Total pages in book: 46
Estimated words: 42479 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 212(@200wpm)___ 170(@250wpm)___ 142(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 42479 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 212(@200wpm)___ 170(@250wpm)___ 142(@300wpm)
“Good.” I stared at him coldly, my voice dropping even lower. “Now, I’m gonna tell you what’s gonna happen next. If you do exactly what we tell you, just maybe, you won’t have to worry about what the club does to motherfuckers who mess with a Redline Kings’ woman.”
Shawn’s eyes widened, his mouth opening and closing soundlessly as he tried to gather enough composure to respond. He glanced toward the other men with me, taking in their unyielding expressions and realizing there was no escape route available. But his gaze lingered longest on Edge and Fury before returning to me. Smart. He’d correctly identified which men in the group looked most likely to enjoy what happened next.
He dragged a shaky breath into his lungs before finally speaking, his voice strained. “I swear, man, I didn’t know she was yours—”
“I don’t give a fuck whether you knew or not,” I cut in harshly, my patience quickly fraying. I leaned in closer, making sure every word landed exactly how I intended. “You framed an innocent woman, threatened her, scared her so badly she ran from everything she knew. Then you sat back while she spent weeks wondering if somebody was gonna find her and finish the job. You nearly destroyed her life, asshole, and for that alone, you’ve earned yourself some broken bones, at the absolute fucking minimum.”
I watched whatever hope he’d been clinging to die in real time. The back lot had gone quiet around us. The sounds of traffic from the road beyond the building seemed distant, muffled beneath the steady rush of blood in my ears. I’d spent some time imagining what I’d say to this asshole if I ever got him in front of me, and none of those imagined conversations had ended particularly well for him.
Sweat glistened at Shawn’s temples, and he kept shifting his weight like he was considering making a run for it. That would’ve been entertaining for about three seconds, until one of us caught him.
“What do you want me to do?” he asked.
“There you go. That’s the first smart thing you’ve said all night.”
I folded my arms across my chest and held his gaze. “You’re gonna turn yourself in. Tell the fucking truth about what happened and make damn sure Riley’s name gets cleared in the process. And you’re gonna do it before this gets any uglier than it already is.”
He flinched visibly at my words, his eyes darting again toward the men standing behind me, clearly sensing the seriousness of my promise. His voice rose slightly with desperation. “I can’t.”
“You fucking will,” I growled.
“No,” he whined. “You don’t understand.”
I was not in the mood for his bullshit, but I’d promised Kane to keep my shit together…for now. “Explain it to me.”
Shawn dragged both hands through his hair, his breathing getting faster with every passing second. Whatever bravado he’d possessed was long gone. Standing here surrounded by Redline Kings had apparently reminded him that actions came with consequences.
“The money wasn’t for me.” At my skeptical expression, he rushed on. “Look, if I turn myself in like you want, it’ll expose dangerous people. They’ll kill me without thinking twice about it.”
I let his words hang between us for a moment, then I smiled. Not pleasantly. The kind of smile that made grown men reconsider life choices. “Let me make sure I have this right. You’re telling me you’re afraid these people will kill you if you tell the truth.”
He nodded. “I know they will.”
“Then you’re not understanding the situation, Shawn.”
He was genuinely afraid, but it meant absolutely nothing to me. He’d made his choices, and now it was time to pay the consequences. When I finally spoke, my tone left no room for negotiation. “If you don’t turn yourself in and clear Riley’s name, by the time I’m finished with you, you’ll wish I’d simply let them kill you. You think these people are dangerous? I promise you, Shawn, you’ve never experienced danger like you’ll face from me if you don’t make this right.”
A heavy silence fell once more, Shawn visibly shrinking back, his eyes wide with genuine terror. He seemed to realize fully then that I wasn’t bluffing, that his options were rapidly dwindling, and he had no room to maneuver.
Century crossed his arms over his chest as he regarded Shawn with casual disinterest that somehow felt even more threatening. Fury and Axle stood quietly, their eyes locked firmly onto Shawn, waiting patiently for whatever order came next.
Edge had pulled out his favorite knife and was casually flipping it through his fingers, his movie-star smile curving his lips. But it was impossible to miss the slightly psycho glint in his eyes. Then he took a single step closer, and Shawn swallowed so hard his body shook with the effort.
“I’ll tell you one more time,” I growled. “Here’s how this is going to go. Turn yourself in, clear Riley’s name completely, and now you’re also gonna tell the police exactly who you’ve been funneling money to.”