Page 37 of Poisonous Savage

Ashadow fell over her, my towering form blocking out the light.Herbody tensed, instincts screaming danger.Toofuckin' late.

"Sorry, doll,"Iwhispered, though the apology was hollow—a token gesture in a game with no room for remorse.

Herscream pierced the silence asIclamped a hand over her mouth, the other wrapping around her waist, lifting her off the ground with ease.Shefought like hell, nails clawing at my arm, legs kicking.Gottagive her credit for that.

"Quietnow,"Irumbled against her ear. "Wouldn'twant to make this worse than it has to be.I’llkill the neighbors if you wake them."

Idragged her into theJeep, her struggles waning as reality sank in.Thewheels screeched asIpulled out, driving like a manic back to the mansion.Iwas almost giddy.Wewere going to finally find out where that fuck was keeping our woman.

Boundand gagged, she sat on a chair next to his hanging body.Herwide, tear-filled eyes met mine, silent pleas echoing in the void between us.Fora moment, just a moment, a flicker of sympathy sparked within me.Butit died just as quickly.Nothingand nobody mattered more thanRosie.

"Let'ssee if love's stronger than loyalty,"Huntermused, a twisted smirk on his lips.

Anhour later, this greasy little asshole still hadn’t told us where they kept her.So, we were upping the stakes.Thecold steel of the cuffs locked around her delicate wrists, my hands steady as a rock despite the tremors in hers.Iyanked on the chain, securing her to the wall beside the sniveling piece of shit who called himself her husband.Hiseyes widened with fear, the stench of his dread filling the dank cell.Takingthe gag off her mouth, she started to plead with him to just tell us what we wanted to know.Hertear-filled eyes met his bruised ones, andIsmiled.Hewas close.

"Fuck,"Hunterspat, pacing like a caged beast, his shadow looming over the pair. "Youshitting me right now?She'shere, and you're still clamping your mouth shut?"

Theman shook his head; lips mashed together in some misplaced notion of loyalty or maybe just pure stupidity.Couldalmost respect it if it wasn't so damn inconvenient.

"Gotballs,"Igrunted, standing back to size him up. "Ormaybe you're just dumb as fuck."

Hunterstood beside the quivering man, fist cocked back.Theair thickened, heavy with anticipation and the promise of violence.Ikept my eyes on the woman andwatched the terror dance across her features, her body shivering.

"Lastchance,"Huntergrowled, his voice low and dangerous.

Theman's gaze flickered to his wife, then away, sealing his fate.Silencewas his answer, and it echoed louder than any scream.

"Wrongmove,"Imuttered under my breath, feeling the rage bubble insideHunter, ready to burst.Theguy didn't know jack shit about what we were capable of, what lines we'd crossed and never looked back.

Buthe'd learn soon enough.Theyalways did.

Hunter'sfist connected with the man's jaw, a sickening crack splitting the silence.Bloodspurted, painting the grimy walls and landing in his wife’s face.Hersobs were music to my ears.Theman's head snapped back, his body writhing against the constraints.

"Talk,"Huntersnarled.Anotherpunch, knuckles sinking into flesh with a wet thud.

Mygaze shifted to the wife, her eyes wide, frantic.Pleading.Ifelt that familiar itch, the need to bleed her husband out like a stuck pig.Ifonly for putting her through this torment.

"Please," she whispered, the only word she could muster.Atear trailed down her dirt-streaked face, carving a path through sweat and blood.

"Marco."Hunter'snod was all the commandIneeded.

Istepped forward, my shadow swallowing them both.Thering on her finger caught the light—and her husband's attention.Myhand, a vise around her wrist, steady as stone.

"She’sgonna look pretty whenI’mdone with her,"Isaid, my voice a dark rumble from deep within. "IthinkI’llstart with her hands.Youlike baking, right?Well, can’t do that with fucked up fingers."

Theman's eyes shot open, wild, cornered.Buthis lips stayed sealed, defiance etched in every line of his battered face.Dumbbastard.

"Sorry, doll,"Imuttered, not becauseImeant it, but because sometimes you gotta say something when you're about to break a part of someone's world.

Herfinger, delicate, fragile, was no match for my strength.Iapplied pressure, slow, inevitable.Herscreams filled the cell as it bent further and further.Shethrashed, futile, against the ropes binding her.

"Stop, stop!" the man howled, voice raw.Buthe wasn't talking yet, not what we needed to hear.SoIsqueezed harder till the snap echoed off the walls.

"Fuck!"Hiscry was a white flag, but still not enough.

Ileaned in close, my breath hot on his ear, andIcould taste the salt of his fear. "Whereare they keeping her?"

Hiseyes flicked to his wife, her face twisted in agony, tears streaming down as she looked at her gnarly finger.Hisbody heaved, his chest rising and falling with ragged breaths.Thestink of his sweat mingled with the copper tang of blood, thickening the air of the cramped cell.

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