Page 181 of Merciless

"Why did you bring that whore here?" Victor's viciousness cuts through the air and before I know what’s happening, Letty is on her feet and marching toward him.

"What did you call me?" she barks, proving that despite leaving this place, she’s still a Creek girl at heart.

"Letty," I warn. Her going up against Victor is a bad fucking idea.

"A whore. Just like your mother. Tsk,” he taunts, looking at her as if she’s nothing but a piece of shit on his shoe. It’s nothing new, it’s how Victor treats all women. Chauvinistic asshole. "Coming in here and trying to save that cunt. He's just as fucking useless as you."

"Let him fucking go," she screams, flying toward him. I move, but Kane is faster. Fuck knows how. He hauls her back before she does something really fucking stupid.

"Enough, Princess." Kane growls in her ear, forcing her to stand down.

She spins in his arms, desperately trying to keep him up as he sways.

"I'm leaving," Kane informs Victor. "I'll assume you accept my terms and will leave me the fuck alone. You've left your mark." He points to his shoulder. "If you keep up the rest, you'll get what I promised."

My brows pinch as I pretend not to know what his terms were. Of course the reality is that I was the one to give him the terms, should this situation occur.

Kane knows plenty of things that he shouldn’t. But right now, there are only a couple of things that could make Victor—or Mav—bend to his wishes.

My chest constricts that he’s used Alana as a bargaining chip. It shouldn’t matter. She was the one who put herself in the middle of this bullshit.

But it does matter. And not just because of what I suspect she knows. But because of how JD smiles brighter with her in his life. That motherfucker might be a joker and the life of the party, but that is only one side of him. The other… I’d happily never see again. And since Alana, those shadows seem farther away than ever.

Set her free and send her back to a life that’s controlled by Victor… back to her husband who clearly loves her but doesn’t treat her right and destroy my boy in the process.

Yeah… that’s not going to be happening any time soon.

Helping Letty out, I wrap my arm around Kane’s waist and take most of his weight as we head for the door.

But unsurprisingly, Victor’s cold voice rips through the room as he has the final say.

"You go back on this and you're all fucking dead. All of you."

I know he doesn’t mean me. He’s threatening Kane and Letty, but still, my blood turns to ice.

Over my dead fucking body, old man.

44

JD

I take the stairs from the basement two at a time. I’m flying so fucking high after my time with Alana that nothing could bring me down.

Or at least, I think that’s the case until I push through the hidden door and come face-to-face with Doc, his white shirt covered in blood.

“JD,” he greets as I stand there shell-shocked.

Movement behind him forces me to look over his shoulder and thankfully, I find Reid standing behind him. He’s also covered in blood. But at least he’s alive.

“Thank you,” Reid says when they get to the door.

“Anytime,” Doc says before disappearing out the front door.

Reid closes it behind him before resting his forearm against the dark wood and dropping his head to it.

“What’s happened?” I ask, my impatience getting the better of me. “Whose blood is that?”

“Kane’s,” he says after a few seconds before he pushes from the door and turns to face me. “He told Victor that he was done for good. Gave up everything. Victor pulled him in and shot him.”

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