Page 118 of Sweet Little Spies

Huisman’s eyes narrowed and his voice went low, so lowTristan could barely hear him.“Tu m'emmèneras vers elle où tu mourras. Lereste n’a pas d’importance.”

“They’re important to me,” Zach replied.

Since fucking when did Zach speak French?

Huisman got in close, proving he wasn’t afraid of the manwho had at least fifty pounds of muscle on him. “Then you’ll go quietly. I’mhaving you escorted to a remote site. My business with you is different than mybusiness with the Taggarts. You might survive if you give me what I want. Ifyou don’t want to go quietly, I can kill these two right now. As I said,they’re of no true importance. I have my Taggart daughter, and I intend to havesuch fun with her.”

“I’m going to kill you,” Zach said quietly.

Huisman patted his cheek, a condescending gesture. “I’m sureyou’ll try. Are you going quietly or shall I start killing them now?”

Zach’s hands came up, and he threaded his fingers togetherbehind his head, the action his reply. He stared stoically ahead as one of theguards brought down first his right and then his left hand behind his back,snapping cuffs on his wrists.

Whatever Zach had done, he wasn’t giving them up and hecould have. Zach likely could have fought his way out or at least tried, but hehadn’t.

Because he wasn’t willing to put them in danger.

“We’ll come for you, brother,” Tristan called out as theyled him away.

Zach’s head turned. “Tell Devi…fuck…tell her I’m so fuckingsorry. And Coop…just tell them all I’m sorry.”

They carted Zach off, and he was left with Huisman.

“Now we can have fun,” Huisman said, clapping his hands. “Ihave some excellent wine. Let’s sit down, you and I, and discuss your boss. Butfirst, would you like a tour?”

This man was insane. “Sure. Why not?”

“This is the house I lived in when I was young,” Huismanannounced. “You’re standing right about where my father died. Our lovely doctoris sitting where Rebecca Walsh was sitting. My father hated her. Women in theworkplace. They fuck everything up. That’s where we went wrong, you know. Wegave up our biological roles in favor of this equality nonsense.”

He was down to two guards. Huisman had split his troops.There had been five, and one was dead on the floor and still had his gun in hisholster. Huisman held the one he’d killed the man with, so the guard he’d takenit from was down a firearm. Not that the men left weren’t loaded up, but itcould be the second or two difference he needed.

If he could figure out how to get Carys out of those fuckingrestraints.

Would she think to try to break the chair? It’s what hewould do. Would she react quickly enough?

“Fuck them women,” Tristan said drolly. “Get back in thekitchen. That’s what I always say.”

“Somehow I think you don’t,” Huisman countered. “But thenyour mother wasn’t a whore. I actually admire her. She managed to make anenormous amount of money and didn’t have to leave her children behind.”

“Your mother didn’t leave you. She divorced your father.” Heknew a little about Huisman, too. “At least that’s what you wrote in yourbiography.”

He would do or say anything to put off the moment whenHuisman eventually decided to go for blood.

“I wrote what people want to hear. They like a pathetic manwho allows the world to walk all over him. Kindness. It’s weakness. My fathertried to teach me, and when he was taken too early, my grandfather took over myeducation. He never allowed me to forget what had been taken from me and whatis owed to me by the man who started it all.”

“He blames the Taggarts for everything,” Carys said. “It’swhy he’s got her upstairs. He gave her a paralytic and some kind of medicine…He’s torturing her, Tris.”

“Like her father tortured me,” Huisman replied.

“No, not like that,” Carys argued.

Huisman nodded, and suddenly the guards were on either sideof Tristan.

Damn it. He knew what was coming. He knew it before Huismanset his gun down and picked up the straight cutter.

“Don’t,” Tristan shouted, fighting the hold he was in.

Huisman held it up, showing everyone how it would work. “Ithink your bitch needs to know to obey when I tell her to keep her mouth shut.Shall we start with your pinkie finger? I can take them off one at a time.”

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