Page 82 of Rebellious Reign

“Free her hands. We aren’t savages,” Viktor barks at Frank, who is hovering behind me.

I tense as he pulls a knife and does as commanded. I’m a little suspicious that he will nick me on purpose, but he doesn’t. I rub my raw skin as soon as my hands are free.

“Now, what am I going to do with you? I don’t want to kill you, but it looks like that might be my only option.”

My blood runs cold. I can’t tell if he’s serious or bluffing to try and get me to cry and grovel at his feet. I won’t do it. Now that I know Connor is indeed alive and willing to come after me, I have something to fight for. Us.

I can’t die now.

I keep my eyes fastened on his chest, so I don’t have to look into his steely ones that promise pain. I can hear his fingertips drumming on the cloth material of the couch and the sound of the clock ticking on the wall. It’s almost like my ears are in hyperdrive, homing in on all the small, annoying sounds it can.

Frank and the other douchebag stand behind me. I sense the heat from their bodies—they are so close. They probably think I’m going to try and run again and want to make sure I don’t. I wonder if they will get in trouble for letting me escape the first time.

I hope so.

“Your loving husband didn’t perish after all, it seems.”

Those words have my eyes meeting his. My nostrils flare with anger that he knows that, but I’m not surprised. I’m sure he had eyes on Lulah’s house if they were able to find me that fast. That means Connor and Geo showed up. I hope they were in time to save Miss Lulah.

“He’s still a thorn in my side. A gnat that I can’t crush. But don’t worry; I’ve only been playing softball.”

I don’t doubt it. I know Viktor could have shot Connor himself the other night and been done with it. I wonder why he didn’t. Why did he leave it up to the other four men?

“Maybe I should kill you to send him a message. Do you think that would work, Wryn?”

Viktor tilts his head to the side, one eyebrow raised. The way he said it, so monotone, sends a shiver through my body.

“I asked you a question.”

“No. He doesn’t care about me,” I say, equally monotone.

Viktor chuckles. “Lies don’t become you. We both know he wouldn’t be here if he didn’t care about you.”

I hear the door open behind us, and I ache to look, but I don’t. I stay focused on Viktor. Finally, a woman comes into view, pushing a tray cart. It’s the same one from the time I visited Viktor to ask for his favor. It seems like a lifetime ago. She doesn’t talk, merely pours Viktor some coffee and hands it to him with a napkin, then waits. Viktor doesn’t offer me any. He flicks his fingers, and she grasps the cart handle, wheeling it out of the room.

“I guess you’ll be the bait, dear. To bring him here so I can finish this once and for all.”

“Why did you save him when I asked you to if you only wanted him dead?” I ask, unable to keep the question to myself. “Why not let them torture and kill him to begin with?”

“Excellent question,” Viktor says, taking a sip of his beverage. He delicately dabs his lips with the napkin. “I needed to test some loyalties.”

“Mine?”

“Oh, no, no. Bertrand’s business partners. But I wanted to see if they truly respected me.”

“What did you want from them?”

“What I wanted from Connor. Control of his business and assets. I want to take back what’s mine. What Bertrand and his cronies took from me. I want to end this small turf war we’ve had going, but I had to play it careful, of course. The men did exactly as I’d thought they would, the little puppets.”

“They let Connor go,” I say, furrowing my brow in confusion.

“Well, of course, that was our agreement.” He says it as if I should know that he always keeps his word. That he’s a fine, upstanding citizen and I have no cause for concern.

“So it was.” I rack my brain for ways to keep him talking, to give me time to figure out a way out of this. I don’t want Connor to walk into a trap, and if I know him, that’s exactly where he’s headed.

It seems that I don’t have to wonder very long as Viktor continues, “But I always knew it would come to this. We have played this cat-and-mouse game for far too long, and I’m tired of it. I want him out of my way. And once I met you, I knew I had a way to get to him. If men aren’t ruled by the head on their shoulders, naturally, they are ruled by another one.”

He gives me a sinister smile, and I shudder.

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