Page 88 of The Verdict

“Stop,” I begged, huffing through my anger. “Let him go. I’m the oneyou want.”

“Let him go?” Mercury laughed. “But I’m just getting started on giving him his due, plus interest, for what he did to my shoulder.” His smile disintegrated into a snarl.

“Hurt him again, and I’ll never tell you where the diamond is,” I threatened low, watching his attention whip to me.

“I have ways of making you.”

“You’ll never get the chance.” I tried to mirror that smile of his—the one that was pure, reckless disregard.

“Oh no?” He tried to sound bored, but I knew he wasn’t. I knew he was worried.

“I’m a woman wanted for murder,Sergio,thanks to you,” I reminded him, lifting my chin. “As soon as I stepped foot into this building, the police were alerted. I think I can hold out long enough until they find us and arrest me.” I lowered my voice. “At which point I will give them everything I know about you, the information on the flash drive, and the location of the diamond.”

He remained frozen for a single moment before letting out a snarl and cracking me across the face with his weapon.

Rhys roared and struggled, his anger making him ignorant of his bleeding wound. He looked like a wild beast, vicious and feral and possessive.I met his crazed eyes, hoping he’d see the apology bleeding through mine.

“Where is it?” Mercury spat, crouching next to me and pressing the barrel of his gun to my sternum.

“No…”Rhys’s pained groan pierced my chest, drawing hot tears to the corners of my eyes.

There was no going back now. The only power the truth had was the power to save him.

“You’re running out of time.” I heaved a breath. “Either take me to Jupiter or the police will have the flash drive with all the information. All Jupiter’s information.” I paused purposely, and then added, “All the information about Ray Ivans.”

Mercury’s head tipped side to side, looking almost unnatural as he toyed with the idea of risking everything for the pleasure of taking a man’s life.

“And then there’s the information on your brother.”

He jerked. For the first time, I saw his cold demeanor break. “What are you talking about?” he demanded, deadly low.

“Leave him alone. Alive. If you want the truth about your brother.”

That got him.His lip curled with rage for reminding him how I bested him during the heist. And I was sure he’d paid for it long and hard from Jupiter every day since.

“Him? Really?” He stared me down. “You don’t even want to try to save yourself? Pathetic.” He dragged the barrel of his gun along my chin as he spoke.

Rhys was writhing. Protesting, begging. But I ignored it all. I had to, otherwise, my heart would completely shatter.

“His freedom. Unharmed,” I repeated firmly.

It took him a second. A bitter, vile second before he conceded.“Fine,” he snarled, and let a smile creep onto his face. “More fun for me.”

He tried to hide it with his cavalier cruelty, but I saw the sharp tint of rage in his eyes, knowing that I’d forced his hand. And then he grabbed me by the back of my neck, spinning me toward Rhys as I cried out in pain.

“Any last words for your savior?” He shook me like a ragdoll in Rhys’s direction. “It’s the last time you’ll ever see her.” He chuckled viciously and then added, “At least, looking like this.”

There were a million things Rhys wanted to say. I could see them written all over his face. But he knew anything he said would make it worse for me—anything he said, Mercury would torture me with.

So instead of saying one million things, he said one thing, and it was the only thing that mattered.

“Real.”

My heart shattered and rebuilt in the span of a single moment, knowing what he meant. Him. Me.Us.We were real. Our love was real.

“Yeah. A real fucking cunt.”

Mercury’s words were the last thing I heard before pain exploded in the back of my head and everything went black.

---