questions for you.”

“Should probably remove the gag before you start posin’ those questions.” Hunter shakes his head at his older brother. After he rips the grey electrical tape off Hugh’s lips, and pulls the dirty basketball sock we borrowed from Sander’s overflowing hamper out of his mouth, the youngest Hudson boy runs his knife along Hugh’s cheekbone. The skin parts easily, a thin line of blood wells in the blade’s wake. “Now, my brother likes to joke about… he also enjoys toying with his victims. I’m more to the point, especially when someone I love has been abducted, and a way to get her back has unexpectedly presented itself.”

Tension ratchets up at Hunter’s reminder of the stakes in this situation. This isn’t a normal torture scenario. We have time pressures and our hearts are at risk of complete annihilation if we fail. The brick walls of the soundproofed garage act as a barrier, containing our rage, shielding the neighbours from the desire for violence that grows as we individually contemplate the words he left unsaid.

The window to get Lily back is rapidly closing.

As much as I don’t want to think about what Alex could’ve done to her already, I know that things will get worse for her if he’s able to move her to a secondary location.

“There’s no love lost between me and Alex,” Hugh splutters. “He doesn’t take me into his confidence… I can’t help you.”

Narrowing my eyes at the blatant lie, I step forward. Moving in front of me, Cub presses his palm to my chest to halt my advance. Fret, Lily’s middle brother and a current Shamrocks prospect, comes up behind me and grabs a handful of my cut. Our other prospect, Isaiah, hooks his arm through mine. As much as it infuriates me to ignore my need to slaughter this lying motherfucker, I know they’re right.

I clench my fists and force myself to stay where I am.

Once he’s satisfied that I have myself under control, my technology officer leans into me and whispers, “You can’t kill him… not yet anyway, ’cause we need his help… I’ve got the schematics for the house. It’s a fuckin’ fortress. Reinforced everythin’… basically bomb-proof glass, state-of-the-art security, a comprehensive system with a live-feed that’s monitored on site and off. If the plans lodged with council are to be believed, this joint is ready for the Rapture.”

“So what?” Breathing hard, I glare at him. “There’s gotta be a way in… nothin’s completely impenetrable.”

“I can’t find a way that doesn’t put Anna at risk.” Cub shakes his head when I open my mouth to argue the point. His gaze flits to Isaiah and then Fret. Even though Lily’s brother rankles at being kept out of the loop, he remembers his place, and allows Isaiah to lead him away so me and Cub can have our conversation in private. “Shit’s complicated.”

Grinding my teeth, I force myself to exhale before I tell him, “Uncomplicate it, ’cause I’m not leavin’ Lily with him a second longer than I have to.”

“It’s not that simple,” Cub protests.

“Stop dancin’ around the fuckin’ point.”

Anxiety emanates from the normally easy-going redhead as he shoves his tablet in my hands. I scan the screen, reading the text messages he’s opened. They’re obviously from Lily’s phone. When I reach a thread between my woman and her stepmother, I point at the last message.

“What’s this bullshit?”

“That’s a text Charlie sent to Anna this afternoon tellin’ her to head home without an escort.”

“Impossible.”

“I double checked, it’s legit. Charlie’s phone was used to send that message after the Special Response Unit locked down the compound.”

“There’s no way Charlie sent that message. Not at the time it’s saying, anyway.” I scrub my palms over my face, suddenly tired of the never-ending club drama that always seems to blow back on my woman. “She was by my dad’s side from the minute we were raided until me, Slash, and Toker were loaded into the paddy wagon. I saw her with my own eyes. Charlie. Did. Not. Text. Lily.”

---