Page 184 of Reaper
“Did they kill her?” Lark asks and I shrug.
“We don’t know, but it was all kept pretty hush-hush. We suspect it was at her husband’s hands from what Luscious had told us about them.”
“Did Darren say anything about the cabin he was going to take you to?” Python asks her and she nods.
“He told me he had a cabin that was out in the woods and overlooked a lake that he was going to take me to once the storm cleared. He never said where or what lake the cabin was onthough, just that it was about two hours northwest of the hotel. Darren said it was not too far from Lake Superior.”
I turn to Python, frowning. “Did you by chance get pictures of the men that carried Lark into the hotel?”
Python makes a wishy-washy gesture. “I only got partials, not full-face pictures. Whoever they were, they knew what they were doing and kept their heads down most of the time. I ran what I had through the databases, but so far, no hits have come back.”
I curse under my breath and several of the others do as well. Hopefully we can convince Darren to cough up their names.
I bang the hammer on the table and everyone quiets down. “Alright, let’s head down to the cellar and have a little chat with our guest.”
Chapter 68
Lark
Standing,IsubtlycatchPunisher’s attention and cock an eyebrow at him in question. He grins and nods. Last week, I’d secured some items I wanted to use on my stalker should Anthony allow me to take part in their… questioning… and gave them to him.
Stepping up beside me, Punisher leans down and whispers in my ear. I can’t help but smirk when an idea forms. Pulling back, I realize he’s smirking as well. This is going to be good. He gives me a chin lift before walking over toward Odin.
Anthony steps forward, a question in his eyes. While I know he’s curious about what Punisher told me, but I know that’s not his question. I nod. I want, no Ineed, to do this. He dips his chin in understanding, and we follow the others down the hall. Anthony puts his hand at the small of my back and guides me. His touch calms my frazzled nerves and I take a steadying breath.
I’ve been down to the cellar and the nearby panic room before, but this is the first time, that I’m aware of anyway, someone’s been down here since I became Anthony’s Old Lady. Devil stops at a heavy-duty metal door and places his hand on the scanner. A moment later, it unlocks and we all file in.
A sense of satisfaction flows through me at seeing Darren strung up by his hands with his toes barely touching the floor. He’s been stripped down to his boxers and already, multiple bruises litter his torso and arms. There’s even one on his jaw, and I don’t think it was me that gave him that one. His left eye is slightly swollen, just like how he left mine slightly swollen.
“Looks like someone fell down a few stairs on the way into our lovely accommodations,” I purr and the guys all chuckle darkly. Anthony’s hand shifts from the small of my back to my hip and he gives it a little squeeze.
Darren lifts his head and glares at them. Then his eyes fall to Anthony’s hand on my waist, and he scowls as he strains against his restraints.
“Get your hands off her, you filthy biker! She’s mine,” he cries and I shake my head, sighing heavily.
“For someone who is supposedly very smart, you sure are dense. As I have said before, repeatedly I might add, I will never be with you. I’m Reaper’s Old Lady, and soon, I’ll be his wife,” I say as I look down, admiring his ring on my finger, wiggling them so that the diamonds catch in the light. My words hit their mark and Darren thrashes harder.
Anthony leans down, kissing the top of my head and squeezing my hip one more time before letting go, silently giving me the okay to proceed.
Ignoring Darren’s hateful words, I walk over to one of the tables and take off my cut and jewelry, not wanting to get any blood or other bodily fluids on them. I wish I had boots like Levi’s and Sasha’s, but they haven’t arrived yet. After theyshowed me them when we went for Christmas and Mae’s baby shower, I immediately put in an order for them—one in red and one in black leather. So, in the meantime, I’m wearing some simple flats that will be burned afterward.
Punisher places my bag on the table, and I put on some gloves before opening it. Inside there are a couple of whetstones and multiple sharp knives I use when dressing deer I’d shot while hunting, one of them being a filet knife that’s so sharp I can skin the deer like I’m cutting through butter. I also have a couple of bone saws and replacement blades. I excluded the other items from the bag that I use for field dressing a deer, like the tarps, game bags, game shears, and the butt out tool. I figured Punisher had better equipment than what I had, and I’d much rather use his tools to inflict as much pain as possible on Darren. However, I did add some other knives I’d bought over the years. I’d also already brought down a spare crossbow and some bolts for it, which I notice Punisher rigged something to hang them from the cement walls, almost like they were part of the décor.
Each item in the bag, I pull out and make a show of inspecting them. When I get to the bone saws and filet knife, I can audibly hear Darren swallow hard.
“Since you’ve been manipulating my life for so long, I’m going to take a stab that you know I like to hunt.” I pause, picking up one of my filet knives and walking toward him. “You stalked me like I stalk a deer, so now it’s your turn to feel like the prey.”
I trail the knife down his cheek, cutting into it just enough to make him bleed.
“Who were the men you hired to kidnap me?”
Darren clenches his jaw shut and I can’t stop my wicked grin. “I was hoping you’d pick the hard route,” I purr and I hear a few guys chuckle behind me.
I cut into his skin in no specific rhythm or reason until I’ve littered his body with a dozen or so cuts. Looking up, I noticehe must have clamped down on his tongue or bitten his cheek at some point to keep from crying out because a trickle of blood dribbles out of the side of his mouth and down his chin. Standing, I step into his direct line of sight, placing the knife underneath his chin, making him look at me.
“Who were the men you hired to kidnap me?”
The corner of his lips lift, and I grin.
