Page 74 of Reckless Thief

“Just remember,” I told her. “You’re not going in there alone.”

Milo didn’t say anything, he simply nodded. Yeah, I didn’t envy him right now. The urge to break someone over and over for what they’d done to her was right there.

“This is just the next step,” I reminded them both as I tucked Little Bit under my arm. Focus and control were easier when I had them to look after. As much as I was looking forward to getting my hands on that asshole, Little Bit’s feelings and needs came first.

We had time to take him apart.

Kellan’s focus was on Little Bit as we approached. He studied her then flicked his gaze up. Vaughn and Jasper also zeroed in on her, with Vaughn giving her an encouraging smile.

“This is how we’re doing this. We’re starting with straightforward questions. We’re going to keep it polite and entirely non-threatening.”

Jasper snorted.

“Then we’re going to rip out his liver and tap dance on his spleen,” Liam said from behind us. Little Bit twisted as the twins and Freddie arrived. “Don’t worry, Hellspawn. We aren’t doing anything until he hangs himself.”

Until he hanged himself. A when, not an if.

Bones leaned against the door to the office, his expression neutral. “If you want answers, I can get them.”

“Thanks,” I told him. “This is personal.”

He nodded. “You need me, call me. I’ll keep watch out here.”

Kellan hadn’t moved yet. He focused on Liam, then Jasper, and finally Milo and me. “Are we clear? Straightforward, polite, conversational… if you can’t handle that, don’t go in there.”

“I want to ask the first question,” Little Bit said, and everyone swung their gazes her way. The need to object, to send her back into the clubhouse or further from here, was there. Even Kellan, who seemed far calmer than the rest of us, gave her a measuring look.

But, “You sure, Sparrow?” was all he asked.

“I don’t know what he’ll say… I don’t even know what I want him to say. But…I want to ask the first few questions, then if I can’t handle it…” She glanced at Milo. “I’ll go and let you guys deal with him.”

That was a hell of a concession on her part.

“Thank you, Dove,” Vaughn said softly. “But you got this.”

“Yeah, you do,” Jasper agreed.

“Freddie,” Kellan said, switching his gaze to him. “Give your knife to Sparrow, please.”

That startled everyone. For her part, Little Bit glanced at Freddie and he shook his head. “Knife an asshole once because they spoke out of turn and everyone thinks I’m a loose cannon.”

“No,” Rome said as Freddie passed Little Bit the knife. “Everyoneknowsyou are protective and fast. We need to ask him questions and get answers, not kill him.”

The unspoken “yet” hung off the end of his sentence. Little Bit closed her hand around the knife then slipped it into her pocket before holding her hand out to Freddie. He clasped it, and I let her go so Freddie could walk her inside. Kellan and Vaughn moved ahead, with Jasper dropping back to bracket her free side while the rest of us followed.

It didn’t matter if I’d seen pictures of the man. Her father didn’t look like much sitting chained to a chair in the middle of the fridge. He was still in a dress shirt and slacks, although he had no shoes, jacket, or tie. His hair was disheveled, and a huge bruise marred his cheek.

Shipping must have been rough. For now, I kept my distance, standing back and folding my arms as everyone filtered in. He studied all of us, defiance in his eyes as he lifted his chin. The moment he caught sight of Little Bit, though, that facade began to crumble.

“Emersyn?” Shock jerked through his voice. “What are you doing with—”

“I’m here to ask you some questions.” She didn’t answer his.

“Emersyn,” he managed to sound almost commanding. “Let me go, and we can discuss this civilly, whatever this is.”

“That’s not negotiable at the moment,” she told him, and the shock resurfaced on Reginald Sharpe’s face. “Maybe if you’re honest with me and answer our questions, we can discuss it then.”

From this angle, I could see the white knuckles on her hand where she was hanging onto Freddie. He’d gone rock still, his whole focus on the man in that chair. It was a damn good thing he didn’t have his knife, but Vaughn, Jasper, and Liam were framing them in a triangle form as much to protect them as to keep him from killing the son of a bitch outright.

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