Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 81767 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 409(@200wpm)___ 327(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81767 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 409(@200wpm)___ 327(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
“For you to think,” I respond evenly, crossing one leg over the other. “Why are you here?”
Silence fills the room. I feel like a schoolteacher waiting for a student’s answer as I stare at him. Time drags on as James struggles to think, and I snap my fingers for Jasper to pull out a tooth.
“No, wait, just give me a fucking second to think!”
“Now,” I demand.
“The car,” James says, then lifts his head up and screams, “the fucking car!”
I clap my hands a few times in mock congratulations. “Bravo, James. Well done. Looks like you have a brain after all.” I glance at Merrick and Braken but not long enough to try to read their faces. I can’t let them get in my head. I can’t soften.
I’m the monster right now.
I must remain that way a little longer.
I can’t allow them to soften or tame the beast inside of me.
I push to my feet and reach into the pocket of my longcoat, pulling out my leather gloves. Even if the cleaners come and make sure there’s no trace of James after this, I don’t want any latent fingerprints left behind. Even the smallest piece of hair, sweat, or skin can fuck everything up.
“Do you even know who you killed?” I ask as I take two slow steps forward.
“Does that matter?”
“It does when he’s Hector Godwin’s son.”
A wave of realization washes over James’s face even larger than the pool of blood at his feet. His bottom lip trembles as he thinks of what to say, but by the time I step in front of him, careful not to step in the pool, he’s still come up empty.
“Wait! Wait, listen, I didn’t know!”
“Didn’t know?” Braken asks from behind me.
“I was contacted on WhatsApp about two weeks ago. It was a picture of me selling drugs to some kids on the street. I don’t know how he got it—”
“He?”
“The bastard who messaged me. He goes by Mr. Silk. I don’t know anything about him other than that.” James whimpers and tries to pull at his restraints to no avail. “Fuck, it hurts to talk.”
“It’ll hurt even more if you don’t keep going.” I gesture to Jasper with my chin. Jasper holds up the pliers and starts to move closer, but James shakes his head.
“Okay, man, listen, I couldn’t go back to jail, all right? The judge said if I was caught again, it’s a lifetime sentence. I got a kid to think about.”
I snort. All people are the same. They’ll make up some outlandish lie to win my sympathies and change my mind. If they didn’t want to be punished, they should have thought about that before murdering someone. James is a fucking dumbass for trusting some guy on WhatsApp, of all places.
But that begs the question: who the fuck is Mr. Silk?
“That’s what they all say. Try again, James. With the truth this time.”
“I’m serious!” He jerks his handcuffs so hard it rattles the pipe and nearly drowns out his words. “Check my phone. It’s in my front pocket. You’ll see! He messaged me to buy that old broad’s car and then place a little electronic box under a car at the stadium. Mr. Silk had everything set up. I didn’t know it was a bomb, man, you gotta believe me. I wouldn’t have done it if I knew. It’s why I ran for my life, man.”
That explains why James’s car took off after the explosion and ended up getting caught. It doesn’t explain why the dumbass still has the car in the first place.
I bend down and smirk so James can look me in the eye. “But you’re still using the car anyway, aren’t you, James?”
His blue eyes can’t meet mine as he mutters, “A man’s gotta get to work somehow.”
“Jasper, grab the phone.”
Jasper reaches into the front of James’s jeans and pulls a new iPhone from his pocket. He hands it to me, but when the screen flashes, the TouchID screen comes up in front of a picture of him and a young girl. Poor kid. It’s too bad she has a dumbass for a father.
“I need a thumb,” I tell him before turning away.
“Yes, Boss,” Jasper says.
“Wait— Wait! Wait, where are you— No, you motherfucker! Stop!”
“Be happy we’re going to let you walk out of here with your life and only missing a thumb,” I say as I motion for Merrick and Braken for us to leave. “But I’d leave town if I were you. Once the Godwins hear what you did, you’re a dead man.”
“You think it’s wise keeping him alive?” Merrick asks as we exit. I know he’s not asking because he wants me to the kill the man. Judging by the relief in his eyes the moment I motioned for us to leave, I’m pretty sure he’s thrilled he doesn’t have to witness a murder. He’s scared of what this man could do once freed.