Page 107 of Malice and Surrender
He bellowed as I looked around for what I needed next and spotted his fishing equipment in the corner. That would work. Going over to Jim’s boots by the door, I quickly pulled out the long black laces.
“What are you doing?” Jim asked, his eyes going wide.
“You said don’t kill you. You didn’t say don’t secure you.” His face relaxed. Such a stupid fuck. “Can’t have you thinking you can grab your gun.”
As soon as he had his leg tied off, so he didn’t die before I wanted him to, I grabbed his wrists and tied them together, then dragged Jim across the floor to a crescendo of swearing.
“So nice of you to have this old-fashioned stove here,” I drawled. I glanced at Jim’s face, which was contorted in pain. “You better start talking before I even up your legs.”
“It was all Frank,” Jim said as I walked to the far side of the room and grabbed the tackle box I’d seen. That was not the answer I’d been expecting to hear.
“Why would your hunting buddy want me to go to prison?” I asked, pulling out the heavy fishing line. This shit was meant to hold a gator, so it would definitely hold Jim. Stuffing the gun in my jeans, I spun the round wire reel on my finger as I strolled toward my prey.
“He had Dave all fired up about you fucking his wife and how that was disrespectful and how you needed to be taught a lesson if he was a real man.”
I lifted a brow at Jim as I squatted down and used the line to secure his hands to the heavy cast-iron stove. This was something you would see in a hunting camp way up north. Why the fuck he had one was beyond me, and I didn’t care enough to ask.
“So you taught Raine a lesson instead?” I asked as I tied the knot in place and slit the line with my switchblade.
“Sorta. That wasn’t part of the original deal, Kai. I swear to you. We were just supposed to rough you up a little. You know, teach you a lesson for messing around with another man’s wife.” He licked his lips as I moved to his feet and decided that the two recliners would have to do.
“Keep talking, Jim,” I said, pushing the first chair across the floor.
“We went down to the fights and were going to wait for you to come out after you were done and jump you. Frank was the lookout guy. He was in the fights watching for you, but you never showed, and then there was a shoot-out.”
My hands paused. I’d forgotten about the gunshots. What if she’d been shot that night? A cold dread spread throughout my body.
“Raine was there, and for whatever fucked up reason, she thought Frank was you and came racing down the alley where we were. Frank said this would be even better when Dave mentioned who Raine was. I swear to you. I didn’t want to hurt her. Raine had always been nice to me,” Jim said, lifting his head to look at me as I tied his first foot to the chair.
“So what you’re saying is that you were forced to put your cock inside her and then frame me for it?” His chair scraped ominously across the floor as I pushed it toward Jim. “Or maybe you randomly ended up naked and fell on her, and then why not? You were already there.”
“Man, look, I had sex with her, but you have to understand that Frank is scary. I didn’t know what he would do if I refused.”
I smiled wide as I tied Jim’s second leg. “Psst, Jim,” I whispered. “Guess who’s scarier.”
“Kai, believe me, I argued with them and begged them to let her go, but Frank wouldn’t listen. He told Dave that this way, you’d be locked up for life.”
“Oh, that must have been such a sad day when I took the plea deal for ten,” I drawled, the sarcasm dripping off every word. Finished with my securing, I pulled out my knife, and Jim screeched like I’d already done something to him. Shaking my head, I slit the jeans on both legs and cut up the middle, so the material fell open.
“What the hell are you doing?” Jim cried, but I ignored him.
It figures this guy would be wearing tighty-whities. I really didn’t want to see this, but I gripped the elastic band and pulled it up, so the knife slid through the material easily.
“I told you everything I know. I was scared, and that’s the truth. I did what I was ordered to do,” he said, his voice full of conviction.
“Did you come?” Walking to the gun case, I pulled out my leather gloves and stuffed my hands inside before gripping the rifle and fifty-caliber shells.
“What?”
“You heard me. Did you cum? Did you hate it so much that you were repulsed by her young ass, or did you cum?”
“Fuck, man….” Jim looked away from my hard gaze.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” Opening the ammunition box, I loaded the cartridge and marched toward Jim.
“What the hell are you doing with my gun?” He squirmed on the floor and pulled on his restraints, but everything held firm.
“Well, Jim, I believe in karma. That shit is my best friend, and today you’re getting the chance to meet,” I said and knelt between his legs. “Tell me something. Why the warehouse?”
