Page 11 of Twisted Obsession

He flinches but says nothing. His eyes dart between Mika and me, but he’s not looking nearly worried enough.

"Last chance," I growl. "Tell us everything, or things are going to get very unpleasant for you."

He presses his lips together, which means I guess we’re playing hardball—literally. So I swing the bat and hit him—hard—in his family jewels. He doubles over, a high-pitched wail making the rest of us wince in associated pain.

When he subsides, I allow him to slide to the floor, where he pants and curls into a fetal position. “Next, I’m going to ream your ass with this unless you tell me what I want to hear,” I tell him, flipping the bat into the air and catching it.

I think maybe I’ve made my point, and he believes me this time, since he wheezes what may—or may not—have been a word, but nods his head.

Since I’m not a monster, I allow him a few minutes to regain his equilibrium, and during that time, I take a knife and cut the ropes binding Kaiden, gesturing for him to get up off the chair. He’s aligned himself with us now, and anything he reveals to Vito about what occurred here, will likely go worse for him than keeping his mouth shut. Kaiden’s not stupid, and I do believe he hates the Viper as much as he claims. We need to show our own faith by trusting him.

I haul Tommaso off the floor and dump him into the empty seat, accompanied by a renewed scream of pain as his tender parts hit the solid wood.

“Now, I repeat, why did Vito target the Irish Mob?” I remind him. Just in case he’s forgotten.

Tommaso’s voice is thin and strained. “He wanted to send them a message.”

Since he doesn’t expand, I take my knife and signal Kaiden to hold Tommaso still while I proceed to slice one of his fingers off. “Next time, it’ll be your fucking cock,” I tell him, burying the blade into his groin. Clearly, far too close for comfort, because his next words are no more than a squeak. “They refuse to allow him access to their docks.”

“I’ve never had that issue with the Maguires,” Mika interrupts. “So, what is my uncle smuggling that has them denying him access?”

Tommaso stalls, his eyes darting everywhere but Mika, so I swing the bat back again. “It’s girls!” Tommaso shrieks, holding up his hands to ward off another blow.

Not that it matters. A moment later, a furious Mika, who has serious issues with the skin trade, pulls out his gun and shoots the doomed man right between the eyes.

Chapter

Six

ROISIN

The sound of keys jangling in the lock has me scrambling to squeeze myself into the corner of the bed, my heart racing as the Viper comes sauntering into the room once again.

The look in his eyes makes my skin crawl, and I have a really bad feeling about this. Dominic may have saved me last time, but he’s been gone for what must be hours now, even though I have no way of telling the time in this cell-like room.

The door closes ominously behind Vito Rossi, his goons staying on the other side. Not something that fills me with any reassurance. I know it’s ridiculous, because it really isn’t true, but somehow it still felt like there was safety in numbers. Even if it was just the vague hope that someone might object to whatever it is the Viper has planned for me. Because I sure as hell know there’s something.

He shrugs out of his jacket, making a show of folding it carefully, and my gut screams at me. “Well now, it looks like it’s just youand me, finally,” he says like we’re having a normal conversation even though there’s nothing remotely normal about what’s happening here. “This time, short of a catastrophe, I’ve made sure we won’t be interrupted, and as luck would have it, my meddling nephew is not here to change that.”

I press myself harder against the wall, wishing I could somehow melt into it and disappear. The Viper's eyes roam over me hungrily as he loosens his tie, his movements deliberate and unhurried.

"Please," I whisper, hating how weak and frightened I sound. "You don't have to do this."

He chuckles, a low, menacing sound that sends shivers down my spine. "Oh, I know I don’t have to. I justwantto. Ialwaysget what I want. And right now, that’s you."

As he takes a step towards the bed, I frantically search the room for anything I might use as a weapon. But there's nothing–they've made sure of that. My fingers curl into fists, nails digging into my palms. If he thinks I'm going down without a fight, he's got another thing coming.

The Viper reaches over to grab my ankle, but I kick out hard, catching him in the chest. He stumbles back, surprise flashing across his face before it's replaced by cold fury.

"You’ll pay for that," he snarls, lunging for me again. “But luckily for you, my second favorite thing is subduing little bitches who are too big for their britches. I’m gonna love hearing you scream.”

I roll off the bed and dodge to the side, but I’m hampered by the size of the room. It’s not like there’s anywhere to go.

I strike out again, my fist connecting with his jaw with a satisfying crunch. He groans, clutching his face as he backs up a step. Pain radiates up my arm, but I still feel the victory, even though it’s small and not nearly enough. The thrill of the hit fades as he shakes off the shock, grinning at me through a bloody mouth.

"You've got spirit, I'll give you that," he spits out, his voice lined with amusement and menace. “It’s just gonna make this all the more fun. There’s nothing quite like fucking a tight little cunt while she’s fighting like a wildcat."

He lunges again, and this time, I'm not quick enough to evade him. He tackles me onto the bed, his weight pinning me down as I frantically struggle beneath him. His fingers wrap around my throat, squeezing tightly as I claw desperately at him while his free hand tears at my clothes.

---