Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 87961 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87961 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Marney leans over the railing next to me. He squints against the sun and raises his brows. “You can’t treat this differently than you would any other situation. I know you don’t like it, none of us do, but she doesn’t belong here and she’s gonna fuck everything up as soon as she gets back to Joe.” He inhales, then leans in closer to me. “Even if she has no idea why she’s here, Joe will do whatever it takes to find out what he wants. To know what your face looks like...he’ll gut her.”
We stand in silence, staring out into the woods.
“Jude, she’s gonna die either way. Think of it that way. If you don’t kill her, Joe will. At least you’d be more humane about it, I’m sure.”
I swallow because I know he’s right, but the thought of killing her sickens me. I feel this irrational need to protect her, for God knows what reason. If Joe’s intention is to use her, then kill her, surely I should save her? That would fuck up his plans.
I push off of the railing and pull my phone from my pocket, selecting Euan’s number from the directory.
It rings several times, and just when I’m about to hang up, he answers. “Hello?”
“Where’s my fucking money?” I growl through my teeth.
“I...I’ve got about five thousand, but I can’t...I haven’t been able to get the rest yet, but I will. I can in a few more days, please, just…”
“Not good enough!” I pause, my mind clouded by thoughts of Joe, my mom and sister...Tor. ”You had three days, and unfortunately the thing of yours closest to me is that girl you so idiotically sent to me.”
“Don’t hurt her, please!” he pleads like the pathetic piece of shit he is. For fuck’s sake, is he really begging me not to hurt the girl he willingly sent to me, knowing damn well what I’m capable of?
“For each day that you don’t pay me, I will mutilate a part of that perfect little body of hers. If I don’t have everything in full, plus another ten grand, I will kill her in three days. Got it?”
There is no sound aside from his sniffling and stuttering over the word “please.”
By now anger has set in. I’ve been set up, fucked over, and this little shit thinks I’ll take pity on him. My jaw is ticking, my breath labored. “And you tell that fucking uncle of yours he made a very bad decision to fuck with me.” I hang up the phone, clenching it in my fist.
I can feel my face heating as I turn to Marney. “Look, I know I’ve been set up. That’s not the issue right now. The issue is whether or not she’s part of that set-up, because if she isn’t, that makes her an innocent victim. I will not kill an innocent girl.”
“Your job is to protect this”—Marney waves his hand at the house—“not worry yourself about ‘innocent victims.’ You're not a knight in shining armor. You’re a bookie.” He huffs out a harsh breath. “You protect number one, no matter what the cost.”
At what point does the cost become too high? Where do you draw the line? Even a man with no morals has to have a line he will not cross.
I stare at him; there’s not one ounce of remorse on his face. If it were up to him, she would already be dead. This life is all he’s ever had, and it’s left him soulless and bitter. Is that what I look like to her? Like a heartless, bloodthirsty bastard?
He shakes his head like he can’t understand what my hang-up is. “You think she’s innocent, but you can’t guarantee that. Are you willing to bet your life on it? Caleb’s life? Because you need to be that sure. If you can’t put your hand on your heart and say that, then you do what needs to be done.”
“Fuck!” I slam my hand against the wooden rail. Is she really worth the risk? Why the fuck can’t I just do the logical thing here?
There’s only one way to be sure someone is telling the truth, but my mind doesn’t want to go there. If this were a guy, torturing him for information wouldn’t be a problem. Hell, I’d do it myself. So now I’m left with very few options: shoot her, in case she’s working for Joe, or do whatever it takes to drag the truth from her in the hopes of proving her innocence. Fuck, she may prefer the option of a bullet.
“I’ll make sure,” I say without looking at him.
He claps his hand over my shoulder as he moves past me. “I know you’ll do what needs to be done.” There’s doubt in his voice, and he stops on the stairs, glancing up at me. “You killed Joe’s fucking wife. It’s your life or hers, remember that.”