Page 52 of Protect Your Queen

“Fine. Anyway, you know that torture doesn’t always get the most reliable information.” I had to say it for my own moral fiber. Just a little bit of professionalism, to remind him that Mariowashere for a reason other than entertainment. He had information we needed on who the threat against the little Songbird was.

“Are you getting soft on me?” Jareth paused, lifting a brow.

There was mirth in his expression. He was starting to like me. I could tell.

“I’m just saying that under duress and pain, people will say the craziest things.” I had to say it, despite knowing that it wouldn’t change the outcome of my day. “I mean, this is great fun.” I gestured to Pesci, as his red glasses finally tumbled off his snub nose, and landed on the ground, the lens spidering on impact. “I’m sure hurting him is reason enough for this little bonding thing we’re doing, but…”

Jareth looked up at the hanging photographer, his lips pulling back in a slight sneer. He walked over to Mario and pushed him back and forth, watching the man swing like a deadpig in a butcher shop. He was just a little too high for his feet to take the pressure from his wrists.

“I know you’ll kill him.” I shrugged, because I truly did not care if this man lived or died. Mario whimpered, his high-pitched, throaty cry was like nails on a chalkboard, and I had to wait for him to sack up before I could continue. “But wearehere for information.”

I watched as Jareth flexed his right fist, opening and closing it with menacing strength. His forearm was defined and rigid. I finally took a good look at his hands and saw the bruising and streaks across his knuckles. Old scars, and scrapes, had become permanent with wear.

Was he a fighter, like his brother? Or were these honestly earned outside of an octagon? He didn’t strike me as a bar room brawler. The possibilities were fascinating.

“Stop your comedy routine. Our guestisconscious.” Jareth reached up and cupped Mario’s jaw, slapping him in the face. “I wouldn’t want to send him mixed messages,help.”

“The creep knows he’s going to die,” I said flatly. “The only thing under his control is how much it’s going to hurt.”

As if to punctuate the point, Jareth turned the blowtorch on, and it bathed us in its light, momentarily blocking out the sound of the ocean waves in its roar. Then Jareth switched it off. When I could finally focus on his face again, the fucker was smiling. The kind that reached his eyes.

“It’ll hurt a lot.” Jareth looked like a fucking maniac.

“You should really work on giving him some hope, if you want him to spill.”

Jareth rolled his eyes, and just like that, the family resemblance between him and his sister smacked me in the face.

“Well, what do you suggest,help?”he asked, letting his hand, and the blowtorch, fall to his side.

“Okay, just… give me a moment.” I tapped my foot as I thought about what I would say next.

I felt the pressure of Jareth’s judgment, knowing that what I did next would define how we would work together for the rest of time. He was Jestiny’s brother, and as far as I could see, the man she looked up to like a father.

She had ceased to be just a client, for me. The moment she was safe, and the threat was eliminated, I would ask her if she’d be willing to make a go of it and go legit. ‘Go steady’ so to speak. But I knew it had to happenafterthe job was done.

I wouldn’t stand a chance if Jareth stood in my way. I needed to get him on my side fast.

“You’ve got a kid, right?” I spoke to Mario, whose swollen, black eyes darted around the room, unfocused and desperate. “Hey, hey!” I snapped my fingers in front of his face, trying to regain his attention. “Look at me, bro. You have a son, yes?”

Mario started to cry. What little water he hadn’t pissed down his pant leg now streamed down his cheeks.

“Your son, Luca.” Saying his kid’s name snapped him out of it, his head lifting just a little. Just enough for me to know that I had his attention. “That school in Saugus seems nice.”

He shivered, as he inhaled through his nose, summoning what little intestinal fortitude he had left.

“Not a lot of security though,” I said, casually, placing a hand on my chin. “Man, anyone could walk right onto that football field and head into their classrooms. Christ, it’s amazing how that’s even allowed in this day and age.”

Mario’s head shook back and forth, denying what I was saying. But I knew I was right. It was in Lea and Leo’s write-up about him, when this plan was concocted.

“Hey, man, I know it’s tough. Kids, am I right?”

He was trying to focus on the new threat I had placed in front of him. He just needed more time because Jareth’s beating had left him concussed and a few brain cells short.

“It’d be terrible if something happened to him, you know? Really,reallyterrible. He just made varsity too…” That was a bit of information the twins had dropped into the file. I was happy that I read it so thoroughly because this gave the impression that we had been watching them for a long time. “I guess you didn’t know that, huh? Since they just announced that yesterday.”

I clicked my tongue.

“It’ll be terrible if something happened…”

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