I nod to Colton, and he starts digging through Collin’s jeans pocket before tossing me his badge. Of course, he carries it around with him. I grab the lighter off my desk and begin to heat it up “How many are missing?” I ask.
His lips thin at his refusal to answer.
“See, I don’t think she’s the first one missing from my club.” It was not a coincidence that she went missing from here and that Collin shows up the next day, right after I marry my wife. The question is why Blackout? And why now? “So … last time. How many are currently missing?” He looks away from me and I smile. “Open his mouth,” I order to no one in particular.
Colton steps up to the back of the chair, placing his fingers into his mouth from behind and pries them open. I step into him, heated badge in hand and go to stick it inside of his mouth. His eyes go wide, and he tries to shake his head, mumbling unintelligible words. I nod to Colton, and he removes them. “You’ve got two seconds before you eat this badge,” I inform him. It won’t fit but I can jam it in there enough that it’ll burn the shit out of him.
“Four.” He gasps. “Four have gone missing. Last seen here at Blackout.” Hanging his head, he adds, “Over the last six months.”
Six months?Well, there goes my theory about it involving my wife. No one knew of my plans to marry her other than Ryat and my father. Even the Lords weren’t aware until the day of the wedding. When I made the deal, they never asked who I wanted. Hell, as far as they know, I didn’t even know who I was giving my life up for.
“Why haven’t I been informed of this?” I wonder. “Why was one girl more important than the others?”
“The others weren’t reported,” he growls through gritted teeth, trying to yank on the cuffs.
I frown. “What do you mean?”
He sucks in a deep breath. “After Andrea was reported missing and last seen here, we found the others via social media posts. Friends and parents looking for them. But no official police reports were filed.”
“You mean they weren’t daughters of a Lord.” I nod my head in understanding. Now those have the same MO as the previous murders from years ago. “How many have been found?”
“Two.” He swallows, looking up at me.
“The other was the same as Andrea?” I ask tightly, hating that he’s not offering this information to me.
He nods and I allow the silent answer. I mean, men and women go missing all the time, but for two to be found the same way as all the ones were years ago—that’s not a coincidence.
“Hmm.” I flick the lighter once again, placing the flame under the badge.
“I told you everything I know!” he screams and looks over at my wife.
“Oh, this?” I motion to the badge. “This is for touching my wife.” I told her,If I even think you’re going to fuck another man, I’ll kill him. In front of you. It’ll be slow and painful. You will see his bloody corpse in your dreams for years to come.She might not have slept with him, but he would if given the chance. I’m about to prove to her that I’m a lot of things but a liar isn’t one of them.
“Stop him. Stop him, Lake.” Collin pleads with her to save his pathetic life. “Please. You’re not like him.”
She hangs her head because she knows that she can’t help him.
“Fucking pathetic bitch,” he shouts at her, spit flying from his mouth. “Your father will make sure you pay for this. For becoming his fucking puppet.” She looks up at him through her lashes at that. “Just like your sister.”
I just found out something that I didn’t think was possible. He knows the truth about Whitney. Which means he’s working for her father. That changes things.
“What do you mean like my sister?” she rushes out.
“He’ll make you pay—”
I shove the heated-up badge into his mouth, and he thrashes in the chair as it burns him, not caring that it’s burning my hand in the process.
Colton takes the roll of duct tape he had and starts placing it around Collin’s mouth, securing it so he can’t spit it out.
“No, wait.” My wife jumps to her feet. “What do you mean like my sister?” Lake goes to move toward his chair, but Alex grabs her, and she kicks her feet out, trying to get free from his grip. He falls down onto the couch, shoving her down onto her stomach and pins her arms behind her back to keep her from hitting him.
I look over at Lake and she’s got her watery eyes on me. “Let her go,” I order, and Alex lets go of her arms pinned to her back. She sits up, rubbing them as she drops her head. Fuck, this isn’t going how I had planned, but I can’t stop it now.
My fingers start to heat up, reminding me I’m holding his badge and a lighter. I get it nice and hot and then walk up to him. I push the badge into his skin over his Lords crest on his chest and smile as his muffled cry rings out into the room. I watch Lake place her hands over her ears as she pulls her knees up into her chest, shifting on the couch.
Once I remove it, he hangs his head, his breathing filling the space.
“Get rid of him,” I order, and quickly pick up the scattered papers so she can’t see them. That’s the last thing I want to do.
