Page 63 of Law

The General turned, focusing all his attention on her. Lovie whimpered when he smiled. His toothy grin was more predatory than friendly, probably because his eyes were so cold.

“It’s good to see you again, Lovelyn.”

His voice made her skin crawl. And she hated he called her Lovelyn. Everyone called her Lovie. Everyone except her Daddy. On her Daddy’s lips, her name sounded sweet. She liked it. But on the General’s lips, it sounded dirty. She’d promised her Daddy she wouldn’t ever lie, so she simply replied, “General.”

“I hope you’ve had a chance to reflect on what I said the last time I saw you.”

Dread sat like a boulder of ice in her stomach. The last thing he’d said to her was he wanted her captured so he could question and then kill her.

Glancing around the room for a distraction, she lost focus on him, jumping when he caught her arms and squeezed.

Stupid, Lovelyn. That was stupid. Never take your eyes off the biggest threat in the room.

“Answer me when I ask you a question, girl.”

She winced as his grip on her arms grew tighter. Her Daddy would have to forgive her just this once. “I… I don’t remember.”

The General’s voice grew colder. “Oh, I think you do. And my plans haven’t changed. I know you not only went through my files before destroying them. You also shared confidential information with the people who are trying to illegally remove me from office. My, my, my... what would your father say?”

She didn’t have a father. She had a Daddy. And he’d tell her to run and hide about now. “My stepfather has no importance in my life. Nor do you. You are a thief, a sex trafficker, and a murderer. My Viking and his brothers at Sabre are headed this way, I’ll bet. They are going to make you pay for everything you’ve done.”

“You stupid bitch. I’m going to take you back to the compound and find out everything you told Raleigh Stevens about me and my operation. I will strip you down to nothing and peel your brain apart layer by layer, like an onion.”

Onion! Holy crapoli. That was what had been bothering her. The thing she hadn’t been able to remember from the documents she’d read at the compound. There was a website address written in several different places: howler_moon.onion. She didn’t know what it meant. She only knew every instinct she had told her it was important.

Suddenly, the General slapped her. Hard. She cried out in pain. Her cheek burned where he’d hit her. Everyone in the restaurant stopped talking and stared.

For a minute, she was glad he’d hit her. Now, one of the other customers would intervene and help her get away.

Only that wasn’t what happened. People started whispering amongst themselves, but no one came to her rescue. No one would even make eye contact. Tears sprang to her eyes, but she held them back.

The General put his hand on her thigh and squeezed so hardshe knew it would leave a bruise. Her Viking was going to kill this man.

He put his face right next to hers. Spittle flecked her skin as he spoke. “You need to pay attention to me when I speak.”

She nodded. “I will. Can you please let go of my leg?”

The General’s smile disappeared, leaving her to deal with the shark eyes as he moved his hand from her leg back to her arm. “Your leg is fine. Now you listen to me, you little bitch. I have worked too hard to get where I am to have it all stolen from me by some two-bit wannabe heroes. I have a destiny, and I will not allow it to be stolen from me by them or you or anyone else.”

And then her mouth turned to her brain and said, “No worries, I got this.”

Her brain should know better than to listen to her mouth. “Don't feel bad, General. I mean, everyone gets what’s coming to them eventually.”

Shut up. Shut up. Shut up!

But did she shut up? No.

“You’re slipping. Anyone would confess to murder like you did when Deke was holding you off the ground with one hand, choking you against a wall. You made a serious mistake, and they're going to prosecute you and find you guilty. Then you’ll spend the rest of your days rotting in a cell, while on the outside everyone forgets your name.”

The General’s eyes bulged, and spittle continued to fly from his lips as he bellowed his rage. Tears burned her eyes as his grip tightened even more. The restaurant emptied. Everyone left her alone with an unhinged man who was hurting her.

Lovelyn pulled and twisted her arms, but nothing seemed to work. She was going to have bruises on her arms to match the ones on her leg. But she had no choice except to keep going until her Daddy arrived.

“It isn’t a confession when it is obtained under duress. I had no idea what I was saying, and they have no proof of anything.”

Oh, but they did. Everyone there heard him bragging about what he’d done. But even she wasn’t crazy enough to point that out. Maybe soothing him would help. “I get it. You’re right. My bad.”

“You’d better figure out how to get better. You think I can’t reach your brother? I can. I will take him and kill him in the most painful way you can imagine. And then I’ll kill anyone and everyone else you love. And then I’ll kill you.”

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