Chapter 21
Scott’s head pounded as he opened his eyes. It took a few moments for them to adjust to the darkness. As details took shape, he rolled his shoulders, the ache unfamiliar. His arms were above his head and something kept them from moving. Pulling, he heard a metallic rattle. Chains. Pressing the fingers of one hand over the other, he felt a cuff around his wrist.What the fuck?
The voice behind them.That won’t be happening.Who the hell had said it and what had he done to them? He didn’t remember much after Heather’s little moan of pain. He’d turned in her direction then wham. Shit,where was she?
“Heather?” His throat was dry, causing the word to barely come out.
“She’s a little tied up right now, Mr. Holland. So sorry.”
Who? He narrowed his eyes and focused on the dim light coming from the small opening into the chamber. The death chamber, if the number of wooden caskets was anything to go by. The voice was familiar, though. Where had he heard it?
And hadn’t that area above the half wall been larger before? A face appeared in the opening and in the weak shadows Scott narrowed his eyes to try to make out who it was. He knew that shock of white hair and quickly attached it to the voice.
“Judge Stokinger?What the hell?”
“I’m sorry, Scott,” the judge replied, his voice hardly repentant. “You should have taken the hint and sold the building when you first ran into problems. I had someone handy to scoop it up from you. They would have offered top dollar too.”
“Where’s Heather?” Had he hurt her?
“Oh, she’s in there with you. She’s chained to the wall on your left. I didn’t want youto die alone.”
“What the fuck are you doing? And why?”
“Blocking up this opening if you can’t see well enough.” Light flashed into the chamber and then a clink sounded as something dropped. The beam of a flashlight cut across the space then stopped, shooting light toward a corner.
“In case you’re afraid of the dark.” The man’s vicious laugh floated throughthe still air.
A groan to his left snapped Scott’s head in that direction. The flashlight had illuminated the small room a fraction. Heather stood to his left, her arms above her head clasped in chains attached to the wall.
“What…Scott? Oh, my God, Scott, my hands are…why are my hands like this?” The panic in her tone cut right to his gut.
“I’m right here, princess. Judge Stokinger was just about to tell me why he’s doing this.”
“I suppose it doesn’t matter if I tell you. Neither one of you will be able to share the information with anyone.”
“What information? Why is that hole smaller?” Her anxious voice rose higher and Scott pulled, testing the chains on his hands. Shit. The cuffs were attached to a bolt in the wall. One that was in tight.
“I’m sealing you in here, my dear. It’s only for a short time really. Once the explosives go off I’m sure much of this new wall will cometumbling down.”
“Explosives?” Scott’s heart thudded in his chest.
“Yes. You see I can’t have any evidence hanging around that leads to me.”
“You mean these bodies?” Heather asked, anger echoing through the fear in her tone. Good girl. Get that warrior going strong. He had a feelingshe’d need it.
“Yes, if the authorities were to identify them, they might be able to put two and two together. A few of them had found out about my dealings with certain individuals. Ones who I shouldn’t have beendealing with.”
“Criminals,” Scott said.
“Let’s just say they weren’t up in the same social bracket as Miss Silva here. I couldn’t very well have them tell anyone what they knew. My career would have been over.”
“So you killed them?” Heather asked, hertone disgusted.
“Of course I didn’t. But I had a nice association with Victor Cabrini and he was more than happy to assist me in eliminating the threat. Not that he ever got his hands dirty. No, he had a hit man on his payroll who was quite handy.”
“Cabrini.” Scott hated that name. Had it been the same hit man who’d been hunting Jack for years? Would Jack have ended up in here if Callie hadn’t been able to get the needed information that brought down the mobster?
“Yes, see, I had a nice arrangement with Victor. I’d let him know when certain people had information that might harm him. He’d make sure that information never got out. I was paid well, and often he’d dofavors for me.”
