Page 96 of Consequences

He chooses to keep his mouth shut. Nothing he says will matter or make the situation better.

“In fact, I plan to really fuck him through his son-in-law. By proxy, of course. I hear there are a few guys sizing him up. Sounds like he’d make a great bottom.”

Enough.“I have some advice for you, Donald.”

“Yeah? What would that be?”

“Prepare yourself. The tables are going to turn, and when I’m out of here, you won’t have any power left. You won’t see the inside of a courtroom because I will be your judge, jury, and executioner. I plan to bury you twelve feet in the fucking ground.”

Laughing, Ramsey stands. “You’ve got stones. Won’t do you any good, but it is rather impressive considering the circumstances.”

“You should’ve done better research on me. Trust me, you’ll be far more impressed if you knew how motivated I am to keep my promises. And I promise you, sir, that I will be one of the last faces you ever see.”

His phone rings, and he looks down before answering. “Jones, I told you I’m in a meeting. What? You found her? Where?”

Even with his heart racing, Beckett gives nothing away. This could be a giant bluff to find out if he’s lying.

Ramsey bites his lip and smiles. “Eleven-Twenty-Four Sycamore Street. Does that address mean anything to you?”

Her parents’ house. “Should it?”

“It’s abandoned now, but it was where she used to live. Before her parents died. She’s just outside Griffin’s Beach. You, my boy, have one hell of a poker face. If I didn’t consider you a threat, I’d offer you a job. Men like you are hard to find and very useful. It’s a shame I need you dead. Not right away, of course. What fun would that be?”

He leaves, and Beckett forces down the panic. Donald Ramsey just found Shannon, and Beckett’s stuck in prison with no way to help her. He can’t even call Colt to ask him to save her.

Bill walks into the cell carrying a chair, sits it down, and points. “Sit.”

“I’m already sitting.”

“In the fucking chair.”

Unsure what it’s all about, Beckett decides it’s easier to just comply. But then the zip ties come out, and he knows it was a bad idea. One of the worst decisions he’s made since breaking into that stupid house.

He says nothing as he lets Bill strap him to the chair, completely immobilizing him. The warden hands Bill a baton,and he slaps his hand with it as he wears a devious smile on his face. “Don’t worry. You’ll pass out soon enough.”

“Does this make you feel like a big man?” he asks. “Having to tie me down to beat me? What better way to tell your boss that you’re too much of a pussy to handle this any other way.”

“Shut your fucking mouth.”

Leaning to the side, Beckett nods at Scott who stands just outside the cell. “Bet you feel real good about having this big, strong guard protecting you should your prisoners ever get out and head right for you. Tell me, how do you plan to have them all strapped down before beating them with weapons? I mean, before they kill you, that is.”

“Shut up!”

The baton smacks against the side of his head, and he tips over with the force, the side of his face hitting the concrete floor. The weight and awkwardness of being tied down the way he is causes the zip ties to dig into his skin. There’s an uncomfortable weight and pull to various muscles, but he can’t move.

Coming down again, the baton hits his elbow and shoots pain up Beckett’s arm. Still, he refuses to give a reaction. Not even a sound.

“He’s a lot tougher than you gave him credit for, Bill,” the warden says. “He has a point. You do seem like a pussy.”

The boss walks away, and Bill’s fury intensifies. he wants to be seen as the best and most loyal servant to his king, and the weapon eventually bends and breaks as he beats Beckett all over his body.

Beckett focuses on the wall outside of the cell, even as the steel-toed boots kick into his ribs and chin.

No reaction. No flinching. No groaning. Stay exactly like this until he knows you out or grows tired. Focus, Beckett. Focus. Focus.

A few more kicks to the head finally brings the darkness, and he wonders if he’ll wake up. If he does, will he be tied to this chair still? Or will he be back in his cell? Not that it really matters. Not when Ramsey has Shannon.

Chapter Thirty-One

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