Page 166 of Merciless

“Oh?” JD asks, scooting forward.

“Yeah. And not only that, apparently, they’re willing to talk.”

“Ohhh,” he says, his eyes lighting up in excitement as he rubs his hands together. “That motherfucker is going down.”

Something fizzles inside me. I’ve been so focused on bringing my father and his reign of terror down that I haven’t really taken a step back to appreciate just how far we’ve come.

But right now, we’re closer than ever.

“You know that woman in the basement would be more than happy to help in any way that she can,” he says, figuratively dousing my excitement with an ice-cold bucket of water.

“Does everything have to lead back to her?” I bark.

“No. But I figure that she could be an asset. She hates that cunt as much as we do. The shit he’s made her do, man.” JD scrubs his hand down his face, looking more concerned than ever about his piece of ass in the basement.

But how he’s feeling now is going to be obliterated if what I’m suspecting is true.

And I hate to admit it, but I think he might be right. Alana could be the missing piece we need on our side to finally put everything I’ve been working toward into action.

But before I can even consider that, I need the truth and nothing but the truth about all of it right from her lips.

I can’t risk being wrong and giving her and Mav the ammo she needs to bring me down right alongside Victor.

“Where did you go earlier?” I ask, doing a three-sixty on our conversation.

“Out,” he says, his stupid, smug grin returning.

“What was in the bag aside from donuts?”

“So you were watching,” he teases. When I do nothing but glare, he continues, “Just a few things to make her stay a little more pleasant. Nothing exciting.”

“It’s not meant to be pleasant.”

“She doesn’t deserve to be down there.”

“She still hasn’t told me everything,” I shoot back.

“Why does she have to? She’s explained what’s important about working for Victor and being made to lie to Kane.”

“We still don’t know why. And until I have everything and am confident she’s not going to fuck us over, she’s not leaving that cell. I don’t care how good her fucking pussy is,” I state, pushing my chair back and standing to my full height. “Do what you’ve got to do to get the truth. One way or another, I’m getting every secret in that pretty little head of hers.”

“Ah-ha, so you can admit that she’s pretty,” he calls after me as I storm out of my office in favor of the kitchen.

Just like I expected, footsteps follow me.

“If you can be bothered to check your cell, there are shipment details on it for the guys. Can you speak to Dev and get them set up for the week.”

“A please would be nice, Boss,” he teases.

“I’m making dinner. Go and do your fucking job.”

With a salute, he disappears from the room and thunders up the stairs.

Leaning forward, I rest my hands on the edge of the counter and hang my head.

Squeezing my eyes closed, I try to forget about everything for just a couple of seconds. We’ve been moving toward the checkered flag with all this for a while, but all of a sudden, it seems like we’ve taken the last corner and are hurtling down the final straightaway faster than I can control.

Dread sits heavy in my stomach, and it’s not just because of what I’m about to uncover. I might be horrified, but honestly, I can’t say I’m surprised. Victor Harris and his inner circle are some twisted cunts with no morals and even fewer ethics. They’re only after two things: power and money. And it seems they really will stop at nothing to get it. Fuck the lives they ruin in the process. People don’t matter, not when you’re almighty Harrow Creek Hawks royalty.

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