Page 52 of R for Rough

Ryan and I exchanged a look, and then we backed off. Madigan could keep working on getting clues from Abel, and I was?—

“Just scream when you’re in pain, Abel,” Kit urged. “Don’t use words. Just scream and shout!”

“Or insult them!” Angel chimed in.

I kept my smirk to myself and immediately went over to Tracy. The only brat who hadn’t spoken a word to Abel during his little moment in the spotlight.

At the same time, Jameson went over to Justin, and Colt went to Kit.

I used the same grip on Tracy that I’d used on Abel, and I got real close, so our noses almost touched.

“You know what I find interesting?” I whispered. “You didn’t coach your little buddy into staying quiet.”

He glared at me and said nothing.

“Would it make you feel bad, maybe?” I eased my fingers higher up so I could squeeze his jaw. The spikes that littered the surface of the glove dug into his skin. “Because you know what I think? I think you know something, and you don’t want Abel to suffer for knowledge you sit on.”

“You don’t knowshit,” he whispered back.

Except, I did. He wasn’t as unaffected as he pretended to be. Fear flickered in his eyes—fear and nervousness—despite that he put on a decent show. My boy was strong-willed and resistant.

I took a step back and slowly removed the glove.

He traced every movement and licked his lips, something I’d picked up as a nervous trait. He did it at work sometimes when he was overwhelmed.

Without a hint of a warning, I backhanded him across the face, and he cried out as his head whipped sideways.

“You have information that you’re gonna give me.” I grabbed him in another chokehold, sans glove, and used my free hand to cup his crotch.

He sucked in a sharp breath, eyes going wide, and he spluttered. “Fuck you—I don’t know anything!”

“Lies,” I growled. “Where’s the fucking key?”

He screwed his eyes shut and tried to shake his head.

Colt nudged me, and he nodded toward the firepit.

Got it.

I didn’t say anything to Tracy. I just left his side, and all the Tops reconvened by the fire.

We huddled close so the brats couldn’t hear.

“Angel and Abel don’t have any info,” Ryan said quietly.

“And I can’t push Abel any harder,” Madigan added. “I’m gonna call it and take him home in a few. He’s approaching his limit.”

I threw a glance over there, and sure enough, Abel was about to crack. He had tears rolling down his face, and he was trembling a lot.

It gave me an idea. “If you leave, we can tell the brats you’re gonna beat a confession out of him. Because Tracy is definitely on my short list of suspects, and I think he might crack if someone else suffers in his stead.”

“I was just gonna say,” Colt said with a nod. “I have doubts about my boy. I don’t think he has the key, and I’ll know for sure if he realizes Abel’s gonna take a beatin’. Kit will feel too guilty if he knows somethin’.”

Perfect. We turned to Jameson next.

He let out a chuckle and rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’tthinkJustin knows anything…? But man, he’s a tough nut to crack. We don’t usually play on this level either. We’re more about the rough games than the mindfucking.”

Fair enough. Besides, he did have his work cut out with Justin.

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