Page 97 of Freed By Fire
He lifts his head and stares at me through his good eye. “I must be good for something if I’m still here.”
I use a towel to wipe my knuckles. “I don’t care what lies you tell yourself to get through the night.”
Ryder’s lips curl into a smile as blood drips down his chin. “I think we both know I’m not the one who’s lying.”
I throw the towel onto the table and pick up a pair of pliers to examine them. “You should listen to your brother. At least he’s got some common sense.”
Noah was a lot harder to break than his brother, but at least I’m sure he doesn’t know anything else.
His half-cooked attempt at taking me down by having his brother expose me has already unraveled around him, and he has nothing left. Not London, not the prestigious job he worked hard for, and certainly not the father willing to sell him out.
I almost feel sorry for him.
With a frown, I set down the pliers and reach for the knife, the hard steel glistening underneath fluorescent lights. “You’re both of no use to me.”
Ryder pauses to spit out a mouthful of blood. “Are you sure you aren’t the one who hit your head? The story is still out there, remember? And my editor knows where to look for the bodies.”
I face Ryder and hold the knife up to the light. “You mean Sharlene? Yes, we had a nice chat over coffee.”
Some of the blood drains from Ryder’s face. “You’re lying.”
“She suggested we meet at that little bistro in a lesser-known part of the city. Sharlene told me you like to go there to write.”
I advance on Ryder and hold the knife to his throat. “It’s a nice place, and that cute little brunette there? I can see why you like her. Maybe I’ll go back and have a chat with her.”
“Stay the hell away from her!”
I chuckle and press the knife against his flesh. “You’re not in a position to make any demands.”
Ryder holds still. “Neither are you.”
“Stop taunting him,” Noah snaps from a few feet away. He lifts his head and looks at his brother through his half-swollen eye. “He’s baiting you, Ryd. Don’t give him anything.”
Ryder scowls. “I think you’re doing enough of that for both of us.”
“I’m trying to keep us alive.”
Ryder tilts his head to look at his brother, and a flash of anger moves across his face. “No, you’re trying to stay on his good side, so he doesn’t kill you. I never pegged you for a coward.”
Noah’s expression flattens and his eyes blaze. “It isn’t cowardly to want to live. One of us has to be smart.”
“You think this is being smart?” Ryder laughs. “He’s not going to let you go. Not when it’s much easier to keep you here. This way, he doesn’t have to worry about you and London.”
“He won’t hurt me while—”
I push the knife into Ryder’s leg, and his scream echoes in the room. Noah swallows and swings his gaze to mine. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“As amusing as it is to watch you two, I have better things to do.”
Like figure out a way to get London give up the baby.
She’s steered clear of me all day, avoiding my gaze whenever our paths cross.
I hate not being able to hold her or touch her.
You can’t do either of those things until you figure out a way out of this mess. Otherwise, whatever backup drive Ryder has with the exposé on you won’t matter.
None of it will matter.
