Page 75 of Bozo

Étienne glares at me, blood trickling from his split lip. "I'm not telling you shit."

I smile but there's no warmth in it. "Oh, I think you will. See, we've got all night, and I've got a lot of frustration to work out." Ipull out my knife, letting the blade catch the light. "And trust me, by the time I'm done with you, you'll be begging to talk."

Étienne's eyes widen slightly, but he tries to maintain his bravado. "You don't scare me. You have no idea who you're dealing with."

I lean in close, my voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "No, you don't know who you're dealing with. You fucked with the wrong woman, and now you're going to pay for it."

I stand up, nodding to Maverick and Emmanuel. "Tie him up. Make sure it's tight."

As they secure Étienne to a chair, I turn to Preacher and Raptor. "Are you boys ready for a long night?"

They both nod, and Raptor grins maniacally. “This is what we do, brother. We don’t let anyone harm what’s ours.”

I turn back to Étienne, who's now securely bound to the chair. His eyes dart between us, a hint of fear finally breaking through his tough facade.

"Last chance," I growl, leaning in close. "Tell us what we want to know, and maybe we'll go easy on you."

Étienne spits in my face. "Fuck you and your whore."

Red clouds my vision. Before I can stop myself, my fist connects with his face again, and again. I feel bone crunch under my knuckles, but I don't care. All I can think about is Gráinne, terrified and hurt because of this piece of shit.

"Bozo," Preacher's voice cuts through the haze of rage. "Easy, brother. We need him conscious."

I step back, breathing hard. Étienne's face is a bloody mess, but he's still conscious, glaring at me through swollen eyes.

"Now," I say, wiping blood off my knuckles. "Let's try this again. What does Dragomir want with Gráinne?"

Étienne stays silent, but I can see the fear in his eyes now. Good. He's starting to understand the situation he's in.

Raptor steps forward, a wicked grin on his face. "My turn," he says, pulling out a set of pliers. "You know, I've always wondered how many teeth a man can lose before he starts talking."

Étienne stares at him with blank eyes. Raptor doesn’t care. He holds the pliers, something he brought along with him—in his to-go bag, as Preacher calls it, and it contains every fucking weapon you could ever imagine—and grabs Étienne’s hair. He pulls it backward, jerking his head back.

Raptor’s whistle fills the air as he yanks out Étienne’s front tooth. He doesn’t stop there. Tooth after tooth he pulls from the Frenchman’s mouth. It’s something akin to a horror scene. Raptor’s face is covered in blood splatter and his grin is satanic.

"Wait," Étienne gasps as Raptor goes to pull yet another tooth. "Wait, I'll talk."

I hold up a hand, stopping Raptor. "We're listening."

Étienne takes a shuddering breath. "Dragomir... he's paranoid. The girl overheard something at the hospital. Something about a shipment coming in."

"What kind of shipment?" I demand.

"Women and children," Étienne snarls. "Big shipment. Coming in through Dublin port next week. It's supposed to be The Revenant's foothold in Western Europe."

I exchange a look with Preacher. This is big. Bigger than we thought. Fucking animals are trafficking not only women but children. Cunts.

"And Gráinne?" I ask, my voice dangerously low. "What were your orders regarding her?"

Étienne hesitates, and I can see the fear in his eyes grow. "We were supposed to bring her in. For questioning."

"Bullshit," I snarl, grabbing him by the throat. "You were going to kill her, weren't you?"

Étienne struggles to breathe, his eyes bulging. I loosen my grip slightly, allowing him to speak.

"Yes," he gasps. "Dragomir doesn't leave loose ends. She overheard us. She needed to be stopped."

I release him, stepping back. My whole body is shaking with rage. She didn’t fucking hear that. She has no idea what these motherfucking animals have planned. "Where's Dragomir now?"

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