Page 96 of Son of a Witch

“That must be hard on you to carry that weight.” Selena tried a different tact. Motherly. Caring. Understanding.

“What would you know?” James sneered. “You’ve probably got a white picket fence to go back to. My family’s living in a fucking caravan park. What kind of place is that for my kids?”

I understood that. My family grew up in rough neighborhoods, barely able to scrape by, sometimes never knowing when we’d eat next. Dad worked hard three years solid, extra shifts, overtime, anything to elevate us out of there.

Selena dropped her arms to her side. “Cooperate and tell us what we want to know, and we’ll see if we can arrange a pardon for you.”

James laughed. A deep, belly laugh that mocked us. “Yeah, right.”

Impatience for answers snapped like a rubber band stretched to its limit. This fuckwit held the key to us cracking our investigation. They key to us rounding up every last motherfucker who escaped. Earning the bounty points promised and our ticket to release. Then I would go out on my own to eliminate Styx and score vengeance for Jaz.

“Tell us what you know, fucker.” Desperation to get my team and me out pumped into every slam on the electrocution button.

James’ eyes rolled back in his head.

Selena attempted to swipe my fist off the button. “Knoxe, stop. Any more and you’ll kill him.”

CHAPTER32

Knoxe

Fuck.I was this close to losing it. Close to letting James have the full voltage and killing him with heart failure.

Close to exploding from all the pressure. Holding it together for my team. Being strong for them. Taking the blows and the punishment. Stabbings, beatings, fights. Carrying Raze’s secret. His banishment. My girl’s lies. Her heartbreak. Her fear. Tor’s injury. Mine and Pascal’s guilt. All of it combined into a blinding rage that consumed me, and kept my fist on the current button on the cell door.

Shocked by my actions, I sucked in air and released the button, stumbling at each of James’ pained groans.

“Take five,” Selena ordered. “I’ve got this.”

I staggered down the aisle to lean on the wall between two cells. The cool of the stone doused the fury in my body. I scrubbed my exhausted face. This place was getting to me. Control was my middle name, yet I had a moment of weakness and lost it, succumbing to fear and doubt. My end goal kept getting further away from me and I lost faith of ever getting out of here.

Hope sparked in my breast when Raze mentioned a conversation with Jaz about a box he hid with evidence to free us. I always knew Jaz wasn’t the rat the others made him out to be. Defended him at every chance. Sure, he got us sentenced in the Guardians. An act of love to protect us from the Serpents seeking revenge for busting their gantii trafficking venture.

For the briefest period, I saw light at the end of the tunnel for this nightmare to end. Smashed to pieces by Raze’s last communication with Astra, warning that Devon stole Jaz’s box. Fuck, I fooled myself into believing the pressure might be taken off me. That I could take a breather for once. In the end, the responsibility fell back to me. Chains locked around my ankle, binding me to a heavy iron ball. The tip of a sword jabbed at my back, urging me to jump the plank, sink into the ocean, and drown in the depths.

Back at James’ cell, Selena also let our prisoner have a breather before continuing her questioning. “Ready to talk?”

James reclined in his bed, clutching his stomach, which probably felt like emptying from the muscle spasms and violent nausea his electrocution brought on. “I don’t know anything.”

The time for mercy had long passed. This asshole knew something, and I would pry it from him if it was the last thing I did. Teams like mine didn’t top the sentence reduction scoreboard by sticking to the procedure. Rules were meant to be broken. Especially against a lying dog like this who bullied and stole from my girl, put my brother in the hospital, dealt with men who stalked innocent players, and performed a role in the escape of the prisoners.

Electrocution didn’t work on James, but maybe something else might. Something more persuasive. More illusory.

“Excuse me, I’ll be back,” I told Selena and stormed for the exit.

“Knoxe, where are you going?” Selena chased after me, grabbing my shoulder. “Are you all right?”

“To get answers,” I promised her, leaving her alone with the prisoner.

She didn’t let go when I made to leave. “How long will you be?” This wasn’t my leader talking. The mother in her emerged. Everything from her creased brow to her softer tone spoke of her concern for me.

No one in this place cared for me. They left me to my own devices to sink into my darkness over losing Jaz, Hollie, and Amber. Until Astra came along.

“Ten minutes, maximum.” Jitters popped like firecrackers under my skin.

The groan of James made me aware of leaving her alone with untrustworthy and dangerous men, something I would never do to my mother, sister, or my girl.

“Want me to get Johnstone to summon Loco to stay with you?”

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