Page 113 of Cruel Revenge

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Zoe inspects her nails, picking at invisible dirt beneath them. “Come on, I know she told you. She’s half in love with you, even if the pair of you are too stupid to see it.”

“Fuck off.”

Her hands drop before she snaps forward, punching me in the mouth and splitting my lip. “You’re going to be nice while you’re here.”

“And you’re going to keep my wife’s name out of your mouth.”

“She’s not your wife.” Zoe takes a couple of steps back, the men with her hovering close.

They wouldn’t be able to get to her before I got my hands around her neck, though. I would be able to kill her without a second thought. She’d be lifeless on the ground, and Skyla’s problem would be solved.

And then there would just be Grady to take care of, but Skyla is already foaming at the mouth and trying to get to him.

This could be the solution to everything.

Zoe clasps her hands behind her back. “I didn’t take you for the kind of man to just sit by and let someone punch you. Are you sitting here and waiting for Skyla to save you? It’s cute that you let her take the lead.”

I grind my teeth together, watching her, trying to see what side she’s favoring. I’m only going to get one chance to kill her before the men are on me and hauling me away from her.

“She’s not going to come for me.” I cross my arms, doing my best to look relaxed. “I think you’ve overestimated how much she cares about me.”

“I don’t think I did.” Zoe smiles, her head tilting to the side. “I may not know what she sees in you, but I’m sure that she cares for you. It’s rather pathetic that you don’t know anything.”

“I know that you’re a bitch and she’s going to make you suffer eventually, but you’re a fool if you think she wants anything to do with me.”

“She told you what she was. The Reaper.” Zoe paces closer to me, stopping a few inches away, practically daring me to kill her now.

It’s all a game. Every little look, every word. Each one is a barb that she’s trying to sink deep beneath my skin, waiting until I snap.

I’m not going to give her the satisfaction.

The door opens and another person walks in, shrouded by the shadows at first, and then he steps into the light.

“Grady, you fucking bastard!” I lunge for him the second he’s close enough, getting my hands around his throat and slamming him into the ground.

I scramble to choke him out, hands pressing hard against his throat as he thrashes beneath me.

Before I can feel the live leave his body, the two men haul me back.

I slam my head into one of their noses, swinging and kicking the other before falling to the ground.

I roll, trying to get to my feet, but it still feels like my head is spinning.

And a hard punch to my temple only makes that worse.

The men grab me again, hauling me back.

Shackles clasp around my wrists.

I clench my jaw so hard that I’m sure I’m going to break a tooth as my hands are raised high above my head.

Standing on my toes, I try to prevent my shoulders from being dislocated as my arms are pulled high above my head.

Zoe clicks her tongue. “Now that wasn’t smart, Joshua. I was giving you more credit than that. I thought you were going to play nice. Maybe you would cooperate and then you would get to go home. Sure, you would be going home to a dead fake wife, but that would be for the best. After all, someone like her really shouldn’t be on the streets, should she?”

Grady laughs and wipes the blood from the corner of his mouth. “This is just business, Joshua.”

---