Page 77 of Devils Tooth Ridge

“Now you see why they call me The Collector.” He crooned and I shuddered. This man was definitely insane.

“Why?” I asked and he shrugged.

“They remind me why I do what I do. Each and every one of these people are traitor or an enemy. Except this one.” He reached for a jar on a makeshift desk and turned it around. I stared into the cloudy eyes of the floating head.

This was going to haunt my dreams.

“My father. The man your grandfather killed. I was still a boy, but I didn’t want to forget the man that had already begun to train me.” He said and I stared at this psycho.

He was a boy when he asked for his father’s head to be dipped in fucking formaldehyde and preserved. That was some messed up stuff.

“Now he sits on my desk and watches as I bring him the heads of everyone who wronged us or betrayed us. Did you know there are even some of our own people in here? People who tried to infiltrate our brotherhood but truly belonged to the Illumini.” He sneered the name as he put the jar back down on the desk.

“Your head will look so pretty on my shelf. The best prize of them all. Don’t worry. I’ll send what is left of your broken body back to Gideon, so he has something to bury.” He crooned, stroking my face.

I heard a grunt then swearing behind me as men hauled Beau out of the van.

“Ah. Beau Daley. The thorn in my side.” He said as I turned to watch him.

“You promised you would let him go.” I spat at Damien who grinned.

“I know. And we will.” He said and Phillip gestured to the handcuffs.

“Take them off.” He said and one of the men complied, releasing Beau.

“There you are. You are free.” He said and everyone laughed.

I looked around the room, wondering how long it would be before the team arrived.

“Off you go,” Phillip said as he waved his hands and Beau stared at him then at me.

“I’m not leaving without her.” He said breath labored.

“Yes, I know. True love and all. Go on then. Go get her.” Phillip gestured to me, and my stomach twisted in knots.

Something was very wrong here.

Beau hesitated before he began to make his way towards me, eyes on mine. I felt lightheaded as I held my breath, waiting to see the catch.

As Beau reached me, a gun fired three rounds and Beau grunted, falling into me. I scrambled to catch him, sinking to my knees with the weight of his body.

“BEAU!” I shouted as I felt the blood begin to soak his shirt.

“You fucking monster,” I shouted at Phillip who grinned.

“We let him go. We did exactly as you asked. You didn’t specify how.” He said with an evil grin.

I looked down at Beau's face as he winced, reaching his hand up to touch my face.

“I love you.” He whispered and I choked on a sob.

The sound of a metal sliding door scraping pulled my attention, and I watched as a man slowly walked toward us, his face in shadow.

His footsteps echoed through the warehouse and I dug my fingers into Beau’s shirt as his face came out of the shadows.

Disbelief, shock, and horror rolled through me as I looked at the face of a man I thought was dead. A man whom I had known my entire life as a kind, loving man.

Austin.

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