Page 124 of Single Teddy
There was a creak behind me, and before my teeth connected with the plastic pen, I was yanked backward with so much force that I landed on my ass.
A man walked up to me and put his hands on his hips. I blinked to try and make out his face.
“I knew you were trouble,” Barnes said, kicking my ribs.
I yelped, the pain scorching through me, leaving me breathless.
“Why?” I groaned.
“Why what? Kick you? Because I’ve wanted to do that since that day you showed up at my house,” he huffed.
“Why…would you do this to your kids?” I looked behind me at Valentin and Niko, who were looking at us with wide eyes of terror. “What kind of father ties up his kids and dumps them in a shitty boathouse like they’re thugs?”
Barnes laughed.
“What’s so funny?” I asked, gritting my teeth to try and control the venom that would sure spill out otherwise.
“That you still think they’re my kids. Those brats aren’t mine. And if they were, trust me, I would have chopped their tongues a long time ago.”
Bile made my mouth taste bitter, and I grimaced at the towering man.
“If they’re not yours, whose are they?”
“This guy I worked with,” he said. “He died last year when your friends got involved in our business.”
“What business? What are you talking about?” I asked.
I knew shit had been going down for a while now. I’d read the fucking news for goodness’ sake, but I hadn’t realized things were that bad that people had been dying all this time.
At least they were bad people.
“Don’t act like you don’t know. You’re friends with those assholes who have been trying to kill us all this time. You probably suck their dicks every time you see them in exchange for information.”
I winced.
“Watch your language, you dickhead,” I said, fully realizing the irony.
Why did he keep talking about my friends though? Did he know about my connection with Teddy? How? He shouldn’t have known…unless he’d been playing me all this time. He must have seen me get in and out of Teddy’s car and just kept his mouth shut, although he didn’t strike me as a guy who could do that.
“Oh fuck off. You’re so pretentious. Boys are so weak these days. They need to see how a real man acts and talks.”
I glanced around me, dripping with sarcasm.
“Is the man here in the room with us?”
Barnes laughed. “You think you’re funny, don’t you? Well, I can’t wait to see how funny you think dying is.”
A knot formed in my throat and a chill ran down my spine, giving me goosebumps.
“Wh-what do you think you’re going to achieve by killing me? Huh? You think you’ll feel like more of a man? Because let me tell you: you’re an idiot if you think murder makes you cool.”
He laughed again. I really must’ve been amusing him if he was acting like I was throwing jokes at him left, right, and center. Or he was truly unhinged, which was far more likely.
“Oh, it’s not cool. But it will eliminate this pest problem we’ve had for so long. It’s time to take back control.”
I inhaled and looked Barnes in the eyes.
“Okay then? What are you waiting for? Do it.”
