Page 94 of Break

“What?”

“You heard me. Post it.”

“Why? So, you can take it down like I’m sure you did my other articles?” Tim spits on the ground by my feet. “No, that bitch needs to pay. She cost me my job.”

I clock him in the jaw, sending him tumbling, but Landon’s grip on his arm is strong enough to keep him upright.

“Call her that again and I’ll split your skull.”

“I’d watch your manners,” Landon cautions him. “Kerrington’s a grouch when he doesn’t get enough sleep.”

“What do you want?” I ask.

“A million for my silence.”

That makes me laugh. “Cutting out your tongue would be faster and also guarantees your silence.” I crowd him while Landon holds him so he can’t run. “And I’ll take every finger you have too.” Just to drive home my point, I snatch his hand, yank it behind his back, and break two of his fingers in a blink.

Tim howls in pain, but Landon covers his mouth. “Shh, don’t be a little bitch.”

“You will not go near Nicole, me, or Landon ever again. You will not have any contact with our friends or family or anyone we do business with.” I get in his face, pressing my forehead to his, crowding him even more. “If I even so much as catch awhiffof your nauseating cologne anywhere near our girl, her home, the stores she shops in, the restaurants she eats in, or even the street she walks down, I will fucking kill you. Do you understand?” Tim’s eyes blow wide with panic when I press a blade to his throat. “Are. We. Clear?”

“Crystal,” he sputters, trembling.

“Get out your phone.”

Tim trembles while searching his pockets for his cell.

“Wire Nicole the money you took from her,” I growl. “Now.”

“I can’t. I don’t have it.”

Pressing the blade harder to his throat, I’m perilously close to slicing. “You really want to lie to us right now, cocksucker?”

“Account one-four-double-oh…” Landon recites the fucker’s bank account number and balance down to the penny, making Tim’s expression go from terrified to sick.

“We only had five minutes to spare earlier, or I’d have your entire life memorized and at my disposal to destroy.” I twist the knife against him. “Now give her back her motherfucking money.”

Landon holds the phone out to Tim’s face and unlocks the screen himself. Then he taps a few things and stuffs his phone back into Tim’s pocket. “There, I did it for you. See, was that so hard?”

“Fuck you,” Tim snarls.

Landon elbows him in the face before tossing his hands up at me, looking exasperated. “This guy seriously has no manners.”

“I know who you are,” Tim says to him, stumbling back to his feet. “You’re the youngest of five. Have four older sisters and grew up in a tiny trailer in Maine.” He turns to me next. “And you? With your family’s bourbon distillery and horse farm in Kentucky. Your parents sent you off to live with your grandmother in Connecticut when you were ten.”

I’m struggling to understand why he thinks any of this is relevant. “Are you trying to be relatable, or do you think it’s trivia night, my guy? Because you’re not saying anything mind-blowing here.”

“He’s bragging that he’s done his research on us.”

“Big whoop.”

Tim grins. “I know a lot about the two of you. And Mason, Gage…Leah.”

“Oh Helllll no.” Landon punches him again. “You keep her name out of your mouth, too.”

Tim spits a tooth out this time. “I’m going to sue you. Have you arrested for assault and battery.”

“Go ahead. Call the cops.” I tip my head and smile. “Because we’ve got enough money to make bail and get damn good lawyers. But you? Not so much. We’ll have you charged with aggravated assault, sexual harassment, stalking, blackmail, bribery of a minor, and…”

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