As soon as he saw us from where he and his pal sat on the sidewalk in fold-up chairs with bottles of beer, he ran as though his life depended on it—because it did.
Aspen jumped out of the SUV before I’d even stopped, his long legs carrying him as fast as lightning. While I enjoyed torture the most, Aspen loved chasing his prey, even in the dark. Reed gave him exactly what he wanted, and Ialmostfelt sorry for the bastard.
Grinning, I slammed my foot on the pedal and the SUV roared and shot forward down the street. I swerved onto the sidewalk, and Reed hit the hood, bouncing over the top of it. He still managed to land on his feet before he was off again, Aspen right on his arse. I spun the wheel and hit the accelerator, turning the vehicle back onto the road to race after them. I had to give it to the fucker, even though he was big, he was fast, and Aspen struggled to keep up with him. The headlights lit them from time to time, whenever I faced the SUV toward them.
Taking a corner too sharply had the wheels on the passenger’s side in the air for a tense heartbeat. I laughed as the car slammed back to the ground. Rowen cursed at me, and I flipped him the bird over my shoulder, even if I didn’t think he would see it in the dark. He punched me hard on the arm before the force of me turning the wheel had him pressed against his seat again.
“What the feck are ye doing, ye tool?” he growled out when I narrowly missed a pole. “Ye’re gonna roll us.”
“Shut up,” I hissed back at him, the SUV jumping the curb again when I lost control of it for a second. By the time I turned the next corner, Aspen had Reed flat on the sidewalk, his face smooshed against the cement. I slammed on the brakes next to them. We flew out of the SUV, running around to open the hatch. I pulled out some ropes and threw them at Aspen before I was at his side, helping him tie the stupid bugger up.
Curtains in the house we were near flicked open, the lights shining in the room they came from as an older Black lady peered out, her hair up in a wrap for the night and a cute blue sweatsuit on. I held my hand up in a cheerful wave, and she jerked back, letting the curtains fall closed. The deal around these parts was obvious—you don’t see anything happening. Mobs like the Killough Company and criminals like Reed used the silent attitudes to keep their business quiet. But this time it didn’t work in Reed’s favor.
Aspen hauled the bastard to his feet and slapped him over the back of his head. Reed stumbled forward. He tried to run again, but Aspen grasped the rope that tied his hands together and shoved him toward the back of the SUV. Rowen had the door open, and when Aspen got Reed there, he helped heave the bugger inside.
By the time I jogged around to the driver’s door, Rowen was in the back with Reed, and Aspen was in the front passenger side again, pointing ahead as a gesture to get moving. I hit the gas and the Expedition veered back onto the narrow streets, the lampposts illuminating the sidewalks and cutting through the darkness.
We traveled to our special spot, which took nearly an hour, and Reed grumbled through his gag the entire time, moaning something we couldn’t understand and didn’t want to. As far as we were concerned, we weren’t here to listen to excuses.
The hideout given to us by Sloan was on Vinegar Hill, a sleepy suburb where people weren’t on their guard enough to notice the things we did, a lot like Jamaica. There were good people living here, with only a few bad, but what people didn’t see couldn’t hurt them. At least, that was the motto around here. I liked the locals, and so did the Killough Company.
The torture house, or Mount Pleasure as we liked to call it, was a boxy brown-brick building three stories high. At one time it must’ve been apartments. It had small rectangular windows, but there wasn’t anything fancy or unique about it. It looked like every other building along the cobblestone street, with trees out front and an old, cracked path leading to the door. The windows were covered with blackout blinds, and the rooms were as soundproof as we could make them; no one would ever have a reason to come knocking and asking questions about noises.
Being dead in the middle of the night meant we could drag Reed out of the SUV without issues, even if he did struggle, and by the time we got him through the door and up to the second floor, he slumped forward as if he’d given up on life. Not a bad choice. He must’ve finally realized he couldn’t, and wouldn’t, win against us.
Aspen dumped him on the wooden floor near a fireplace, and Reed groaned. Now that I got a better look at him, he didn’t appear much older than twenty-five, with a heavily muscled frame and buzz-cut dark hair. His shoulders were so thick it gave me a rush because it would take a lot to break his body and I looked forward to it.
“What were ye thinking, ye knob?” Rowen asked as he slammed the door shut behind us, glaring. “Stealing from the boss?”
Reed blinked up at him and trembled, shaking his head. The arsehole had green eyes that had probably snagged him a bed partner or two. Aspen strode over to Reed and untied the gag between his plump heart-shaped lips, and our wee captive worked his jaw. He glared. “It’s not fair for it all to go to the boss, is it?” His heavy Brooklyn accent grated on my nerves.
I blinked at him and snorted. “He’s the boss, so aye, it is fair.”
Reed turned that flinty gaze on me and bared his teeth like a rabid dog. Those kinds of animals needed to be put down, just like he would be eventually. “I’m gonna make a business of my own. For the Swedish.”
I stared at him, gauging his seriousness. He appeared genuine, and I wasn’t sure if he was stupid or playing dumb. I laughed. “Ye’re Swedish? The Swedes are too nice to have mobs, lad. If ye’re Swedish, ye should go up to Canada and practice peace.”
Aspen chuckled and gave me a smirk.
Reed didn’t appreciate our wonderful jokes, and his glare intensified, even if he was shaking with fear.
“Tell us where ye stashed the boss’s belongings and wemightgo easy on ye,” Rowen said as he stepped up to my side, shoulders straight and determination on his face.
“Naw, we won’t be going easy on this fellow. He’s going to be feeling the pain for days.” I smirked and stepped over toward one of the only pieces of furniture, a wooden wardrobe that glowed from polish and didn’t carry a single scratch. The other piece was a bloodstained chair that sat in the middle of the room for our games.
“I’m not gonna tell you anyway,” Reed hissed, his stare jumping between the three of us.
I shook my head and opened the wardrobe, pulling out a shabby towel and a bucket. “We’ll start ye off easy, then, and work our way up.”
He watched me, terror filling the pupils of his eyes, making them larger with each passing second. The green of his irises became narrower as I walked over to him.
“See those, boy?” I pointed to the black padded walls. “They’re soundproof. Ain’t a soul going to hear ye as ye scream for mercy. Do ye believe in God?”
His shoulders shook, but he straightened up into a seated position. Brave boy, but not for long. “Yes. My mother took me to church every Sunday.”
“All our mothers did, Reedy boy.” I crouched at his side, excitement worming its way through me and coiling in my stomach. My cock was hard in my pants at the thought of the screams I was about to hear. I wasn’t ashamed of it, either, and by the way Reed’s gaze slid to my crotch, he could see it. “Catholic?”
He nodded, his Adam’s apple bobbing nervously. “I’m still part Irish, too, aren’t I? Of course I’m Catholic.”
