Page 80 of My Best Friend's Dad

The intruder struggled for a moment longer before going still. Tony kept him pinned, glancing up at me just as I reached them.

“We need to find out who sent this guy,” he said, breathing heavily.

I nodded, adrenaline still coursing through my veins. I fisted my hands at my sides and glared down at the man pinned on the ground.

“Let’s get him inside. We need answers. Now.”

Tony hauled the intruder to his feet, keeping a tight grip on him as we made our way back to the house.

This man was going to talk, whether he wanted to or not. Tony and I would make sure of it.

We reached the basement and tied the intruder to a sturdy chair in the center of the room. I stepped forward, leaning in close and getting my first good look at the culprit’s face.

The man had a lean, wiry build. His dark hair was just long enough to reach his shoulders. His face had a youthful appearance, and I guessed he was no more than twenty-five. Despite the dire situation, a smirk played on his lips, as if daring us to break his silence.

Fucking cocky bastard.

“Who sent you?” I demanded, my voice low and dangerous.

The intruder sneered, refusing to answer. Tony didn’t hesitate for even a second; he delivered a sharp punch to the man’s gut, causing him to gasp for breath.

“Answer him,” Tony growled, his eyes blazing with intensity.

The man spat blood onto the floor, his defiance still clear. We were going to have to step it up a notch if we wanted answers.

“I’m not telling you anything,” he replied curtly.

I felt a surge of frustration and anger, but I kept my cool, instead reacting with the kind of smooth calmness that had terrified many men in the past when I was back in the mob.

“You will talk,” I said, pulling a knife from my pocket and flicking it open. “Or I’ll gut you like a fish, filet you open, and pull out your guts inch by inch until you scream for mercy and tell me what I want to hear anyway.”

The man’s eyes widened slightly, but he still said nothing. Tony grabbed his hair, yanking his head back, and delivered another brutal punch to his face. Blood spattered, and the man groaned in pain.

“Who sent you?” I repeated, my patience wearing thin.

The intruder laughed weakly, blood dripping from his nose down to his mouth.

“You think I’m scared of you?” he spat, his voice starting to waver just a little bit.

We were finally getting somewhere.

Good.

I pressed the knife to his throat, feeling the tension in his body. His breath caught and I smirked, knowing it was only a matter of time.

“You should be,” I hissed. “Talk, or this will get a lot worse.”

He struggled against the bindings, but Tony held him firmly.

“You don’t scare me,” the intruder said, his voice shaking slightly.

Tony smirked, delivering another punch to the man’s ribs. Honestly, he probably should have hit him a little harder.

I would have.

“Maybe not, but pain has a way of loosening tongues,” Tony grinned. He was enjoying this. That much was clear.

The man gasped, his defiance finally beginning to waver. I could see the fear creeping into his eyes. I leaned in closer, the knife still pressed against his skin.

---