Page 74 of Midnight of Ashes
My beast pushed for supremacy again. He knew what the shed meant. That he’d get his blood, his screams.
“First, we need to figure out how to get him out of here without being seen,” Maddox muttered. “And someone needs to clean up the office so there aren’t signs of a struggle.”
“I’ve got an idea,” Pete said with a grin. He disappeared out the door, returning a few seconds later with the custodian’s cleaning cart. “I think we can make him fit in the garbage can like the trash he is.”
Yes, we could.
Our blacked-out SUV pulled up to the rundown shed far from our house. Far enough that no one would hear Brent scream. His muffled yells from the trunk reminded me that my dragon would get to hear every cry of pain. He needed that. Needed to inflict ten times the agony that this monster had inflicted on Hayden.
I opened the back door and slid out of the vehicle, only to be greeted by a very pissed-off Cillian.
“Where. Is. He?” Cillian growled.
“Trunk.”
Maddox was already moving to open it as Pete and Terry waited for further instruction.
The back hatch rose as Brent twisted and writhed. But there was tape over his mouth, and his hands and feet were zip-tied.
“Get him in the chair,” Cillian snapped.
The two enforcers easily carried a flailing Brent into the shed.
“Have you heard from Knox?” Maddox asked.
Cillian nodded. “He and East are bringing Hayden back to the house now. They’ll treat her wounds and make sure she’s okay.”
“She’s not okay.” The words ground out like a vicious accusation.
Cillian’s eyes bled to black. “I know. And we are going to get retribution.”
With that, he stalked toward the shed.
We followed behind to find that Pete and Terry already had the pissant zip-tied to the chair. Cillian prowled toward him, ripping off the tape.
Brent cried out. “I’m going to sue all of you. Take your fucking billions. I’ll own your ass.”
Cillian chuckled low, sending a shiver over all of us. “They’d have to find your body first. And with the tiny little pieces Cáel is going to chop you into, I highly doubt they will.”
Brent’s face blanched of all color. “You wouldn’t.”
“Oh, we would. You’re going to die either way. The question is how painful we make it. If you answer me honestly now, I’ll make sure it’s quick. If you fuck with me, I’ll let Cáel take his time.”
My dragon surged again. He wanted to keep the monster alive for days, to stretch out the torture for as long as possible.
“Y-you’re messing with me,” Brent stammered.
“Am I?” Cillian asked, extending his hand toward Terry, who placed a knife in it. In one swift movement, Cillian brought the knife down. It cleanly severed one of Brent’s fingers.
There was a pause and then a scream of agony.
Cillian grinned, wiping the blade on Brent’s pants. “Now. Are you going to tell me what I want to know?”
“Yes! Yes! Fuck!”
“Good. Who told you to target Hayden?”
Brent’s brow puckered. “What? No one.”
