Page 3 of The Assassin
Daniel moaned, his head lolling forward and then back up again so he could stare at Sloan. “Go fuck yourself, you Irish pig.”
Sloan made an irritated sound in his throat. “Very well. How loud can you scream?”
Two of the guards moved, grasping Daniel’s face as he struggled against their hold. They managed to get his jaw open, and Sloan shifted forward, jamming the pliers in his mouth and snapping them down on one of Daniel’s front teeth. Daniel wiggled harder, but between the brute force of the two men, he had no chance. Sloan yanked at the tooth and Daniel’s screams filled the room, high and full of agony.
Daire moved forward with an open lunchbox in his hands, looking as put together as usual, with his dark hair brushed back and suit impeccable. He didn’t flinch at the screams or blood that spurted from Daniel’s mouth, or when Sloan dropped the tooth he’d yanked into the lunchbox.
Daniel’s yells finally turned into whimpers and his head drooped forward again.
“Tell me what I want to know and this will all stop. We’ll put a bullet in your head and you’ll meet your maker.” Sloan waved the pliers in Daniel’s face. “Don’t tell me, and we’ll keep pulling every one of your teeth until you have none left.”
“Fuck you.”
Ardan smirked, and Sloan let out a heavy sigh.
“Fine.” This time when he yanked a tooth, the screams lasted longer and Daniel started trembling. Three, then four teeth followed after that, but much to Ardan’s surprise, Daniel didn’t tell Sloan what he wanted to know. Ardan might have been impressed, if Sloan wasn’t becoming so frustrated. No one wanted their boss to be that way, it led to even more bloodshed and bodies to make disappear.
Sloan slipped off his suit jacket, which was now covered in blood, but his shirt underneath looked worse. Even though the jacket caught most of the bodily fluids, Sloan’s white dress shirt still had splatters and it appeared more vibrant on the light-colored cotton.
“Look what you’re making me do.” Sloan tutted. “I’m ruining my favorite clothes.”
Daniel spat toward him, but the glob of bloody spit landed beside Sloan’s shiny shoe. “Fuck off. I’ll never tell you a thing.”
Sloan’s grin was downright feral. “We haven’t even begun, Daniel.” Then he turned to Ardan. “This might take a while. When I get this information from him, I’ll need some good men to run the brother down.”
Ardan bent his head forward. “I know a few men, and a woman, who can help if needed, Boss.”
“Good.” Sloan waved his hand toward the stairs. “Kill Mancini if you must, but make it quick. You have a month. You can leave.”
Ardan dipped his head again and turned to go, striding up the stairs and out into the long hallway that led past the set of grand staircases. He didn’t make it to the front door before he heard his name being called from a familiar voice that had him halting immediately.
Conall Morrissey, Sloan’s pet and lover, came rushing from the direction of the dining room to the right, his face flushed and a rare grin on his mouth. Since he’d taken over the position as the manager of the whorehouses, Ardan had never seen him smile so much. The energy and happiness lit up his entire face, making him look younger.
Ardan bowed his head. “Sir.”
“I’m glad I caught you.” Conall stopped right in front of him, his dark hair twisted up into a small manbun at the back of his head. The bright red collar around his neck contrasted with his tanned skin, but he never took it off outside of the bedroom. Inside his room, Ardan didn’t know what he did with it. “Did you know it’s Sloan’s birthday next month?”
Ardan’s eyes didn’t widen in alarm, but it was a close call. His lips twitched as he forced down the amused smile. “Yes, sir, I did.”
“And you didn’t think to tell me?” Conall folded his arms over his chest. “Do you know how much digging I had to do to figure it out? And then to find out it’s next month! That doesn’t give me much time to plan.”
“Plan?”
“His birthday party.”
Ardan winced. “Sir, I don’t think that’s wise. The boss runs a high profile company and he has a bigger list of enemies than what he does friends. Arranging a birthday party would put him in unnecessary danger.”
“I know.” Conall smiled. “That’s why I’m talking to you, to arrange protection for him.”
“The boss doesn’t like surprises, sir.” Ardan knew his attempts would be in vain. Once the boss’s pet had something in his head, it was hard to persuade him otherwise.
“He’ll like this one.” Conall raised his eyebrows, daring Ardan to argue. Ardan wasn’t that brave. While he knew the boss’s pet would never run to Sloan and complain, he also didn’t trust Sloan from having someone listening. The boss liked having ears everywhere in the house, and disrespect to Conall would result in a punishment that Ardan didn’t want first-hand experience in.
“I’m sure he will, sir.”
Conall pouted. “You’re no fun.”
Ardan’s mouth twitched. “I’m sorry to disappoint, but please contact me when you’ve made arrangements. I’m still on an assignment, however, I’ll see what I can organize for the time you need me.”
