Page 95 of Wrecked for Love
I yanked out my Glock, took aim, and fired. The bullet caught him in the thigh, sending him crashing to the floor with a cry of pain.
I hobbled toward him and pressed the Glock’s barrel against his temple. His breath hitched, and so did mine.
“Now tell me where she is.” My voice was cold, edged with a threat that couldn’t be ignored.
“I don’t know where they are,” Fritzy gasped, desperation creeping into his words. “I was just paid to mess with your farm and take her. That’s it, I swear!”
“Are you sure?” I pressed the Glock harder against his temple, cocking it.
“Yes! I won’t lie to you, man. My only job now is to look after Little Vossy, nothing more. They don’t tell me anything.”
“You must’ve heard something!”
“I don’t know where they are,” Fritzy stammered, but his eyes darted, his mind racing—for his own sake, I hoped. Then, with a sharp breath, he caved. “Listen, man. Lucien…he mentioned meeting someone named Gideon in Great Falls.”
“Where in Great Falls?”
“I don’t know!”
“You’re lying!” I released another fire, lodging a bullet in his knee.
He screamed, the pain and panic finally breaking him. “No, no, please! The Vosses have a property there. They call itPowerhouse. It’s on the outskirts of Great Falls, near Giant Springs.”
I released him, stood up, and turned to find Armand Voss looking pitiful as he fumbled with the lever of his electric wheelchair. His face drooped, and it was clear his body was useless from the waist down. The bastard. Let him live like that, trapped in that chair for as long as possible, thinking about what he’d done to Tessa and what he’d tried to do to Claire. He was getting a taste of his own medicine now, and I hoped he choked on it for the rest of his miserable life.
Right now, I only had one mission—Claire.
40
CLAIRE
Gideon Purcell. The Revenants’ leader. The man who had once ruled Cody’s life with a snake-like hold. He looked almost exactly the same—the same piercing eyes, the same predatory smirk. Only now, there was something more dangerous about him—a clarity in his gaze that told me he hadn’t forgotten a single thing.
I worked my throat, forcing the fear down as I straightened up and met his gaze, determined not to flinch. “Wow, you really haven’t changed, have you? Still rocking that jacket, huh?” I quirked an eyebrow, letting the sarcasm drip from my words. “Just so you know, leather’s kinda passé these days. And that logo? It’s ancient. You might want to think about rebranding.”
He ignored me, brandishing his army knife—“Gladius,” as he liked to call it—a Roman short sword, apparently. He’d been to our house a few times to see Cody, but beyond the ominous jacket, that blade stood out in my memory.
“We’re more than just looks, Claire. You know that.” His eyes flickered down to my breasts, and a filthy smirk curled his lips. “Seems you’ve been keeping busy. I bet you’re the kind who looks to the future, but me, I’m not the type who believes in letting bygones be bygones.”
My brows cocked. “Good thing I’m not looking for your forgiveness then.”
“You owe me a hundred grand, Claire Magnussen.”
“I owe you nothing! It was Cody’s. And you, Gideon Purcell, you owe me Cody.”
“Ah…that foolish boy. Crawled to me like a stray, desperate for a scrap. And how glad I was to toss him a bone. First, my best mule, then I promoted him and turned him into one of my top dealers. You should’ve seen him—my men were jealous. He had a talent for it. You can’t pin this on me, Claire. He thrived. He loved every minute of it.”
“Nobody loved a dirty job like that!” I spat, the heat in my voice rising. “You threatened him! You said you’d kill me if he didn’t?—”
“Threatened him?” he cut me off. “Oh, sweetheart, is that what Cody told you? I didn’t need to lift a finger. He did everything because he wanted to. Because he was desperate to make sure you didn’t die coughing your lungs out in some cheap hospital bed.”
I froze. I wanted to tear his lies apart, but my throat burned with the bile of doubt. “Cody was trying to save us both,” I said, the words carrying the burden of too many memories. “He only got involved with you because he didn’t see another way.”
“Is that what you think?” Gideon cocked his head, his smirk widening as if he’d caught me in a delusion. “Oh, Claire…your brother didn’t care about playing the hero. He liked it. The thrill, the money, the power. You should’ve seen him at the height of it, strutting around like he owned the city. I was just the one who opened the door.”
“You’re lying!” I shot back, my pulse racing. “Cody hated what he became. I saw it in his eyes every time he came back from one of your runs. You used him.”
Gideon’s face drooped into exaggerated sympathy. “Oh, blame, blame, blame. You know what?” He shifted from foot to foot, tossing and spinning his knife in the air like a practiced juggler. “I wonder how you sleep at night, knowing Cody did everything because he wanted to save your life. Or maybe because he couldn’t stand your coughing fits anymore!”
