“You can offer the information, or you can give me my mostfervent wish for this evening.That being to crush each bone, one by one, inthe hand you took toSatrine.Your choice, sir.Provide it, please,” Loren returned.
Totally…
Bad…
Ass.
Edgar sat there, glaring up at Loren, and then…shit…hesmirked.
“I have contingencies in place, of course.Maxine, she’s nouse to me, the woman…” he made a spitting noise without spitting, which wasn’tnice, and pissed me off, because “the woman” was my mom.
But he wasn’t finished.
“It is only I, in person, who can release them.And if I, inperson, do not do that or send regular communications with a certain code sothey’ll know they’re from me, communications sharing how they are to betreated, it has been instructed they are to be eliminated.”
Eliminated?
I released a loud, terrified gasp.
Edgar’s head bobbled because Loren had a hold of him by hisneckcloth, saying, “Well then, arsehole, we’re taking a trip.”
“Unhand me!”Edgar shouted.
And that was all Loren could take.
Crunch!
Fist to the face.
And Edgar was on his hands and knees on the floor.
Loren pulled him up to just his knees with his hand inEdgar’s hair and…
Crunch!
Another fist to the face and Edgar was sprawling on hisstomach on the floor.
“It seems…” Loren said through his teeth, staring down atDad-not-Dad with repugnance, “your situation is escaping you.I advise, sir,take stock.”
“Son,” Ansley said mildly.
Loren didn’t move or take his attention from the form he’d,no other way to put it, laid…right the fuck…out.
Bustling and snorting with fury, Edgar pushed up to hisfeet, scrambled out of reach of Loren, and turned fired eyes to me.
“They’re dead!”he sniped.“And you’ve killed them.”
“No!”I cried, starting to dash to him.
Loren caught me and pulled me to his body.
“I will be releasedthis instant,” Edgar demanded.He jabbed a finger at Loren.“You will marrymy daughter.”He turnedand jabbed a finger at Ansley.“Youwill offer your respect andreferral to the Count of Derryman.If you do not, within four days, they’rebothdead.”
“Is he bluffing?”Ansley asked, still speaking calmly.
“I cannot tell,” Loren answered, just as calm.
I pulled from Loren’s hold, whirled on him, and channelingViolet Crawley, I snapped, “I don’t givea figif he is or not.Dowhat he says.We can figure it out after.”And that was when I lost it, andshrieked, “I want my mother back!”
