Alphabet straightened beside the table, his laptop was open. We would confirm every single data point they offered. Right now, we needed the identities of these so-called cabals, and what trail her sister had been on that made her a “problem.”
Ignacio yanked at his restraints, breath coming in wild, panicked bursts. “W-wait—wait—please—don’t—don’t—she—she—she wants answers—not this?—”
“She still wants answers,” Voodoo said mildly, picking up the second shock device and checking the contacts. “We’re just done wasting her time.”
Sinclair trembled so hard the Queen Anne chair vibrated under him. “You can’t—You can’t do this—She—She said—she said?—”
Lunchbox barked a laugh. “Man, Grace didn’t say shit about keeping you breathing.”
He swung the rope lightly against his leg, testing the balance again. The faint smack of the weighted knots made Sinclair flinch even as Ignacio whined in the back of his throat.
I checked them both—automatic habit. Assess the threats.
Assess the leverage. Assess how close they were to breaking.
Sinclair was dangling by a fraying thread. Ignacio was already past the point of dignity.
Good.
Because tired as she was, Grace had left us with one request,“Can you handle getting the rest of what they know out of them?”
“Alright,” I said, stepping closer to Sinclair until my shadow hit him full-on. “Grace asked for everything. We’re not stoppinguntil we have the names, the routes, the drop points, and every last person involved in Amorette’s disappearance.”
Sinclair’s teeth clicked together as he tried to swallow. “I—I told you about the cabal—three cartels—I already said?—”
“That was the appetizer,” Lunchbox cut in. “We’re moving on to the main course.”
Sinclair shook his head so hard spit flew. “No—no—please—listen—I can’t—I can’t give you anything else—they’ll—they’ll kill me—they’ll slaughter everyone I know?—”
Voodoo didn’t even look up from adjusting the voltage. “If you think they’re your bigger problem right now, you haven’t been paying attention.”
Ignacio sobbed at that—and that sound, sharp and pathetic, made Sinclair’s eyes snap toward him. The two men locked on each other for the first time since Grace had walked out.
Ignacio’s fear fed Sinclair’s. Sinclair’s terror fed Ignacio’s.
Predator and prey didn’t matter anymore. They were both prey. Far too late to really help them, they finally understood exactly who the predators were.
It was almost pathetic. Normally, I took no pleasure in inflicting pain. It was a means to an end. These two, however, had told lie after lie in an effort to drag outGrace’spain. They were the type of men who abused the power they had, and in Ignacio’s case, he’dtrulyabused Grace. I hadn’t forgotten her reaction or his comment about how she looked and felt on his cock.
After resetting both targets and their chairs, Lunchbox and Voodoo took watchful positions while Alphabet waited. I was taking over the interrogation from here. My patience was not infinite and it had snapped the moment I’d seen the stark loss and terror in Grace’s eyes.
These two were very much responsible for both the terrorandthe loss.
“Ready when you are,” Lunchbox said, rolling his shoulders. He moved behind Sinclair to give me a clear view even as Voodoo shifted to stand behind Ignacio. It was almost comical how being surrounded increased the pressure on them. They didn’t know where to look, because to see one of us they had to turn their backs on the others.
“Same,” Voodoo concurred, remote dangling in his hand.
I took a breath, slow and centering. Grace’s scent still clung to my shirt—a faint trace of the shampoo she’d used upstairs, herbs and something warm and clean.
Her fatigue. Her grief. Her hope.
I was carrying all of it now.
“Sinclair,” I said, focusing on him. “We’re going to start at the beginning. What was Amorette investigating that got her on their radar?”
“I can’t?—”
I didn’t even let him finish the answer before flicking a glance at Lunchbox. The other man swung. The rope struck with a sick, meaty thud. Sinclair screamed.
