Page 89 of His Reluctant Savior

“Your wife suddenly had some evidence get lost on her case, so she’s having to stay late.” I spread my hands and shrugged. “Sorry, but we couldn’t have her interfering.”

“Security has caught all your faces. You will be discovered,” he insisted.

I smiled. “Well, we kind of took care of that, too. It’s amazing what someone with hacking talents can do. It’s just you and us.”

Dalton stepped out from behind me with his hands clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white. “You… You ruined my life! I came to you for help and to fight injustice. So what do you do? You betray one of your own for greed and power. Were you there? Were you at the party? Did you know Rush killed that girl that night?”

“The ineptitude. How does a little analyst like you get away from hired thugs?”

I raised my hand. “Yeah, I would be one of those thugs. You see, we were hired, but Dalton and I go way back. But let’s talk ineptitude, shall we? You sent too many people after him—toomany people with knowledge. And car chases, my man? Seriously? This right here, at this moment, was only a matter of time.”

“God,pleaselet me gut him,” Sully said, smiling smugly at the man’s flash of fear, staring at Sully’s twirling knife again.

Mardsen looked between Dalton and me. “It doesn’t matter. There are people who have the means to keep us protected. Money rules the day in the end, whether you like it or not.”

“You mean, means like billionaires Mercer and Patel? I hate to break it to you, but as we speak, they are currently being ruined from within. Mercer suddenly had a financial crisis and lost everything. Patel… Well, let’s just say that everyone will soon learn he likes to diddle little girls, using his social media platform to find his victims. It doesn’t matter if it’s true or not. They’re both finished.”

Mardsen tried to stand before Sully shoved him back down and pressed his sharp blade to his throat, careful not to cut him.

His eyes turned pleading as he looked at Dalton. “Reed, look… you were just collateral damage. You shouldn’t have been sent that footage.”

“Collateral damage?! Fuck my life! You put my son’s life at risk, asshole! You’re a piece of shit, pathetic, small-dicked, money-grabbing… fuckhead!”

I chuckled. “Well said, babe.”

He looked at the three of us. “So, what is this? Do you want money? Power? I can give it to you.”

“What do you think, Boy Scout?” I asked, toying with Mardsen, already knowing the answer.

The slight man sat up taller. “Yes, whatever you want. I’m sorry we hunted you. But… It’s over now. You can be wealthy. Your son can go to any school of your choosing.”

Dalton rested his hands on the desk and leaned into Mardsen’s face. “You can’t buy me. A young girl was trafficked, raped, and murdered. A young girl seeking a better life than what she had. She came here for safety, and all she found were people who hated her and wanted her dead. People like you and Rushdisgustme. No, you can’t buy me. The only way to appease me after all of this is death.”

His eyes were suddenly panic-stricken. “Wait, what? No, no, no…” Then his eyes pinged to Sully’s knife. “We can talk about this. Surely there’s something you want or need. Tell me!”

I moved Dalton out of the way and sat on the other end of the desk. “Here’s how it’s going to go,Wesley… Your choices are how you kill yourself—and trust me, you’ll want to. Because in a few hours, all the evidence we have compiled on you, Speaker Rush, Congressman Fines, your two billionaire friends, and your FBI buddy Derrick Meckes will be sent to journalists across several news organizations. They will know the extent of Rubi Salazar’s death, your sex trafficking ring, the murder of Evelyn Vega, and the hiring of several organized crime syndicates to take out Dalton Reed and his five-year-old son. It’s pretty damning, don’t you think?”

Sully leaned in and grinned at the man, which I knew could be terrifying for those who didn’t know him. “Or I could just pop in my music and take my time peeling off your flesh. It wouldn’t be the first time. No one would know. Besides, this game is getting boring and annoying. Ireallywant to have some fun with you. I’d start small,” he explained, dragging his knife gently across the man’s cheek, careful not to cut him. “Then, I would work my way down to your arms and legs. Next, I would work on yourstomach. The stomachreallyhurts. That’s usually when men start screaming. I’ve kept my pets alive for long periods as they suffer. Nothing’s more fun for me.”

And that was the main reason I’d brought Sully with us. Mardsen visibly shuddered and started sweating. A bead of water trailed down his face from his temple.

“Or you can end things quickly by your own hand. Either way, you’re going to die tonight.”

The man suddenly burst into tears, begging and pleading. Sully’s eyes rolled as he shoved his earbuds into his ears, getting ready for business. “Big baby. You’ve been given choices. That’s more than what Rubi got,” he said, surprising me.

Sully stood, tucked a hand under the man’s arm, and lifted him to stand.

“What’s it going to be?” I asked.

He sobbed again, looking at us with leaking and begging eyes. “Please.”

“Choose!” Dalton yelled, losing his patience.

“D-drugs…”

I nodded. “Do you have any?”

“A-Ambien… A new prescription.”

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