Page 71 of Bloom: Part 2

“Is this some kind of joke?”

I sank the knife into his neck hard enough to cut into his skin. “If you knew anything about me, you’d know I don’t take anything to do with Logan lightly. Take your fucking belt off and loop it around your wrists.”

He slowly undid his belt. A quick glance of the room revealed a laptop sat on the small, unmade bed. Papers were strewn across the bedside table—some of them seemed to be official documents, bearing colorful stamps and heavy with text, while others were covered in scribbled notes.

The man drove hard into me, shoving me back. I gritted my teeth against the pain in my chest.

Fuck, Logan’s gonna kill me if I reopen the wound.

I released him and dodged to avoid him pressing me into the wall. The man, now free from my grip, darted toward the suitcase. I jumped onto the bed and leaped, tackling him at the waist, throwing all my weight forward. We crashed into the small dresser, rattling the whiskey glass and lamp. He grunted, twisting to push me off, but I clung to him, sliding my knife between his ribs.

He cried out, stumbling back as the blade sliced into him, blood darkening his shirt. With a growl, he spun and lashed out. His fist connected with my shoulder, sending a jolt of pain down my arm. I staggered, but instinct took over. Crowe hadn’t taught me how to defend myself to be easily beaten up by someone. Even if he was bigger than me. I ducked under his next swing, rolled behind him, and plunged the knife into the back of his knee, forcing him off-balance.

“Son of a bitch,” he hissed, falling to one knee. The fact that he didn’t cry out for help told me everything I needed to know. He wasn’t an innocent man. If anyone else came, they risked exposing him, which he didn’t want.

His hand shot out, grabbed my leg, and yanked me forward. I tumbled down, my knee slamming against the floor. Pain flared,but I couldn’t afford to stop. I twisted, driving the knife into his side.

“You don’t know who you’re messing with.” He clawed at my arms as I scrambled on top of him. His size gave him leverage, and he almost threw me off, but I shifted my weight, pressing my knee against his wounded side, forcing a pained groan from him.

“You’re right,” I whispered, sliding the knife along his throat, close enough for him to feel the cold steel. “I don’t know who you are, but I know enough.” With a twist, I drove the blade into his shoulder.

The man thrashed, his face twisted in agony. I leaned in close, pressing my forearm across his chest, pinning him down. “Stop moving, or I’ll make this hurt a whole lot worse. This—this is what I thrive on, so give me all the reasons to hurt you, motherfucker. It’ll be my fucking pleasure.”

He stilled, his chest heaving, sweat dotting his brow. I kept the pressure on, feeling the strain in my muscles, but the sight of him immobilized, defeated, was enough to keep me steady. Blood seeped from his shoulder, pooling beneath him.

“Now,” I said, my voice low, “you’re going to tell me exactly what you’re doing here, who you’re working for, and why you’re targeting Logan. And if you lie to me?” I pressed the knife a little deeper. He winced, his face pale.

“Fine,” he gasped. “I can’t tell you who sent me.”

“You will, or I’ll fucking kill you.”

“But he’ll kill my family if I do. I can’t let that happen.”

“What do you know about Logan’s past?”

He swallowed, sweat trickling down his forehead. “If I tell you everything I know, will you spare my life?”

“I’ll think about it.” I pressed the knife farther into his shoulder until a thin line of blood dripped down his arm and tears rolled down his cheeks.

“His real name’s Keegan Agosti.”

Agosti. The Agosti family Grimm’s son worked for? “Is that the Mafia family in New York?”

“Yes, they’re important people, and if I’m dead, you’ll regret it.”

“What do they want with Logan?”

“Thirteen years ago, Keegan Agosti betrayed his family and became an informant for the FBI, which led to his father’s incarceration. He’s been in the witness protection program since.”

“And why are you here?”

“His identity is exposed. I’m here to relocate him to a safe place.”

“You mean hand him over to the people who want him? I heard every word you said on that call earlier. So tell me, who was the person on the other end of the line?”

He shook his head. “I can tell you everything except for that.”

I gritted my teeth. “Tell me!”

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