Page 50 of The Vicious Defender

"What?"

"This is what happens when you betray me," he snarls, leaning forward and baring his teeth at me like some mad dog. "Be glad I'm not making Tallulah pry it out herself."

"Then who will?" I demand.

He smiles. "Someone who needs to learn how cruel, dark and unforgiving the cartel world really is."

"No," I hiss.

"Oh, yes," he laughs, pulling a knife out of his pocket and flipping the blade open. "Rain, come in."

The door opens and Rain confidently strides inside, wearing a dark red dress and an even darker smirk. "Hello, Xavier."

I glance at my nephew. "She's not trained for this. She'll kill me."

Heath shrugs. "Too fucking bad."

Rain lays a hand on my shoulder and I shrug her off. She just laughs as I glare at her husband.

"Ready for the anesthetic?" Heath asks.

"No," I growl. "Uncuff me first. Let's get this over with."

"Liberato, uncuff him," Heath orders, and his man does as he's told.

"Take off your shirt, Xavier. Wouldn't want it all bloody, would you?" Rain says, and I rip my shirt off and toss it on the ground, not breaking eye contact with my nephew.

"Sit down," Heath orders, and Rain takes her place beside him.

I sit down in the chair. Heath walks behind me, and suddenly his hand is in my hair and his knife is against my throat.

"Listen to me, pendejo," he growls. "You're mine, now. You're going to do exactly as I say. Got it?"

I smirk. "Give me a knife, Heath."

"Why?" he snarls, blade digging into my skin.

"I'll do it," I hiss. "I'll cut it out."

"Fuck no," he growls, letting go of my hair.

He steps back and the needle is plunged into my neck. Everything starts to swim, and my body goes numb.

"Now, Xavier," Heath whispers, his voice a distant echo. "You're going to stay quiet and still. Because if you don't, the next one goes in your eye."

"Fuck you," I growl, but he just laughs and presses the blade against my throat again.

"Ready?"

"No."

"Too bad," he laughs.

"Don't forget what you're here to do," he orders his wife.

"How could I forget?" she asks, her voice a whisper.

The room spins around me, and my eyelids feel heavy.

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