Page 16 of Deviant

He gulps, “I am. Was. I…”

“I see.” I cut across whatever bullshit he’s about to say, only, he continues anyway,

“I, look… I know she has to pay. I understand that. But I can ensure she pays, I can ensure that whatever the cost is…”

“You don’t have anywhere near the money needed to make such statements.” Conrad taunts.

“You just need her dead.” He snaps back as though he’s suddenly realising exactly what he’s done. As though he’s Judas,stood here, with those thirty pieces of silver in his hand, seeing everything that’s precious to him being nailed up on that cross. “I can do that. As far as the world will know, she is dead.”

“Why did you do it?” I ask curiously. “If you care for this bitch so much, why did you come to us?”

He shrugs. It’s a pathetic gesture, one that sums up everything he is. Every cowardly cell of his body. “I, I didn’t have a choice. The Brethren are too powerful to go against…” he begins. “But she deserved it. At least, she deserved to be brought down a peg or two. I offered her everything, gave her everything and she spat it back in my face.”

“I see.” I murmur. So that’s what this is, a lover’s revenge. She rejected him and he found a way to make her suffer. I can’t say I’ve not felt that very same need before. No, I understand the want to hurt, the drive behind it. And I’ve got enough enemies of my own to know how good the taste of revenge is when you finally achieve it.

It’s the next words that seal his fate. Not that he was ever getting out of this alive but still. He doesn’t speak them to me, he says them to my brother as if Conrad would ever lower himself to such a request.

“I want my reward. I deserve a reward.” Saul hisses. “I gave you the woman I loved on a silver platter. I’ve offered her up as a sacrifice for you people. I want something in return. I damn well deserve it.”

Conrad looks at me and I can see he’s itching to smash this man’s face in.

“A reward?” I repeat.

“I deserve recognition. I deserve money too. I’ve helped you people. You owe me.”

“Oh, we owe you alright.” I murmur, before clicking my fingers. “And Liliana owes you, too.” I add with a smile. “I wonder how prettily she’ll show her thanks once I’m done with her. Doyou think she’ll forgive you for what you’ve done, or do you think she’ll plead with me to put a bullet in your head?”

His eyes widen just as two of my men grab hold of him.

“No.” He gasps.

I jerk my head for them to get him the fuck out of here. Just the sound of his voice is grating.

“No, please,” he begs, “I helped you, I helped you.”

“Put a gag on him.” Conrad orders. Apparently, he’s sick of his shit, too.

Once the snivelling waste of space is gone, I turn to Conrad and explain how this has to go down. I can’t be there at the snatch. I have to be with the other Lords. I have to make sure Anthony doesn’t pull any last-minute tricks.

It’ll be up to Conrad to get our precious cargo to the deliverance ceremony and in truth, it’s a responsibility he should be more than capable of taking on. He can have as many men as he wants, he can swarm the service station if that’s what he thinks is needed.

However he wants to play it, I don’t care. I just want that bitch, on her knees, at my feet before the day ends.

Ican’t stop shaking. I must look like a junkie, or a convict, probably both. I’ve got the hood of my jacket up over my head, but I can still feel all the people side-eyeing me as they walk past and it’s enough to make me more on edge.

I’m lingering to the side, by the trees, hoping that I wouldn’t be too visible, but I also need to see Saul when he turns up.

My phone is almost dead. I don’t know what I’ll do if he gets delayed because I’ll have no way to contact him then.

I’m chewing my lip, shifting from foot to foot, getting more and more agitated as the seconds go by.

Where the fuck is he? I know he said ‘be here at three,’ but it doesn’t take that long to get here from his place. Maybe I’m being paranoid, maybe I’m overthinking this. Any minute his faded oldSUV is going to come around the corner, and I’ll be able to get in and everything will be okay.

Even if he does show, I know it won’t fix everything. If I’m lucky he’ll let me stay for a bit, let me sort myself out while we come up with a real plan. Maybe the Brethren will forget about me entirely. They’ll be another scandal, something big, something that demands their attention and they’ll forget all about the silly little journalist who thought she could change the world.

My face contorts at that thought.

I was silly, wasn’t I? I was silly, and stupid, and damn right bloody reckless. Saul told me that, Saul warned me. He tried to help and, in my stubborn arrogance, I thought I knew better. When I see him, the first thing I’ll do is apologise for what an absolute fool I’ve been. I’ll tell him he was right. I’ll tell him that from now on, I’ll do what he suggests, because, apparently, I can’t be trusted to make decisions.

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