Page 174 of Vicious Hearts

“Lose the fucking crazy and tell me what you fuckingwant,” I bark at her.

My eyes dart to Una’s and lock on them again.

You will not die here.

Gail smiles thinly. “So impatient.Fine.”

She nods to the table next to me. I turn, my eyes dragging over the six cheap flip phones…the remote control I’m betting set off either the cake or cut the cable on the wrecking ball…a small first aid kit…candid photos of Una and I…until they land on the big, gleaming, deadly sharp, military-grade knife.

“Oh good, you noticed it. Pick it up.”

I stiffen, my eyes darting to Una.

“It’s not a trap, Cillian,” Gail laughs before jamming the barrel of the gun even harder against Una’s temple. “Pick. It. Up.”

My fingers curl around it. I heft the weight as I lift it, turning back to them.

“What the fuck is this.”

She smiles. “My sacrifice to God. The blood of the innocent washes away the sins of the wicked. And the blood of thewickedcleanses and renders undone the persecution of the innocent.”

My eyes stay fixed on her as the psycho Seamus-babble vomits from her mouth.

“I’ll bleed Neve to death later, as Seamus intended.”

“You go anywhere fuckingnearmy niece and I’ll—”

“And dearUnaover here…” Gail pushes on as if I hadn’t said anything. “Well, she’ll finally truly see. She’ll see past the veil you’ve put over her—”

“Listen to me, you crazy cunt,” I snarl.

I need to keep her talking. I need to keep her focused onme, not Una. Not Neve. Not Ares.

Me. Keep the rage onme.

Gail’s lips curl. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me. All I’m hearing is a bunch of re-runs of Seamus’ lunatic talk from a crazy bitch who smells like she’s been fucking his corpse in the apartment his blood money bought her.”

Her face turns livid. “Youdisgusting, vile—”

“What thefuckam I doing here with this fucking knife, Gail?!” I roar. “Unless there was more to your lunatic ranting and ravings. Because honestly, I wasn’t even paying attention.”

“You want to know what you’re doing with the knife, Cillian?” She smiles. “Goodness, that’s the easy part.”

Her smile widens to a sickening degree.

“You’re going to cut your own throat.”

Unascreamsthrough her gag, fighting to get free. But she’s bound tightly to the chair, and Gail just giggles as she presses the gun to Una’s head.

My eyes burn as they lock onto Gail’s.

“And why would I do that, Gail?”

She shrugs. “Because if you don’t, well…” She sighs, turning her attention to Una.

Fuck.

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