Page 80 of Property of the Hellfire Riders

Dammit. Damn them. There’s more too. We see that now.

At the meeting most of them were on edge, but when Hawk announced he knew there was a mole among us, it didn’t take long for the truth to work its way out. Mace made it known he wanted to remove Hawk as our president. He tried to make it be a game of politics, but it was all a ruse. It was bull shit. Gunner dipped while Mace distracted us, and there’s a minor rebellionon our hands, but more importantly, Gunner has Izzy. He took her from us.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he spits, trying to sound tough, but his voice wavers.

I lean in closer, my face inches from his.

Hawk is our president. He leads us, and Tank keeps shit running. He enforces the law, but me—I have another role entirely. I do what the other’s can’t handle.

I deal in blood and bone, and tonight Mace is going to talk or he’s going to beg for death.

“You know exactly what I’m talking about. You helped Gunnar, didn’t you? You helped him take her, and I want to know where the fuck you’ve got her.”

Anger boils in my veins, white-hot and pulsing with a desire to hurt him.

“Look at you. Such a little bitch. All three of you are fighting for some slut,” he hisses. Big mistake.

I exhale, leaning backwards.

I don’t have time for this. Every second counts, and Izzy’s out there somewhere, in danger. I step behind Mace, placing my hands on his shoulders, feeling him tense under my grip.

He’s trying to bait me. It won’t work. Not this time.

“I’ll ask you one more time, Mace. Where is she?” I ask, my voice even, cold as the steel I’m holding in my hand. He squirms against his restraints.“I won’t ask again.”

“Fuck you!” he spits.

I sigh, frustrated. He’s either scared or stupid.

“Okay, Mace. If that’s how you want to be.” I draw my pocket knife, flicking it open. The steal catches the single light bulb hanging overhead.

His eyes widen when he sees the blade, and a small whimper escapes his lips.

I lean in close to his ear, my voice no more than a whisper. “You know I’ll do it. You know that I won’t hesitate to end you right now.”

His teeth grind together. That was his last cue to walk out of here unscathed.

I press the blade against his left hand, tracing a line across his palm before digging in.

“—Agh!” he screams, thrashing against his restraints.

“Shh. We’re trying to have a conversation, Mace.” I say, pressing the knife deeper.

“You’re fucking insane!” he cries out.

“Insane? I’m not the one who kidnapped an innocent woman.”

I press the blade harder into his flesh, drawing a line from his palm to his wrist. Mace thrashes more, attempting to break free of his restraints.

“She’s a fucking cop!” he yelps.

“I’ll ask you one more time. Where is she?” I keep my voice ice cold, though inside I’m an inferno, waiting to burn this whole forest to the ground to find Izzy.

I withdraw the blade, pressing it to the soft flesh of his neck. Red wine blood trickles down his neck where the knife begins to bite his skin.

“Talk or I’ll cut your vocal cords next.”

“Alright! Alright! Fuck!”

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