Only one actually killed.
It was the perfect murder.
And I got away with it.
Jethro shivered with disgust. “Stop with your games. Spit it out.”
“Fine.” Cut pulled out a dirty rag and duct tape from his pocket. “I mean I’m not going to kill you.”
I sucked in a gasp. Thank God! Had he decided to reinstate Jethro as his heir, after all? Had I got through to him in some small way?
You don’t believe that.
The tiny voice undermined my hope, tainting everything with sloth-like anticipation.
With measured motions, Cut held Jethro’s cheeks and unceremoniously stuffed the rag into his mouth. Jethro thrashed, shouting around the material. His nostrils flared, fighting once more for hard to earn oxygen.
Cut didn’t stop. His fingers manhandled his son until he’d forced the gag into Jethro’s mouth. Once done, he roughly stuck duct tape over his lips sealing his mouth and gluing to five o’ clock stubbled cheeks.
Jethro twisted and squirmed, searching for a way free. But it didn’t stop the inevitable. He was silenced, bound...stuck.
“I mean I’m going to grant you a long life, son. After what happens today, after watching what I do to the girl you’ve fallen in love with, your fate will beworse than death.”
Patting Jethro’s cheek, he moved toward me. “Much, much worse.”
“Don’t come near me.” I backed away, eyeing up the door to run. Even if I did manage to flee, I couldn’t open the door with my wrists tied. And I couldn’t fight countless workers scurrying around the mine like mice.
“I’m going to do more than that, Nila.” Cut caught me, dragging me close. “Remember the dice throw back at Hawksridge?”
I gulped.
Heretic’s fork.
Vaughn.
Kissing Daniel.
I knew, but I played stupid. “I have no idea—”
“Yes, you do.” He stroked my arms with threatening fingers. “You rolled the dice and I claimed the roll was to be paid once we got toAlmasi Kipanga.” His voice dropped to a deep baritone. “Well, we’re atAlmasi Kipanga. And if you refuse, your brother, Vaughn, will be hurt. It doesn’t matter that we aren’t in the same country. All it takes is one little phone call.”
Ihatedhim.
I threw myself sideways in his hold, trying to get free. “No!”
Cut didn’t let me go, giving me enough leeway to tire myself out but not run. His voice lowered with mirth. “Not only will your brother pay for your refusal but Jethro will, too.”
He paused, letting the warning sink into my blood.
Jethro growled, gagged and furious. His bleeding body twisted and jerked in his ropes.
I tore my eyes away. I couldn’t look at him. “What—what do you want?”
“I’m going to give you a history lesson, then take what you owe me from the dice game. The Third Debt might once again be elusive, but I have a better idea.” Cut’s eyes flashed. “Once I’ve taken my fill, you’ll pay the remainder of the Fourth Debt...the Fifth Debt as it were.”
Moving me so I stood directly in front of Jethro, Cut murmured, “And my son will watch it all. He’ll remain alive, but his soul will die knowing he couldn’t help you. And then, once I’ve taken what I’m going to take and done to you what needs to be done, he’s going to continue living with that agony eating him away day after day. I’m going to leave him here, alive, knowing he can’t stop me from carrying out the Final Debt. That I’ll fulfil the prophecy because he was too much of a chickenshit to do it. And he’ll live with your death forever.”
Kissing my cheek, he sighed. “That is what I want from you, Ms. Weaver.”
