Page 78 of Blood on Ice

At least I knew he had gotten our message. Why hadn’t I trusted that Lucien knew how to lure him in?

Because you love Zeke, and you’re scared.

Shit, I was in love with him. What a fucking time to come to terms with that. “Cut me down, and we’ll see what kind of deal we can make.”

“Or I can leave you here and see how important you are to your family.”

That wasn’t something I wanted tested. Would they sacrifice me for the general good? I hoped to hell not. Surely Val wouldn’t stand for it.

But what about Zeke? If Benito killed me, they would protect him, wouldn’t they?

Val would see to that too.

“You could do that, but your odds are a lot better talking to me. I’m a lot more fun to negotiate with than Lucien.”

He cackled loudly like a maniac. “Your cousin really should have a better sense of humor. I think the best thing I could do with you is use you to lure him in on my terms.”

If I could free myself, I’d pulverize his smug face before I cut his head from his shoulders.

It took everything in me not to argue with him. I knew that wasn’t going to get me anywhere. “Lucien’s not going to listen to you. He sets the terms, no one else.”

“He’s really that foolish?”

No, but apparently, Benito was. “Why don’t we sit down and talk this out like civilized people?”

He raised his gun, and for a moment, I thought it was all over for me, then he fired at the rope holding me up. I fell to the ground, banging my head on a rock hidden in the grass.

Fuck, that hurt.

The yard spun around me as I fought to sit up. I couldn’t afford to look weak while facing down Benito.

“On your feet,” he ordered. His gun was pointed directly at my heart. “Marshall?”

A few seconds later, a huge man clomped out onto the porch. “Yeah, boss?”

“Rid this gentleman of his weapons.”

Marshall didn’t worry about gentleness. He jerked me around until he’d found the guns and knives I’d carefully strapped to my body before leaving home.

Benito smiled. “Those are some nice weapons. They’ll make great additions to our collection. Marshall, go put them away.” Marshall stared at the guns for a few moments, obviously moving slower than Benito liked. “I said get the fuck in the house and put them up!”

The way Benito swung from pretending to be a gentleman to screaming like a psycho was unsettling as fuck. I was in a hell of a lot of trouble.

Why had I needed to prove I could take control?

I could’ve just talked to Val. Could’ve even talked to my dad, but no, I needed this to be my mission, my call. Now, no one knew where I was, and I had a feeling Benito was not going to take me up on my offer to negotiate.

“Get inside,” Benito ordered.

For now, I needed to do as he said, so I walked to the porch, climbed the steps, and entered the kitchen. Benito pressed something to his left, and a hidden panel slid open, revealing a set of stairs.

I frowned. “I’d prefer to have our discussion right here.”

“Marshall, take him down to the basement.”

That sounded seriously bad. “Listen, there’s no reason to act like this. I came here in good faith to negotiate.”

Benito shoved me. I tried to grip the doorway to keep from falling down the stairs, but he slammed his gun down on my fingers. I slipped, tumbling over backwards.

---