Page 40 of Wretched Heart
My hands shake with anger as I cup her face, but my touch is gentle as I stroke my thumb across her damp cheek. “You’re not in any trouble,” I reassure her. “You’re our family now. And we’re taking you home.”
There’s a whimper next to us as Hugo tries to escape the pressure of Mace’s boot.
“I just need to deal with your brother first. Mace is going to take you back to the car.”
Maddie nods. She doesn’t look at Hugo, nor does she offer up a plea for clemency. In a way, that makes it harder to let Hugo walk away from this. Even his own sister doesn’t care if he lives or dies.
Once I’ve unraveled Maddie from my arms, I trade places with Mace. “I won’t be long,” I promise.
Mace pockets his gun and puts an arm on Maddie’s back to guide her away. “Don’t rush on my account,” he tells me. “He deserves a slow and painful death.”
Hugo hears our exchange and remains cowering on the floor. I leave him there until Maddie’s out of sight, then grab him by the hair and yank him to his feet. His nose is smashed and bloody, and he has a split lip that wobbles as he rambles incoherently for mercy.
“Stop crying like a fucking baby,” I hiss, pressing myknife back to his throat. He quietens. “How did you know Maddie was here?”
“Janice. On reception,” he says, giving up his informant without hesitation. “She wanted to help.”
“For a price?”
“A hundred bucks,” Hugo replies. His nose bubbles with blood as he takes quick breaths. “Everyone knew how worried I was about her. I’m only trying to look out for my sister.”
The muscles around my jaw ache with tension that I want to unleash on Hugo. “I told you she’s mine, and you should have listened,” I hiss, coming into his face so he can feel my breath. “So tell me, Hugo, why shouldn’t I kill you for touching what’s mine?”
“We can talk about this. Please. If you want me to sell, I’ll sell,” he pleads. His voice is becoming more nasally as his nose swells. “Same deal as Barrett.”
“Which was?”
“Three… three quarters the value of the company. You get Maddie’s half for free. Still a good deal,” he says as if he has any bargaining power. The man is truly delusional.
“Have you spoken to Barrett?”
Hugo goes to shake his head, but thinks better of it with a knife pressed to his throat. “Not since the wedding. Tried,” he says with a gulp that makes his Adam’s apple scrape against the edge of my blade. “He won’t return my calls.”
“Have you heard from any of his contacts?” I ask. “Ray Forsyth is still in the area. Do you happen to know why?”
Hugo’s bruised eyes flicker with poorly disguised deceit. “No.”
I adjust my grip on my knife. It’s become slick with Hugo’s blood.
“Oh, god,” Hugo bleats. “I think you’ve cut me.”
My laugh is low and menacing, but it comes from genuine amusement. “It’s a nick, but now that my fingers are slippery, I could become careless so you’d better talk fast. Why is Ray here?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t spoken to him. But I did hear he’s been looking for other investment opportunities. In Lancelyn Heights. It’s a town over.”
I shelve that information for now, but I still don’t know what to do with this piece of shit. If Maddie’s right about Hugo’s will having a similar codicil to her father’s, killing him simply creates a problem elsewhere. I can’t do anything rash until the paper mill has changed hands. I grind my teeth. I’m going to have to play nice.
“I appreciate the information, Hugo, so here’s my deal. I’ll buy your shares for their actual worth, which I think is generous under the circumstances.”
“You don’t understand,” Hugo says. He goes to grab my suit jacket until I glare at his hand. “Sorry. It’s just that there are other people with a vested interest in the sale. They’re expecting more.”
“Your debtors?” I ask.
He nods between sobs. “They’re bad people.”
“I hate to break this to you, Hugo, but so am I when it comes to trash like you.”
I could carry on trying to convince him that I’m worse than any other threat he might have, but a thought comes to mind.
