Page 98 of The Devil's Deceit
“Who the fuck are you?”
He smiles, revealing a gap between his front teeth. “Ah, he speaks. We’ll get to that when I’m good and ready.” Pivoting, he strolls to the other side of the small room I’m being held in. Above me, exposed wooden struts crisscross the ceiling. The floor is solid concrete, and there’s a single door that’s ajar. My captor returns with a chair and plants it in front of me. He sits down, crosses his legs, and folds his arms.
“You haven’t a clue who I am, have you?”
I narrowly avoid rolling my eyes. “You broke the code. Although I kind of gave it away when I said, ‘Who the fuck are you?’”
My sarcasm is rewarded with a punch to the face. Blood spurts from my nose. I curse. All those fights with my brothers over the years, and this twat breaks my fucking nose.
“You’re cocky for someone in an inferior position. Cocky… or stupid. Which is it?”
“Neither.” I fake a yawn. “Can we get on with it? I’m bored with your company already.”
This time, he backhands me. I slowly return my head to the center and try to ignore the pain in my cheek. The worse shape I’m found in, the slower his death will be. I’ve no idea how long I’ve been out, but help won’t be far away. It’s pitiful, really, how naïve this dickhead is.
Whoever he is.
“My name is Daniel Taylor.”
Must’ve read my mind. I hitch a shoulder. “And that should mean something to me because?”
He launches upright, plants both his hands on the backof my chair, and looms over me in what he clearly thinks is a threatening manner.
I stare at him, unblinking.
“You knew my brother Drew. And his wife Grania. Or, I should say, you murdered them.”
Shock widens my eyes. Drew never mentioned he had a brother, although why would he? We were business colleagues not friends. I rack my brains, trying to remember if I saw this guy at the funeral. I come up empty.
“I didn’t murder them.”
He straightens and presses the flat of his palm over his chest. “Color me shocked. I’d expect nothing less than denial from a lying piece of shit like you. Money talks, huh? That’s how you buried the report.”
Well, money… and blackmail. Not that I’m about to tell this twat anything. I lift one side of my mouth in a wry smile and shrug. As expected, I get another punch for my troubles. I can only see out of one eye now, but I can’t feel a thing. Must be blocking the pain.
“You people think you’re untouchable, but you’re not.”
“If you say so.” I’ve already figured out the text to Dad was fake, although I’m not sure how he broke through our encryption. I hazard a guess. “Is my father’s lawyer alive?”
His eyes light up, mouth curving into a sinister grin. “It was so easy to get him to send a text. Sniveling excuse of a man. Your father needs a better lawyer—one with a backbone. And to answer your question, yes, he’s alive. His staff will find him in the morning, bound and gagged, and a bit worse for wear but breathing.”
“And what about my driver and my bodyguard?”
“Enough with the questions,” he hollers.Smack.My head snaps back. “Tell me why and how you killed them, andI’ll make this quick. Keep up this tough guy act, and I’ll drag out your death for hours. Days, maybe.”
Good luck with that.
“I’ll say again, because honestly, you seem a little slow. I. Didn’t. Kill. Drew. Or. Grania.”
He kicks the legs from under my chair, and I fall back. A shooting pain radiates through my lower back. Leaning over, he grabs the lapels on my jacket and hauls me and the chair back into place.
“Liar!”
I shrug again, then brace for another volley of punches. They don’t come. He paces, raking a hand through his hair. From where I’m sitting, it looks as though he’s played his one and only card, and he doesn’t know what to do next. Not to worry. That decision will be taken from him shortly.
“Fine.” He gives one of those smug smiles, like he’s holding onto a secret he’s just bursting to tell. “If you won’t tell me, maybe you’ll tell her.”
Reaching into his pocket, he pulls out his phone and taps on the screen. When he shoves it in front of my face, it takes a second for me to work out what I’m looking at.
