Page 50 of Cole: Bloodlines
Cole swallowed and smiled. “I know,” he whispered thickly. “It’s just good to hear you say it.” He looked at the soiled bandage barely clinging to Gabe’s wound. “Are you in pain?”
“I can handle it.”
“Your arm…” Cole whispered with concern.
“Flesh wound.” Gabe glanced at the killer, his next words shaky but determined, “How do we take this fucker out?”
Byrne entered the room to see Henry hunched down before his husband’s cage. “Let’s be done with this,” Byrne muttered at his dad. “I have adatewith the boy. I don’t want to keep him waiting.”
Daniel nodded. “Henry. Come here.”
The man kissed his husband and whispered to him, then stood and walked over to them. Byrne took out a pair of handcuffs.
“That won’t be necessary,” Daniel said.
Byrne cuffed him anyway.
Daniel stared at him coolly. “Get him out of the cage and hook him up.”
Drawing his weapon, Byrne approached the cage and opened the door, then stepped back. “Out.”
Gabe crawled through the door and stood up with some effort, his hand pressed to his side. Byrne moved him to the center of the room and hooked him to the chains, his arms stretched above his head. He ripped off the soiled bandage andtossed it aside. “Won’t be needing that.” Byrne squeezed his wound, his thumb digging into the fresh stitches. Gabe gasped sharply, and his body kinked to the side.
“Asshole!” Henry barked at him.
Byrne smiled dryly, eyes locked on Henry, and dug his thumb in again, this time wrenching a cry from Gabe.
Henry glared at him hatefully. “Why don’t you remove these cuffs,” he growled, “and we settle this like real brothers. Or are you too chickenshit to fight me?”
“Enough,” Daniel said, addressing Byrne. “I don’t need your assistance. This is between Henry and me.”
Byrne stepped closer, his voice dropping. “You’re wasting your time.”
“As I said,” Daniel returned stiffly. “It’s my time to waste.”
Staring at him for a long moment, Byrne whispered, “Mary confided in me.” He waited for the impact to hit his dad.
“You’re a lying little bastard,” Daniel growled low. “I should have gutted your mother that night, like I planned. I would have if I’d known what a worthless disappointment you would become.”
Byrne didn’t flinch. “Mary didmorethan just confide in me.” A cold, satisfying smile split his face. “She knew there was something wrong with you. Shesensedit. I guess I was more convincing than you, because she feltverycomfortable with me. Comfortable enough to confess the truth—about many things.”
Daniel’s face twitched as his eyes darkened. “You should leave.”
“I figured, if you were going to let her come between us, let her distract you, then I might as well see what all the fuss was about.” He chuffed. “Shewasa great fuck. And just before she took her last breath… I told her the truth about you… and what you did to her fiancé… what you’d planned to do to her that night. She diedhatingyour guts.”
“Get.Out,”Daniel seethed. “We will settle this after I’m finished here.”
“Her fiancé wasn’t lying to try and save her life,” Byrne pushed, savoring his dad’s rage, delighting in watching the man slowly lose control. “He wasn’t lyingat all.”
Daniel drew his weapon and shoved the barrel of the gun between Byrne’s eyes. “Get out now.”
Byrne smiled and stepped back. “I’m done here. I have adatewith a cute boy.”
The two men’s exchange of words felt significant to Cole, but the deputy’s final statement—I have a date with a cute boy—took front and center.Maddy.
“Wait,” Cole spoke quickly before Byrne could leave the room. He looked at Daniel. “I said I would give you what you wantifyou let Gabe and the kids go free.”
Byrne chuckled with disdain. “Don’t think you have any leverage here,brother.None of you are leaving this place. And that boy? I caught him; he’s mine.” Byrne spun around and exited the room.
