Page 58 of Desire Me
Dain dug his fingers into Lonergan’s hair and jerked his head backward, causing his chair to tip onto its two back legs. It came to rest at an incline against the kitchen table, providing a perfect angle down the man’s nose. “Let’s go.”
What happened over the next few minutes was something JCL would never have sanctioned, something unpleasant for everyone, but especially for Lonergan. Saint didn’t ease the man into anything; they went hard-core ASAP. He didn’t ask any questions, didn’t pause for more than a few seconds at a time. He needed Lonergan at the edge as fast as possible, and that’s exactly what he got.
Then Saint started asking questions.
“Who sent you after her?”
Lonergan choked and gagged beneath the towel covering his face. “I don’t—”
More water.
“I can’t—”
More.
“You don’t—”
More.
“Now,” Saint finally said, “let’s try again. Who sent you?”
Some sputtering and heavy gasps of breath. “The Di Angelo cartel.”
Saint paused. “They run the territory that covers New Portsmouth.”
“Y-yes. Yes.”
“Why do they want her alive?”
Lonergan kept breathing, but no words left his mouth.
More water.
“Why?” Saint barked.
“Not— Not wanting her.” Heavy panting. “What she took.”
“Which was?”
Lonergan frantically shook his head. “I don’t know!”
Saint released the water again. Lonergan’s scream became a gurgle.
“What was it?”
“They refused to tell us, I promise. Please! I was told to bring her and all her belongings back to Maine, that we’d know what she had when we found it.”
Why? Dread curled inside Saint, but he pushed it aside. “You were following Rae; do you have her belongings?” No way would they have left Rae’s things behind if they’d been commanded to bring them along with her.
“In th-the dining room.”
Saint jerked his chin toward King, but his friend was already headed out of the kitchen.
“So Rae has something they want?”
Lonergan nodded, his breath still wet through the towel. “Something from a shipment that went through her warehouse.”
“What kinds of things go through the warehouse.”
