Page 42 of The King of Hearts

Dad looks back at Lili. “I’m going to ask you an important question, Liliana, and I need you to really think about your answer before you give it.”

“Okay.”

“Earlier, you mentioned you wished Grant was dead. Was that an emotional, knee-jerk response, or is that something you truly want?”

“I want him dead,” she says immediately with no thought at all.

“Are you certain?”

“Yes. That man has starred in all of my living nightmares. He won’t ever let Harper and me stay gone. He’ll come after us, and I know for sure he’ll follow through with his threat to take us someplace where no one will find us. I’ve lived with the fear of him my whole life. I won’t allow Harper to live that way.”

Dad nods, his jaw twitching. “Now for the more important question.” He pauses a moment. “Do you want a hand in his death?”

To give Lili credit, she doesn’t flinch or seem horrified by Dad’s question. If anything, she looks intrigued.

“How do you mean?”

“As I stated before, The Raven Group gives clients the chance to rectify what was done to them. It’s up to each person how they want to accomplish that. They can choose to exact their own revenge in whatever capacity they choose. We train them so they’re proficient in whatever form they prefer to kill their attackers. We make sure there’s no evidence that can lead the authorities back to them or us. We protect them from any outside source that could prevent them from accomplishing their task. It’s a long process because we take so many precautionary steps, and we’re with them every step of the way. From conception to after the deed is done, and even long-term afterward.” Dad lets that sink in for a moment before he continues. “Or, if a person chooses, The Raven Group takes care of it so the client doesn’t get their hands dirty, literally and metaphorically.”

Lili doesn’t say anything at first. Not that we really expect her to. It’s a lot to take in. Not to mention the whole killing a human being part. It’s not every day someone offers you the opportunity to murder someone, even if the intended recipient deserves it.

Lili looks down at her thighs, her hands rubbing up and down the black jean material, as if she’s suddenly cold and trying to warm herself. Her brows are pinched together, and her bottom lip is caught between her teeth. Some strands have fallen from her braid and stick to her cheek. With her head tipped down, I can’t see her eyes properly, but I know they must be filled with indecision. The choice presented to her isn’t an easy one to make. It’s one thing to want your attacker dead. It’s a whole other ball game to participate in killing him.

After several tense moments, Lili lifts her head and meets Dad’s eyes. She sets her shoulders back, her spine straightening in determination. The look she gives him is resolute and filled with so much hatred that the room is nearly suffocated with the emotion.

“I want to do it. I’ll kill Grant.”

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

HIM

Inserting the old iron key into the slot, I twist it three times, and the bolt inside gives a little snick. After I put the key back inside my pocket, I grab the handle and turn it. The old metal door creaks and groans when I push it open. With no windows and when the door is shut, the room is pitch black. It works in favor of the things that happen here. It’s the simple things in life that make torture all the more fun.

There’s not a sound in the room, except for a steadydrip, drip, drip,from one of the old, rusted water pipes, and the barely discernible breathing coming from across the way. It smells like piss, blood, and the unmistakable stench of old fish.

I step inside and the source of piss and blood comes into view.

Shane Ballot.

The man who was going to kidnap and sell Savina to the highest bidder.

He isn’t supposed to still be breathing. I had him in my sights two days ago and was seconds away from knocking his ass out and bringing him here, but Bishop fucking Rivers showed up, and I had to fade into the shadows.

Alexander has had people on his trail for over a week. Shane’s done a good job keeping himself hidden, which is surprising because he’s never been too bright. Then he got a hankering for pussy and decided to wander out from the hole he was hiding in and went to one of the clubs on the mainland. One of my men spotted him and contacted me. He was fucking stupid to stay in the area. He should have known Alexander and his two sons would eventually find him. Not that it doesn’t work in my favor. This situation is actually perfect, because unknown to Alexander and his crew, Shane was hand-delivered to the exact location where I bring my own victims. Not this particular room, but close enough.

I flip the switch on the wall, and a bright-yellow light filters through the room. Immediate groans fill the space, and chains rattle seconds later.

Shane jerks against his metal bindings, which is a feat for sure, since he’s only balancing himself on the tips of his toes, and one of his ankles has been smashed with a sledgehammer. With the way he’s hanging there, one of his shoulders is out of its socket. I have to give Alexander credit. The man looks like he’s been through a meat grinder and then run over by a Mack truck. Savina’s father worked him over good, but not nearly deserving enough.

His hair, which was once supposed to be shaggy long, and I suppose attractive to females, hangs in an oily, sweaty mess around his face. He’s been stripped down to just a pair of light blue boxers, the front of which is now discolored with urine. His medium-build chest is streaked with blood and other bodily fluids, some from the twisted mess of his broken nose. There’s adeep cut above one of his eyes, causing it to swell so much that it’s almost sealed shut. A gash starts in the corner of his mouth and extends halfway across his cheek. It looks like someone took a blade to it. One of his ears is blown to twice its size and is only hanging on by a thread of skin. Besides the blood covering his torso, there are multiple deep slash marks that seep even more blood, and there’s even a strip of skin missing from his lower stomach. More skin is missing on his thighs.

I hacked into the camera that’s installed in this room last night and watched Alexander and his two sons torture the bastard. It was an interesting show and proved just how much you don’t want to fuck with anyone Alexander cares about. Ordinarily, Alexander is a fair and decent man, but not when it comes to his family. All bets are off and the savage comes out to play.

As much as I wanted the luxury of torturing Shane, I allowed Alexander his time with him. I could have stolen him out from under his nose, but every father deserves retribution against anyone who intends to harm their child. I permitted it because I knew Alexander wouldn’t kill Shane yet. He’d keep him on ice for a while until he gets what he wants. My generosity only goes so far, though. I’ll be taking that honor for myself. Alexander will be pissed, but that’s his problem, not mine.

Besides, this asshole isn’t going to give Alexander the answers he seeks because he doesn’t have them. The person who hired Shane to take Savina, the same fucking person who’s sending me those photos, stayed anonymous. You can’t torture a person for information they don’t have. Or rather, you can, but at the end of the day, you’ll leave empty-handed.

“Wha… w-who are you?” Shane sputters out between coughs of blood.

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