Page 94 of Outcast

"How did it go in there?" I asked.

Pulling her shoulders back, she glared daggers at Kurt. "It went about as well as expected. About half the men were enraged that someone tried to kill Esteban. The other half believe Rob was working on his own."

The weight of her gaze sliced into me.

"I think you and I both know there are too many coincidences." I stepped back to stand next to Esteban. He glanced at me. I wouldn't call his expression friendly, but it was missing the hate he'd been carrying. I'd take it.

He nodded in solidarity and I returned it.

Ricco huffed, but Joel stepped forward.

"What about these two?" I stared at Ricco and Joel as Rita glanced at them. "Can they be trusted?" I took a half step toward her.

"What do you mean, can I be trusted?" Ricco boomed. He pointed a beefy finger at me. "I have supported you from the very beginning. Do you think that I would do something to jeopardize the Dirty Dogs?"

"The one thing I know right now, Ricco, is that Rita isn't safe and we’re not going to trust anyone until she is," Esteban said as he puffed up his chest. The way he squared off with Ricco and Joel, he craved to shield Rita with his body. It was written all over his face, but he remained behind her.

Rita still hadn't answered, and when I dropped my gaze back to her, she still watched Joel and Ricco.

"They can stay," was all she said.

Joel and Ricco weren't happy with that answer, but they didn't argue.

Then she walked close to Kurt. His breathing turned ragged as he held her gaze.

"Strange seeing you here in this situation." She tapped her finger on her bottom lip. Her gaze slid over to the tables that lined the wall. The inside was like any other shed with all the tools hanging up or set out that one might find in any gardener's arsenal. "You were one ofPapá'sbiggest thorns in his side. So, I'm not surprised after all."

"I'm not a rat, Rita." He tried to convince her as he tugged on his arms. The chain holding him up rattled.

Rita walked over to the table and picked up a set of pliers. Slapping them against her palm rhythmically, she returned to Kurt. "You're not the rat?" she asked.

"Hell no," he said, puffing out his cheeks.

"Convince me."

I raised my brows. I hadn't realized Javier had let her in on the interrogations. I’d been in a few myself, for men that never left breathing, but Rita had never joined us.

Yet, she was solid and steady. She didn't even seem to twitch at the thought of hurting him. Although, she did always have a mean streak.

His eyes widened and he glanced around from person to person. Whatever was going through his head, he was panicking.

Rita slapped the pliers on her palm one more time then reached out and clamped it on his nipple.

"Ah!" he screamed as she twisted so hard his skin seemed to tear. I winced. My father had been ruthless and sadistic, but I never saw him go for the nipples.

She stopped twisting but still held his nipple clamped in the pliers. "Why did you run?"

He made gasping noises but words never formed.

"Your balls are going to be next. Those will burst like sad little grapes. I'd answer if I were you."

Joel held his stomach, a little green in the face as Ricco stared at the wall. Esteban watched Rita with a fucking hard on.

All right, the kid was growing on me. It helped that he wasn't trying to drive me out of town anymore. Or toss me over a cliff.

I grinned. Esteban caught me looking at him and he raised his brows in question. I shrugged.

It had been long enough that I could joke about my death now, if only to myself.

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