Page 134

Story: Climbing Everest

I can get out of various holds, I can shoot a gun probably as well as my husbands, but hand to hand combat has never been a strong suit for me. Not like I was ever taught to fight. I’m more likely to break my knuckles than I am to actually inflict any damage.

“You don’t have to use your fists.” Maddox moves to the side and sweeps his arm toward the tools of death like he’s some game show host showcasing the prizes.

What does it say about me that I’m not instantly appalled or repulsed by the idea of using one of those tools to inflict some damage to this monster.

“What about Mikhail and Eriks?” I ask, my eyes on Denis.

There is nothing short of hate and rage burning bright in the eye not swelling.

“They’re in the wind,” Brixton says from directly behind me.

Guess he’s not real happy about me being so close to one of the men who almost killed me.

Seriously, though. What can he possibly do? He’s restrained and two of my husbands are right here. He wouldn’t get within a few feet of me before one of them either snapped his neck or put a bullet in his brain.

Rounding the chair until I’m standing directly in front of Denis, I say, “Did you ask him if he knows where they are? Or where my parents are?”

“I was waiting for you. Thought you might want a little revenge while we question him,” Madd says.

For the first time in my life, I actually understand bloodlust. For the first time in my life, my heart is thumping like crazy over the prospect of making Denis feel every moment of pain he and the others inflicted on me.

And then taking his life the way he stole the life of my child.

Chapter 38

Maddox

She’s scared. I can tell she’s scared. Though I’m not sure about what, exactly.

Is it the man in front of her? She can’t possibly think either Brix or I would ever let him or any other cocksucker hurt her again. Especially not when we’re within touching distance of her.

Maybe she’s afraid of actually drawing blood. I can’t imagine my beautiful girl ever hurting anyone. At least not in the way we do, and the way I will if she isn’t comfortable torturing this fuck.

A quick death is way too easy for him. It’ll be the same when I find Eriks and Mikhail. Oh, and her fuckwad father, too.

Maybe I’ll line them all up and take turns torturing them. Leave their corpses to rot beside the others. Kind of the way I heard farmers used to tie ducks or chickens to a dog’s collar if they killed one. Let them see exactly how they’ll look when I snuff out their fucking lives.

This was my idea, but when Everest steps closer, I tense and prepare to lunge forward. I mean, there’s only so much this asshole can do when he’s zip tied to the chair, but I still don’t like her being so close.

Shit. Kato and Brix had valid complaints about this idea.

But while the three of us absolutely have the right to get revenge on Denis, Everest more than earned her right to a pound of flesh.

After all, it had been her who’d been beaten so badly. It had been her who carried scars, physically and emotionally.

It had been my girl who’d lost our child and had grieved that loss – along with the loss of me, Brix, and Kato – all alone.

I still wish she’d come to us, contacted us, let us know what had happened. We could have protected her.

But, unlike Kato, I refuse to live in the past. I’d known all that time she would never walk away from us willingly and had been right. Now, we can spend the rest of our lives making up for lost time.

That starts right now. If she isn’t up to the violence, I’ll get her ounce of flesh for her. I’ll make sure this motherfucker feels as much pain as she felt. I’ll prolong his life, torture the fuck out of him until he’s begging for death.

“Why?” she asks, pulling me from my thoughts.

“Why what?” Brix asks. He’s standing so close to her she can probably feel his body heat against her back.

She glances over her shoulder at him and shakes her head before turning back to Denis.