Page 43 of The Madman's Nightmare
“You shouldn’t be here,” he whisper-yelled. “Devlin’s going to be pissed.”
“That’s what I told her,” Amaya returned, and I rolled by eyes at both of them.
Looking over his shoulder to the warehouse, I asked, “Are they secured?” He nodded, and I continued with a smile. “Then I’m not in any danger, am I?” Looking at Amaya, I suggested, “Why don’t you stay out here with Rhys and keep him company?”
“Are you sure?” she inquired.
Carefully, I hugged her and whispered, “You don’t want to be a part of this, and it’s okay.”
She seemed relieved not to have to go inside, and when I turned to Rhys, I held out my hand. “You don’t want me to go inside without protection.”
“I don’t know what I’m thinking,” he muttered as he unholstered his Glock and checked the chamber and safety before turning and handing it to me. “Safety’s on with one in the barrel.”
The gun had a good weight to it, and I moved it to my dominant hand before raising my eyebrows at Rhys. He stepped to the side and opened the door just enough for me to be able toslip inside. There wasn’t any noise coming from the warehouse, but I didn’t expect to walk into screaming terror.
As I began to walk across the warehouse floor, I heard someone moving toward me, and on instinct, I raised the gun, ready for whatever. James stepped out from some crates, and I lowered the gun as he smirked at me. When he was in front of me, he chuckled.
“When Rhys called me out, I didn’t expect to see you, but I can guess why you’re here.”
“Why?” I asked as he turned and offered me an arm to hold onto as he guided me deeper into the warehouse.
“You want to see them die for making you think Devlin betrayed you?”
I snapped my eyes at him, and he was smiling at me. James was closer than a brother to me, and over the years, I’d admitted some of the darker and more callous thoughts that invade my mind occasionally.
“Don’t worry,” James remarked as we got farther into the maze of crates. “He’s going to be happy to see you.”
If Devlin gets mad, then he could deal with that on his own. These two fuckers took me away from my husband and my sons, twisted my mind to think the worst about Devlin, then she let her . . . whoever he is to her, beat me so she could fabricate evidence of my death.
“I want to know why they did all this,” I reasoned to James. “But watching them die will be satisfying.”
As we approached a door on the far wall, I saw one of Devlin’s men standing guard outside. James and I walked up, and he stepped to the side as he cast his glance to me briefly. James looked at me and spoke softly.
“If you need to leave, say the word and I’ll take you out.”
I gave a nod and swallowed the thickness in my throat as he placed his hand over a black pad. A noise chimed, and hepunched in a long passcode before the door unlocked with an audible click. He gave me one more look and inhaled deeply before he opened the door, allowing me a glimpse into my husband’s madness.
The room had metal walls and a large drain in the concrete floor. There were hooks hanging from the ceiling off to the side and two metal tables centered in the room. The door closed behind us quickly, and I remained at James’s side as the sounds of what was going on began to fill the space. He kept us to the back of the room as I watched Lucian take a knife and run it down Bradon’s arm, causing it to bleed from the cut. He was hanging from one of the hooks and I looked at James who shrugged and went back to watching.
Kendra hung from the other hook by her wrists while Devlin looked at something in a file in his hands. She must have heard James and I walk in because I saw her lift her head just before she began to scream like a banshee.
“What the fuck are you doing here, misfit? Devlin doesn’t want you anymore.”
Devlin, hearing her words, snapped his head up and looked in my direction. His gaze was a mix of worry and surprise as he tossed the folder onto a table off to the side and stalked across the room to me.
Kendra continued screaming horrible things as James stepped to the side and Devlin walked up to me. He brushed his hand down my cheek and asked, “What are you doing here, Lamb?”
“Fucking bitch. You don’t deserve him, you whore,” Kendra spat as I stared into Devlin’s deep blue eyes.
They were always comforting to me, and I smiled up at him as I admitted, “I wanted to watch you kill them.”
“Why?” he asked with a smirk.
He loved to get me to admit the things I wanted, mostly in the bedroom, but I thought this was exciting for him to have me here to show off.
I pressed up carefully as I placed a kiss on his lips, causing the crazy bitch scream unintelligent things.
“They did something no one’s ever done before and won’t ever do again.” I paused and explained. “She made me doubt you and she deserves to suffer for her actions.”
