Page 78 of A Game of Secrets

“Don’t you fucking speak of her,” I hiss, pressing the blade hard enough to hear the crunch of bone beneath but adding more pressure regardless. My father wails behind me, his throat raspy and cracking as I slice through the tissue until the blood spurts from the knuckle and his finger falls with a small bounce to the floor.

“You fucking cunt!” he screams, sweat layering his sickly looking face.

“You never fucking deserved her!” I snap, ripping the ring from his stump and dropping it into my pocket. “This is the least you deserve for all the shit you put her through,” I growl, slamming my fist into his face, cracking his nose with the impact. I turn my back to him but the throaty laugh that escapes his lips stops me in my tracks.

“You stupid son of a bitch,” he cackles. “You have no idea who you’re dealing with.”

“We’ll be dealing with a dead man soon enough.” Cole slips out before I can respond.

“And you, you stupid little shit. You should have died years ago, alone in that cellar.” Cole lunges forward stabbing his knife straight into his thigh and twisting it until the sound of his blade grinding on the bone can be heard between the piercing screams that follow.

“I did die down there, but I was also reborn,” Cole grunts as he yanks his knife from Theo’s thigh.

“Never did find out who was really behind it though, did you?” My father taunts. “Bet it’s haunted you for all these years.” His sly devil grin makes my stomach flip and I know Cole knows it too.

“You?” I utter in disbelief. “It was you?”

Theo throws his head back and howls with laughter. “Right under your fucking noses,” he cackles.

“This is bullshit, I’ve had enough of this.” Cole states, grabbing a long metal chain from a workbench behind us. He swiftly removes the restraints around Theo that bind him to the chair then secures the chain to his wrists, swings it over a ceiling rafter and hoists him so much that his feet barely touch the ground. I watch with trepidation and excitement coursing through me as Cole slices the clothes from Theo’s torso and lets them fall to the floor. He moves with purpose grabbing a blowtorch from the duffel bag and walking behind Theo who now looks like he's about to throw up. "Where is Teddy?" Cole asks through gritted teeth, his face has grown dark and serious and his eyes look almost black.

"Gone."

Without another thought, Cole flicks on the torch and presses the red hot flame against his skin. The blood curdling scream that erupts is something I will never forget and the smell or burning flesh will be ingrained in my senses forever.

"Tell us!" I shout, stepping closer. Cole switches the torch off and the screams trail off with it. I watch as Theo's head slumps forwards and his breathing becomes ragged as he tries to compose himself through the massive amount of pain his body is already in.

"Did you really think you would get away with this?" I ask, holding my hand out for Cole to pass me the torch.

"I already have," he stutters.

"Where is he?" I ask again, but there’s no reply. I switch on the flame and hold it to his bare torso as he hisses in pain, writhing against the chains. I take pleasure in watching the skin boil and sizzle under the hot fire and as it starts to turn black I switch it off. "You're a worthless piece of shit, you know that?" I accuse spitting in his face. "All of this for what?" I ask, throwing my arms out and shrugging my shoulders. "For a crown you were NEVER fit to wear. You disgust me!" I snarl. "And you deserve every ounce of pain I'm about to put you through."

I light the torch again and cover his chest until there is no pale unburnt skin left to see. His screams become more like strangled wet gargles until he loses consciousness and hangs limply from his wrists, blood oozing from his skin in various places and the smell of his burning flesh consuming the entire room.

I stand and stare at his ruined body for a moment, taking deep breaths to regain the burning anger I feel inside, holding onto the blowtorch so tight that my fingers are numb. Cole places his hand on my shoulder in a silent reassurance and it's all I can do to just nod to let him know I'm alright; but really it's me who should be asking him if he's alright. It was my father who was behind his kidnapping sixteen years ago and the revelation of that has just been thrown in his face. I lock my eyes on his but he shows no hint of a grudge or hatred towards me. How was I to know? Should I have known? Have I let my friend down? I shake my head as the anger begins to resurface and slap my father hard across the face. "We're not done with you yet." I yell and he groans loudly as he comes too then pukes, spitting bile onto the floor.

"You don't get off all the shit you put me through that lightly," Cole sneers, kicking the wound on his thigh leaving him swinging on his chain. Theo whimpers as he regains his footing, slipping on the blood and vomit that coats the floor. Cole looks at me and grins. "Mind if I teach your father a lesson?" he asks, picking a small curved blade from his boot strap.

"Be my guest," I allow, leaning back against the workbench watching the light flash through his eyes.

Cole turns slowly to face Theo who's watching him with a horrified look on his face. "You took something from me all those years ago that was not yours to take." Cole advances pacing back and forth in front of him while twisting the blade in his hands. I see how Theo's eyes grow wide and the bob of his throat as he swallows back his nervousness. "I didn't fucking touch you, I'm not a nonce," he stutters, trying to pull himself further away.

"It makes no difference, it was at your hands and now I will take something of yours in return," he declares and before he can object Cole shunts the tip of his blade into Theo's groin, angles it in an upright position and rips the blade across his hip, tearing through tendons and fibrous tissue. I can't help but grimace at the revolting sight of my fathers shriveled dick being ripped from his body and the blood curdling screams that have erupted. The sinewy mess that trails from his groin is enough to turn any man's stomach and I have to bite back at the bile that rises in my throat as Cole flicks the bloodied mass of spongy tissue making a wet slap as it hits the floor. Cole stands at his full height, back snapped straight and covered in blood, with the look of triumph glowing from his eyes, but also something else I can't decipher. He nods at me and steps back and I know that my father won't survive much longer anyway but I must be the one to end this, to draw a line at his betrayal to the club, my mother and to me.

I raise the gun from my holster and slam it into his temple. "Do you have anything left to say?" I spit, watching his face covered in snot, sick, blood and saliva. He opens his eyes and looks up at me then drops his head and whimpers, "I'm sorry," and I laugh as I squeeze the trigger.

"You're pathetic."

Chapter 37

Silas

My arms are wrapped around my angel, she has finally tired herself out from sobbing. I wait until the tell-tale signs of her soft breathing let me know she’s asleep. Kissing her gently on her head, I shift to move from her hold but she whimpers to me. "Please get him back Silas, I can't cope without my boy. Vinny, he's not stable and I don't want to think about what he could do to him."

Fuck. I lean down, giving her another kiss to her head as I whisper, "We will find him and bring him back to you sunshine, rest now while I get together some of my men and make a plan." She nods and closes her eyes. "I'll be back with something for you to eat once I’ve got a handle on things. Don't worry Angel."

Leaving the room, I silently pray to every damn God there is that I can bring him back to her. I will pull that bastard's innards out of his body for daring to take from me. The rage inside of me is hard to contain but I must remain calm until Linc and Cole return. I head straight for my office where I had already asked my men to gather.

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