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“What’s going on, Brix?”

I’m not scared. Or at least not scared of being hurt or killed by any of the three of them.

“Why are we down here? I thought…”

I thought there was supposed to be a present waiting for me. That’s what both Kato and Brix said, that Madd has a gift for me.

So why am I being guided to the belly of the basement, a space I’ve never seen with my own eyes, a place that smells heavily of decomposition. And I’m damn sure it’s not from a dead animal in the walls.

“Brix?” I whisper.

I can’t help it when I move closer to him, gripping his thick arm with both hands as though I’ll need to throw him in front of me when some monster jumps out from behind a wall.

When he pushes open the last door at the very end of the hallway, I’m met with both an overwhelming stench and muffled sounds like someone has been gagged and is crying or cursing or maybe begging for help.

Brixton isn’t rushing in, so that means no one we love is in danger. Right?

The room is dimly lit with something that sure as hell looks like one of those ring lights people use to make videos lighting up a man in the center of the room.

There’s a blood splattered and soaked hood over his head and anything he tries to say is garbled and muffled. I was right – he’s definitely gagged.

But who the fuck is he?

Maddox leans against what I can only think of as a workbench, only instead of tools to build there are tools of destruction. Yeah, there a hammer, a saw, that kind of thing. But there are also scalpels, a blowtorch, even what sure as hell looks like a cheese grater. And no, I don’t want to contemplate what exactly that would be used for.

“Surprise,” Madd says, pushing from the counter when he spots me following Brixton in.

“What…” I can’t find the words. All I can do is stare at the man struggling against the restraints keeping him tied to the chair bolted into the floor.

This is a torture room. There’s no other way to describe it. Have there been other people down here since I came back? Surely, I would have noticed if some schmuck was dragged through the house.

Unless there’s another entrance into the dungeon. I suppose that would make more sense so the staff wouldn’t see anyone coming or going. Or, you know, being carried out in a bodybag.

Releasing my death grip on Brixton’s arm, I shuffle closer, tilting my head as though I can see better through the bag over the man’s head.

When I look up at Maddox, my brows raised, eyes wide, and heart racing, I start pretty hard when he leans forward and yanks the hood off the man’s head, and reveals…

“Holy shit,” I breathe out.

Fucking Denis. One of the assholes who nearly beat me to death. One of the pieces of shit who caused me to lose my baby.

Raising my eyes back to Madd, I look from him to Brix, to Denis, then back again. I…don’t know what to do. Or think. Or say.

Brix’s hand rests on the back of my neck as Denis’s brows slam together when his eyes lock on me and his muffled soundsgrow louder. I can’t truly make out his words, but I swear I hear fucking bitch.

I mean, could be my imagination, but wouldn’t surprise me.

“Kato gave Pakhan Yegerov the names of the men who assaulted you. Denis here was handed over as a show of good faith that he knew nothing of what your father did to you. Pretty sure Flora had a big hand in it, but we thought you might want to have a little fun. Take out some of your pent-up aggression.”

“Youthought,” Brix says. “I don’t want her anywhere near this piece of shit.” His voice is always deep and growly. Right now, though, he sounds dangerous, as though he’s mere seconds from ripping Denis’s head from his shoulders with his bare hands.

And I’m pretty sure my giant beast of a man can do it without breaking a sweat.

Stepping away from Brix, I move until I’m only a few feet from Denis and look down into his face. He’s definitely been roughed up.

Scratch that – he’s had the shit beat out of him. A glance at Maddox’s knuckles tells me it was him who bloodied my father’s guard. Denis’s nose looks broken, his left eye is nearly swollen shut, and there’s a split that runs through his top and bottom lip.

“I can’t…do you expect me to start punching him? I don’t think I can do much damage.”