Page 29 of Redemption

Axel

All three of us keepto ourselves the entire way out to the farm, which is fine by me. I need a minute to collect my thoughts and figure out what’s going on. The last time we were here was at night, but every looks the same. Pigs squeal off in the distance as Asher pulls up to the barn and puts the truck into park.

I’m out and at the bed of the truck before he can even take the key out. My fingers are itching to get to the bottom of this shit. I open the tailgate and flash our catch a smirk. “Enjoy the ride?”

He shouts something, but it’s muffled behind the duct tape.

Zane meets me at the bed and helps me to drag the guy to the edge of the tailgate. Asher stands on my other side to join us because hauling this guys ass around is a three person job.

“Where we taking him, Ax?” Asher asks, as he secures the rope binding the guy’s legs in his hands.

My eyes dart around the property when they land on the red barn. An idea forms and today just got a lot more interesting. “To the barn.” He’ll squeal like a stuck pig when we’re through with him.

The sack of shit struggles as we carry him through the door and over to the far corner of the barn. We set him down on his knees under one of the giant hooks that are hanging down from the ceiling.

“We can’t string him up if he’s hog tied.” Zane scratches the side of his beard.

“Just a sec.” I bend down to take a knife out of my boot before I slice through the rope freeing his feet. As soon as he’s loose he drops to his side and kicks his legs out like a wild boar. We jump out of the way in time to avoid being hit, but he takes advantage and rolls away toward the door. Too bad for him we’re quicker.

Zane stops him with his boot and stares down at him like he’s a fly on shit. “Where you going?”

Asher grabs him under his arms while Zane takes up the other side and together they drag him back to me.

“Alright, let’s hang up this fresh slab of pork.” I slap his shoulder and laugh when he trembles under my hands. He should be afraid.

I take his hands and push the hook through the rope until he’s strung up with his feet dangling above the ground. Asher and Zane step back once he’s secure, letting me run the show.

I’d prefer to take my time and use something more creative to torture my answers out of him, but after what we found back at the house the quicker I can get back to Kelsey the better.

My fist slams into the side of his head causing his teeth to knock together. Droplets of blood splatter in my face and onto my t-shirt, but it doesn’t stop me. Feeling his bones crunch underneath my hands is one hell of a rush, one that I plan on riding to the very end. I let all my pent up emotions out on the bastard. Over and over my fists connect with his flesh. My breathing becomes heavy, but I burn with the need for more. the need to make him bleed.

“Ax!” Asher shouts, causing me to pause mid-swing. “We can’t ask him shit if his jaw’s broken.”

“Whoops. I guess you’re right.” I drop my hand and grab a fistful of his blood caked hair, forcing him to look me in the eye. My finger grips the side of the tape and rips it off in one go, taking a good amount of mustache with it. He yells, but it falls on deaf ears. “Care to explain what the fuck is going on? Or do I need to persuade you some more.”

“Finn’s going to have your fucking balls for this.” He spits out a mouthful of blood onto my face.

“Finnegan Donnelly?” Asher tilts his head to the side, something working behind his eyes. I’ll ask him what that’s about later.

Instead of answering, the idiot smiles showing nothing but a mouth full of bloodstained teeth.

“Answer my brother, dickhead.” I send a solid hit to his gut causing him to choke for air. If he were standing he’d be curled in a ball on the floor by now. I wait, but he still doesn’t give, so I deliver a couple more blows. One to the ribs and another one to his side that has him groaning like a little bitch. Kidney shots always are the worst.

Zane and Asher watch me work in silence with cigarettes hanging from their mouths like we’re at a ball game and I guess to our family this is a sport.

“All right! I’ll talk.” He gasps for air and hangs his head.

“Now we’re getting some where. See how easy that was.” I wipe my bloody knuckles on my jeans and wait for him to spill his guts.

“Donnelly, just wants the girl.”

“I’m afraid we’re going to need more info than that to stop us from cutting off your nuts and feeding them to you.”

“We heard what went down in California, so he had us following after you for her own protection. Her dad is in over his head and owes debts he can’t pay. We tried to save her mom, but we were too late.”

“Bullshit.” My fists curl at the images his words cause. I’m going to have to tell Kelsey about her mom and that has a knife digging into my chest. She’s going to blame that on me too.

“I’m telling you the truth. I swear it. Y’all have to believe me.”

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