Page 150 of The Thief
"By doing whatever it takes to make you pay for what you did to her."
The righteousness in his voice is infuriating. This bastard has been selling us out, getting good men killed, and he thinks he's the victim. Thinks he's some kind of romantic hero instead of a traitor who's chosen revenge over loyalty.
"What exactly did we do to her?" I ask.
"You killed William Harrington. Trace's father. That made Trace paranoid, and made him suspicious of everyone around him. Including Ava."
"William Harrington was a piece of shit who deserved to die."
"He was also the only thing keeping Trace stable. With his father gone, Trace became unhinged. He started seeing enemies everywhere, started questioning everyone's loyalty."
The pieces click into place. William's death destabilized Trace, made him paranoid enough to suspect his own wife. Which led to increased surveillance, increased pressure, and eventually to Ava's murder.
"So this is revenge," I say.
"This is justice."
Maverick punches him in the face, hard enough to snap his head back. Blood streams from Jason's nose, spatters the concrete floor, but he doesn't cry out.
"Justice?" Maverick snarls. "You got Jer killed. Jer, who treated you like a son. Who taught you everything you know about survival. How's that justice?"
"Jer was collateral damage."
The words come out flat, emotionless, like he's discussing the weather instead of the death of the man who saved both our lives.
"Collateral damage?" This time I'm the one hitting him, my fist connecting with his ribs hard enough to hear something crack. "Jer was family. To all of us."
"So was Ava. To me."
"Ava was a lying whore who played every man she met."
"Fuck you!" Jason tries to lunge at me, but the restraints hold him in place. Good thing, because I'm about two seconds away from putting a bullet in his skull and ending this conversation permanently.
"Easy," Henry says from the shadows. "We need information first."
"What information? He's told us everything. He loved Ava, blamed us for her death, and decided to get revenge by working with a madman."
"Not everything," Denis adds, stepping into the light. "Tell us about Trace's plans. What's he planning next?"
Jason spits blood and glares at us with hate-filled eyes. "Why would I tell you anything?"
"Because if you don't, we're going to take a very long time killing you."
"You're going to kill me anyway."
"True. But there are quick deaths and slow deaths. Your choice."
Maverick produces a knife from his jacket and tests the edge against his thumb. A thin line of blood appears, bright red against his pale skin. "I vote for slow."
Jason studies our faces, probably calculating his options. But there aren't many options when you're tied to a chair in an abandoned warehouse with four armed men who want you dead.
"What do you want to know?"
"Everything. His plans, his resources, his next targets."
"He's coming for her. For Alastríona."
"When?"
