Page 38 of Beast

I stalked through the kitchen and down the hall, exiting by the back door.The pen was back behind the shooting range, and I saw a couple of prospects lounging there, waiting for us to get started.They’d shoot at targets while we questioned the prisoner.No chance of anyone hearing him scream over the sound of the guns.

I opened the door, and we entered.The prospect standing guard straightened up and nodded to Ace before heading out, shutting the door firmly behind him.

I circled the prisoner.He was tied to the one chair in the room, bolted down to the concrete floor.A gag stopped him from making a sound, and I nodded to Hawke who stepped forward and removed it.Ace stood back by the door, his eyes narrowed as he studied the man.

He didn’t look like much.Straggly hair and a skinny frame that showed no effort at keeping in shape.This was the kind of guy the mafia relied on?Hard to believe.He looked defiant, though.He must have known he was dead meat, after seeing his buddy bite the dust.Maybe he figured he had nothing to lose.I was about to disabuse him of that fucking notion.There are easy ways to die, and really hard ways.

I was hoping he’d choose the hard way.

I stopped in front of him.“You want to tell us who sent you?”

He glared at me.

I backhanded him across the face, leaving him with blood dripping from his nose and a split lip.

“We know it was Drake, so why not give him up?”I caught a quick glimpse of confusion in the asshole’s eyes when I named Drake.Maybe this guy knew less than we thought.

“Don’t know no Drake.It was a contract.Blind paywall.”He spat out a mouthful of blood.

I narrowed my eyes and turned to Ace.A blind paywall didn’t make sense.Drake’s name had been bandied about enough.Why would he suddenly be hiding behind a paywall?

Ace shrugged, and I turned back to the asshole.“Tell me about the contract.”

He sneered.“You’re going to kill me anyway.Why should I tell you anything?”

“Because there’s two ways to die.Easy or hard.Your choice.”

He didn’t believe me at first, but it took less than an hour before he spilled everything he knew.Working him over gave me an outlet for the rage that had lodged itself in my gut when I realized how determined this Drake fucker was to kill my Piper.I felt calmer now.The rage was still there, but focused.

Drake needed to die.

I went outside to use the hand pump and trough to wash the blood off me and motioned the two prospects from the shooting range to clean up the mess inside.Hawke and Ace followed me out.

“Something doesn’t add up here,” Ace mused.

“I agree.”I splashed cold water on my face.“First Drake wanted everyone to know he was behind this, and now he’s trying to backpedal?Hide behind a blind paywall?Mafia doesn’t fucking backpedal.They own their shit.”

“Exactly.I’m going to see if Shadow can find anything else out.”Ace headed for the clubhouse.

“You feeling better now?”Hawke stayed behind and I knew it was in case I needed to talk.

“Yeah.Kind of.I need to end this bullshit so I can concentrate on Piper.”

“You going to officially make her your old lady?”

“If she’ll have me.And if her father doesn’t kill me for trying.”

Hawke laughed, slapping me on the back.“Her father seemed okay with you, and by the look on her face when you left, I’d say your chances are pretty good.”

He slung an arm around my shoulders as we walked back to the clubhouse together.Jake handed us another beer when we entered the kitchen.He looked from me to Hawke.“Well?”

I shrugged.“Not much to tell, really.They were given the bus route and told where the best section of road was to run it off.The storm was an added bonus, making it easier to approach without being seen, and to push the bus off the road when it had less traction due to the water.They weren’t expecting the biker escort though, and they panicked.”

“It was a contract on the dark web.Blind paywall and all that.”Hawke shook his head.“That’s not how the mafia works.Usually, they send their own guys if it’s a kill contract.They want to make sure the job gets done.The contract didn’t even require proof that she was dead, although they’d be able to check that through normal channels.Something smells fishy.”

“You’re right.”Ace and Shadow joined us in the kitchen.“The contract disappeared off the dark web as soon as this went down, and no mention was ever made of Drake or any of his top lieutenants.”

“You think someone else is behind this?”Jake frowned.

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