Page 105 of Rise of the King (Checkmate 5)

“Because helping me would mean one fast slide of a blade over your throat. You’ll just go to sleep and not wake up. It’ll be far less painful than your leg right now. But making this more difficult means these sick individuals get to cut the nut sack from your body first.Thenyou die. Those are your choices.”

“I can’t answer,” he cries. “Please don’t make me answer.”

“CAB! CAB! CAB! CAB!”

“No, please!”

“Alright.” With gentle hands, Spence pushes me back, then fires up a blue flame until Randolph’s face loses all color. “You get to burn only so much before you die anyway. We’ve practiced this, so I promise I’ll warn you when you’re getting close.”

“No!No.” His cry turns to gurgles when Spence brings the flame down to Randolph’s dick and sends the stained underwear up in flames.

“I’m going straight to the business end of things, because I don’t want my little sister here to be exposed to this for long. Name please, soldier.”

“Kyle,” he sobs. “Joshua Kyle.”

Angelo jolts behind me, like an electrical charge ran through his body and seared his fingertips.

“Who do you work for?”

“The government.”

“Who, specifically?” Spence lifts the flame to Joshua’s nipple and chars it black. “Don’t play coy with me, motherfucker.”

“I can’t–”

“Name!”

“Bishop,” he screams. “Bishop. Lieutenant General Colum Anthony Bishop. Please let me go.”

The flame switches off. Every man in the room turns still. Joshua’s crying is the only sound apart from Jay’s heavy breathing. “CAB,” he repeats in disbelief. “Colum Anthony Bishop?” He turns to Kane. “Is this real?”

“Pack it up,” Eric orders. “We’re done.”

Jay and Kane back up as though shell-shocked. Eric packs away unused tools, and Spence packs away the one’s he used. But Angelo, quiet, watchful Angelo, steps forward and takes the blade from my hand. His chin-length hair drops over his eyes for a moment, and the leather bands on his wrists move as adrenaline slides through his veins and his muscles bunch. Gently using his shoulder, he pushes me aside so he stands directly in front of Colum Bishop’s assistant.

Our group is silent while he does this, but no one else notices his presence in front of Joshua. The rest of them are busy doing their thing.

Finally, bringing silver-gray eyes up, he stares into a tear-filled pair of green eyes and shakes his head. “It’s bad luck for you I recognize your name, Joshua Kyle.” Kane’s gaze comes up across the room, alerted by Ang’s somber tone. “I’ve heard it late at night,” Ang continues. “While my beautiful Laine cries in her sleep and relives what was done to her against her will.”

Striking out fast as a viper, he jams my blade into Joshua’s throat so blood explodes over his strong arm and onto my shirt, and doesn’t stop until a full inch of the blade is embedded in the wall.

“She either didn’t see his face earlier,” Angelo turns to me with a kind of wildness in his eyes, “or she doesn’t consciously remember. Either way, none of you speak that name in front of her.” He turns and meets each of his friends’ eyes. “If you remind her, you’ll feel what he feels. She’s found her peace, and she never has to go back to Infernos again. Don’t tell her his name.”

“She won’t hear it from me.” Stepping forward, Spence claps a shaking Ang on the shoulder and moves away.

Kane stops in front of Ang for a long minute. They speak no words. They do nothing but stare. Then Kane nods and cups the back of Ang’s head until they hug. “You’re saving her,” he whispers. “Every day, you save her. Don’t let this hurt you.”

“Come on.” Jay takes my hand and drags me away from the men standing in front of a dying rapist. Taking a bottle of water and a towel, Jay sprays the water onto my shaking arms and cleans another man’s blood off my skin.

Again.

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