Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 92376 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92376 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Masters and I are at Wrath’s side as he lies unconscious in the bed in his patient room. It’s difficult to tell how severe the injury is. He’s banged up badly, and the doc gave him a sedative, so it’s not like he can tell us how much pain he’s in.
Finally, Doc enters the room. “We’ve stabilized him. He’s got a concussion, so we’ll keep him here overnight for observation.”
“I want to get him home,” I insist. “We can take care of him just as well there.”
Doc searches around uneasily, and Masters tells me, “It’ll be fine for a night.”
I know he’s right, but I don’t like it. We belong at Hayward.
As Doc goes into detail about the results, trying to reassure us Wrath will be okay, which is great, my mind wanders to the guy who won’t be okay once I get my hands on him. Sik Vik. I will find him. And the things I will do to him will be so barbaric, they’ll violate even his own fucked-up sense of morality.
Masters and I hop on a call with Malaki and Rory, explaining the incident but reassuring them he’ll be fine.
“The guy could be halfway across the country right now,” Malaki says.
“The world, if I were him,” Rory adds.
As much as they don’t want to be a part of this life, they only have vengeance on the brain. True Wildes.
“Neither will do him much good,” I assure them. “He must have a death wish because he messed with the wrong goddamn family.”
“Damn right he did,” Masters jumps in, just as a notification pops up over the video stream.
“Wait. One of my guys has something.” I read the text out loud: “Killian’s guys grabbed him and hauled him into a car.” It throws me at first, though it shouldn’t.
“He is our ally,” Rory says, and I notice Masters eyeing me, since now he knows there’s more to the story.
“Guess he was looking out,” Malaki adds.
“Yeah, sure.” I don’t really want to get into the whole I-might-have-to-marry-this-dude. Not when we have something more important to deal with.
“That’s good,” Rory says. “At least he’s gonna get his.”
But I’m not interested in Killian exacting revenge on my family’s behalf. That’s my job.
7
KILLIAN
“They call you Sik Vik, do they?” I ask as he stirs.
It’s taken him some time to wake up since my guys sedated him before bringing him to Rothguard, to one of the many torture rooms in our basement. While waiting for him, I considered the perfect punishment for what he did to Wrath.
It’s my job to protect the Wildes, something Old Terror drilled into me before he died a few years after Logan’s father, Ian. But now it’s beyond avenging our allies. They’re about to become one with the Lordes, meaning their blood will be ours, so Sik Vik might as well have done what he did to Wrath to one of my brothers. But even more than that, when I saw the panic in Logan’s expression, how pained he was, the fear for his brother, I couldn’t help but relate as a brother responsible for my own siblings’ well-being. Especially since I’ve already let most of them down.
Sik Vik’s eyes flit open, and he struggles in the restraints around his wrists. Naked, stretched out across the table, his body awaits his punishment.
I shouldn’t have this…affection for torture, but it brings back such beautiful memories of father-son bonding time.
“I’ve been searching through all my toys,” I tell him, “wondering what would be the best way to manage a monster like you.”
He tries to speak, but the horse bit I’ve placed in his mouth catches whatever he’s trying to say, and judging by his expression, it wasn’t anything pleasant.
“Don’t worry, I’ll remove that once we get started. I enjoy the screaming too much not to.”
His pupils flare, assuring me this will be as exciting as I’d hoped.
I retrieve my hunting blade from the holster on my belt and run it down his bare chest, through the grooves, inspecting every inch, trying to decide where the best place to puncture is.
“You see…as much pleasure as I get out of what I do to people physically, it’s the psychological aspect that really arouses me. But I must be careful not to move too quickly. That used to be my problem. I was too eager and impatient. I didn’t understand the art of torture the way my father did.”
I finish tracing a tattoo of a snake along his side before taking his hand. He struggles, trying to ball his fist, but I manage to get hold of a finger and slice under the nail before depressing gently. He bites down on the horse bit, screaming.
The rush is like a hit of coke…oh, it’s heavenly. I watch his expression as I dig into his flesh to give him a taste of what’s to come. The farther I penetrate beneath the nail, the more comes back to me. First, from earlier in the night, seeing how distressed Logan was to see his fallen brother. Then further back, to holding my dying father in my arms, not realizing that my mom and most of my siblings were dead.