Page 156 of Riordan's Revenge

His focus flew to someone behind me, Arran, I guessed. “No. You know I respected Alisha. I would never have hurt her like that.”

Oh, fuck this guy. “Yet ye were willing to throw me to the wolves.” I peered over my shoulder. “Anyone got any more questions?”

The lack of responses was enough.

I twisted back to Lonnie. “It’s one thing ye double-crossing the skeleton crew, but it’s another thing entirely crossing me. I don’t forgive and I don’t forget. What do ye think Red would have done with me?”

His lips worked soundlessly. He paled further.

“Ransomed me back to Arran? Sold me off? Or maybe passed me around for his gang to have a go at?”

“You’d have got out eventually,” he blabbered.

Anger swarmed me. He’d happily given me over to be raped just so he could get his dick wet.

“I think different. Red was there to appoint a second-in-command. From that person, he’d need a binding gesture.”

Lonnie’s attempts to interrupt faded. He trembled.

“Red would have killed me,” I informed him. “Which meant ye walked me straight into a death sentence. So I really need to stop fucking around.”

Raising the knife, I plunged it into his chest, putting all my power behind it to pierce where it needed to go. People assumed the rib cage would protect the chest, but those suckers cracked like twigs under the right pressure. Lonnie gave an anguished scream, and I freed the blade with my boot to his torso and landed in another hit.

“Angle it deeper then slice up. Don’t saw.” Shade quietly guided my hand.

My next hit sank further in, delivering the killing blow.

Lonnie’s howls turned to a gurgle. I wiped the blade on his shirt and stepped back, watching the life fade from him.

I couldn’t let him live. Not only because of what he’d done to me, but for the fact that he was now an enemy to the skeleton crew. He’d grieve Moniqua and want revenge. Lonnie had signed his own death warrant.

When his body slumped, I breathed a sigh. “Well, that was an underwhelming first kill. He didn’t even put up a fight.”

“Is anyone else scared?” Shade quipped behind me.

“Ridiculously turned on,” Riordan grouched.

My brothers made sounds of disgust.

I moved straight into Riordan’s arms so he could hold me close, careful to keep my bloodied hand away so I didn’t stain him. That didn’t stop us needing each other close. I hadn’t voiced my fear over my kidnap until now, but I could sense it had shaken him up, too.

To the tune of Arran arranging clear-up with Manny and bitching about my ruining his office floor, I let Riordan lead me away.

Back upstairs, Everly had brought food down from her apartment, and I washed the blood from my skin then fell on the pizza slices, suddenly ravenous.

Between bites, I thanked her. “I can’t remember the last thing I ate.”

“I figured. Riordan, you need to eat as well.”

She indicated from her brother to the food.

A small smile curved his lips. “Best sister award goes to you, Ev.”

Genevieve scrunched up a piece of paper and tossed it at him. “Hey, my dad died tonight, useless idiot that he was. You have to be nice to me.”

His lips twitched. “My leather jacket still has holes in it from you stealing, I mean borrowing it. Just saying.”

She growled and threw something harder. Then she closed her eyes and released a sob. Riordan hugged her and ruffled her hair. She batted him away and swiped at the tears, regaining her control as fast as she’d lost it while her brother joined me in devouring the pizza.

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