Page 69 of Chaos Crown

“Ahhh!”

I winced at her scream. Couldn’t blame her. I think I heard something crunch.

“Where is Jack Sharpe?”

“I’m not who you think I am. I can’t—”

I smashed the other knee. Quinn screamed herself hoarse.

“The next one is in the face. You’ll black out and we’ll lose some time, but it’ll be worth it to break your teeth and rearrange that button nose.”

“Evil... crazy bitch,” she rasped, chest heaving. “You have no idea... the pain you have coming. It’ll make your weak hits feel like love taps.”

“I’ll take that as your answer.” I swung the club at her face.

“Stop. Stop!” she screeched. “Just stop.”

I did, pulling back at the last second.

I waited.

“All right, de Souza.” Quinn’s voice was barely above a rasp, but it laced with menace. “If this is how you want to do this, let’s stop playing games.”

“Oh, let’s please.”

“Yes, I’m one of what you call the Black Letter Crew, and what of it? Doesn’t mean I was there the night they put down your sister,Ivy. Doesn’t mean I know where Jack Sharpe is?”

My jaw clenched. I fought to relax it. I wouldn’t let her think her poison got to me.

“You were there that night. The games are done, Quinn. You can stop lying now.” I moved in front of her. “The part about not knowing where Jack Sharpe is could be true, but you understand I’m going to makeextrasure, and keep questioning you until your busted jaw and broken teeth leave you unable to answer.”

She hardened. Somehow tied to that chair, she lifted her chin and looked her nose down at me. “You don’t scare me. Who do you think you’re dealing with? I can handle a little pain. I’m not the weak little girl whose mind shattered into pieces that you see in the mirror every morning.

“Bring. It. On.”

I hefted the club. “If that’s what you want.”

Metal struck bone.

“Ahhh!”

***

ARSENIO

“What time is it?”

I pressed against the bars. “Can’t see the clock from here, but I can see the window. The sun’s set.”

“Then that’s it,” Roan said. “The tournament is over and the party starts soon. We’ll never make it to Hunter’s Crest in time. It’s over.”

“I’ve accepted that and moved on to our new problem.” Cairo paced the length of the cell. “The lawyer Paris sent said he can’t get us in front of a judge until Monday morning, and that judge won’t be Judge Stone. Davidson can keep us here all weekend. By then my father’s dead.”

“We don’t know that,” Roan tried. “They could hold onto him to force us to take another shot at the Ellises.”

“You’re assuming the judge grants us bail,” I said quietly. “Or that the video of us admitting we kidnapped and tied to a stake the man that Cairo set on fire, won’t be more than convincing to a jury of our peers. You’re assuming we’re ever getting out of this cell.”

“I didn’t set him on fire.”

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