Page 70 of His Reluctant Savior

He sighed and nodded. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you. But…”

“But what, baby?”

“I don’t want you to witness what I’m capable of. It’s one thing to know what I do. It’s quite different to see what I do and how I do it.”

“It won’t change how I feel about you.”

Sid’s denim eyes looked sad. “It will, but stay if you must.”

I had to steel myself because I knew it would be bad, but I needed to see this man pay. I was fucking sick of running. Sick of being a victim. Sick of not knowing when I was going to die or not. It had to end, and it started with this man. Then, I was going to get my life fucking back and make a fresh start with Sid.

I really didn’t want Dalton to watch me work, but he was fucking insistent. Of course, I understood why he wanted to. I would like to see my revenge play out as well, but this could change our dynamic and not in a good way. Regardless, he left me little choice. This man was going to pay one way or another.

“You trying to get answers out of me is useless,” the man said.

I bent down and picked up his glasses, still on the ground. I cleaned them with my T-shirt before putting them back on his face, needing him to seewhat was coming.

“Oh, we already know who’s funding this operation, who wants Dalton dead, and who’s all involved in covering up the murder of the girl. We also know they killed the woman who’d sent the video to Dalton here. They, no doubt, are also funding a trafficking ring of girls and boys. Men with too much fucking money and power see themselves as gods, immune from prosecution. Sure, some pay the price. Most do not. Even when they do, they’re forgiven or ignored. And people callusmonsters.”

The man scoffed. “As if you’re innocent.”

“I never claimed I was innocent, but I certainly don’t fuck children and murder them… or cover up such things. Those are the kinds of men I enjoy killing. Death is usually just a job for me, but there are times I take great pleasure in it. I’m no saint, and I don’t need forgiveness. I don’t pretend to be something I’m not, unlike them, masquerading as good men. They spend millions on charities to help hide who they really are. In the darkness, they have a hunger to hurt and subjugate others because deep down, they know they are weak.”

The man’s black eyes flashed in fear, blink, and you might miss it, but I didn’t. He knew I was going to make him pay. What I planned to do wasn’t about getting answers. It was about revenge.

I pulled out my phone and dialed the number I had memorized. “Hey, it’s me. We’re going to need a clean-up crew tonight.” I recited the address and hung up.

“I’m not afraid to die,” he hissed.

“Maybe, but you’re afraid of what I’m going to do to you before you gasp your last breath. You can’t hide it from me. I’m incredibly skilled at reading people.”

I glanced at Easton, who stood behind the man, easily forgotten in his silence. “Would you please demonstrate to our new friend here what it feels like to have a tendon in your hand severed?”

Easton didn’t hesitate as he grabbed the man’s hand tied behind his back and dragged his knife slowly over all the tendons in the man’s fingers.

His face turned red as he bit back his scream, sweat glistening on his forehead as he stared me down. Blood quickly pooled around his feet, soaking into the soil and hay scattered around on the ground.

I clasped my hands behind my back and slowly paced back and forth in front of him. “You see, you hurt the man I love, and that’s unforgivable. You also threatened a five-year-old boy—my lover’s son—and drugged him. Then you had to terrify an innocent family. I mean, I get it. You’re just doing your job, and you had no idea the man you harmed belonged to me. But you also understand I cannot let this slide. You would do the same if the roles were reversed.”

“Having loved ones is a liability,” he said.

I nodded. “True, but still, I protect my own with my life. Everyone who crosses paths with me after threatening one of my own will understand the consequences by the time I’m done with them. Their last dying breath will know how far I will go to make them suffer for daring to harm them.”

With a deep breath, I faced Dalton. “I’m begging you to go back with the Duvalls.Please, Boy Scout. I think you’ve seen enough.”

He looked back and forth between me and his assailant before his body sagged. “Fine, but only because I need to sit and see Owen.”

Thank fucking god. “Okay, baby. Go rest and have Savannah take a look at your head and hand since she’s a doctor. I’m sure you have a concussion.”

I wrapped an arm around him and pressed my lips to his for a much-too-short kiss. “Go on now. I love you.”

Dalton walked off and closed the barn doors behind him. Once I felt enough time had passed, I turned to face the man who was going to die a horribly painful death.

“I haven’t taught you how to torture yet, East. It’s not generally in my job description. We leave that up to our favorite psychopath. Are you ready for this?”

Easton gave me a curt nod. “Them threatening someone you love is no different from them threatening you. He will pay.”

“Wait!” the man suddenly said, his voice growing in panic. “You know how this works. How was I supposed to know he had a thing with you? It’s just a fucking job!”

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