Diesel glanced from Bernie to Ryan and back again. “If no one sent them to you, yet you saw them, the Barts must’ve made copies and showed them at the clubhouse. Which one? Gnomes or Scorpions?”
“The Scorpions’ mother chapter,” Bernie whispered.
Bile rose in Ryan’s throat. He thought about turning and running, but Diesel might shoot him in the back.
“B-b-but Bash shot the monitors off the wall o-o-one e-e-evening when I was there. H-he s-s-said they c-c-c-couldn’t be shown again. I-I-I don’t think he knew Mickey showed them, too.”
“Interesting,” Diesel said. “Very interesting. So these three videos thatyouwatched. Who was on them?
If Bernie mentioned the videos Dementor took of Aunt Meggie…Ryan cringed, an expression Diesel noticed, so he held up a hand before Bernie spoke.
“You have something to add, Ryan? You know which videos Bernie watched?”
“No, I don’t,” Ryan said. “I swear.”
Bernie narrowed his eyes and studied Ryan intently. “You were in one of them, with that Black bitch fucking her in a bedroom.”
Diesel bared his teeth at Ryan. “Who else or were the videos of thatyoung ladythe only ones you saw?”
“If I give you more information, you’re letting me live?” Bernie asked.
“We’ll see, brother,” Diesel replied in amiable tones. “We are brothers, aren’t we? The Gnomes and the Dwellers brokered a peace agreement a couple of years ago.”
“Yeah, yeah, brother. We are.”
“Excellent. So, in the spirit of brotherhood, tell me about the other videos.”
“Wasn’t that Black…”
Diesel cleared his throat.
“Er, thaty-young l-lady. It was a little redheaded prissy slut, and another of a blonde cunt playing with her pussy. She was gorgeous. Just the way I like them. Young and tender. Willy said she wasn’t innocent, but I didn’t care. I just wanted a piece of her. There was supposed to be more of those three coming today, but they got wiped from the servers.”
Mattie’s work.
Ryan doubted Diesel heard beyond what Bernie said about Rebel. He was staring at Ryan, his gray eyes so furious they were black before shoving Bernie away and kicking him in the face. The sound of bone cracking horrified Ryan.
“Diesel,” Lewis gritted, breaking through Diesel’s contemplations of what must’ve been Ryan’s gruesome murder. “You got to get Val’s kid back to the fucking club.”
“Val’skid…” Diesel gritted his teeth, glared at Ryan again and then looked at Bernie and wiggled his fingers. “I need your cut.”
Listening to Bernie’s sobs, hearing his pleas, while Diesel taunted him as the Gnome removed his cut and boots, made Ryan long for his bed, behind closed doors in the safety of his bedroom.
When Diesel ordered Ryan to hold Bernie in place while he tied his hands and feet, then stuffed a handkerchief in his mouth, Ryan didn’t know if he’d ever recover.
Diesel grabbed a handful of Bernie’s shirt and heaved him to his feet, then dragged him toward the crematorium.
Lewis opened the door, but Bernie was wiggling so fiercely Diesel lost his hold.
“Motherfucker,” he growled. “Come help us, Ryan.”
It was the last thing Ryan wanted to do, but he didn’t want to face Diesel’s wrath, even if death would’ve been easier then this.
Together, Ryan, Lewis, and Diesel hefted Bernie up and into the furnace. Lewis slammed the door shut, ignoring the momentary inhumane sounds and the scent of burning flesh.
Diesel gazed at Ryan. “If you ever fuck with Rebel again, I’ll throwyouinto a fucking burning pit.”
“Okay.”
