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“I also know that The Count is one of the leaders of The Aristocracy, though there is more I’d like to learn about them.

“You were in an abusive relationship with Indie, and she started to suspect you weren’t exactly who you said you were. She set about proving it, so she’d have the evidence she needed to finally get away from you.

“Unfortunately, she saw much more than she was ever supposed to on the night she fled over nine years ago. She saw The Count… Making her the only person I know, who doesn’t work for him, to have seen him in the last decade.

“The only people who know what he really looks like are loyal to him, as he kills everyone else. Until that night, when Indie saw him and got away.

“I’m not sure if you knew how much Indie saw, or if you just wanted her back because you hated losing that element of control. Either way, you’ve been searching for her for the past nine years, and she’s done a fucking great job of staying hidden. The only reason you finally located her is because she’s stopped running and asked for help. That’s where we came in.

“I don’t know if you know this about me, but as the overall leader of the criminal underworld in the UK, I have a few rules I live by, and one of them is that I don’t allow any form of child trafficking. I’m also not a big fan of domestic abuse perpetrators, but that’s more of a personal thing than a rule.

“The Aristocracy undermines my authority, and doesn’t respect my leadership. They are aware I have declared war on them, and I’m working on their downfall. I’ve already takendown The Sheriff, and have some of the other leaders in my sights—The Count being one of them.

“So, now you know what I know, and what I can prove, my question to you is what can you offer me? I could kill you now, making sure to ruin your reputation at the same time, and it wouldn’t impact my plans in the slightest. So, why should I keep you alive?

“Before you answer, please keep in mind that for every lie you tell me from here on out, I will cut you. Now you can answer.”

Bree leans back in her chair, smiling sadistically at Gregg as she twirls her knife around, letting the tension between them grow. Gregg visibly gulps, his colour draining the longer Bree’s speech went on.

“He knows he’s fucked now,” Jake says cheerfully beside me, squeezing my hand in excitement.

I nod and smile at him, pleased we’re finally getting somewhere. I can’t wait to gut this man for what he did to our girl.

“If I put a good enough offer on the table, can I leave here with my life?” Gregg asks, his gaze boring into Bree as he tries to read her.

“If you tell me everything I want to know, and the information you give me is good, the Doughtys will hold nothing further against you. As far as we’re concerned, you will have earned your freedom from us,” Bree states.

“What the fuck?!” Jake yells, and I have to hold him back when he charges towards the door.

I pull him back, turning so we’re facing each other. “Didn’t you listen to what she just said? She promised him that his debt to her and the Doughtys would be clear, and that he’d earn his freedom from them, but she made no promises not to hand him over to us.”

Liam chips in, sounding incredibly proud of his wife. “Bree is great with words. She’s promised him what he wants to hear, but has still left it open for us to hand him over to you. She hasn’t lied to him. She’s just been very careful with her wording.”

Jake lets out a long sigh, and I really want to pull him into my arms, but I know I can’t right now. So I settle for stroking my thumb over the back of his hand, reassuring him in the only way I can, as we both turn back to view the interaction in the next room.

“I don’t know much about The Aristocracy, but I know who The Count is. I also know details of a lot of high-ranking people who work for him. If I give you those people, you’ll let me go?” Gregg asks cautiously, clearly not sure if he can trust Bree.

“If the information turns out to be credible,” Bree says with a nod.

“I also want Indianna returned to me,” Gregg rushes out. Jacob and I tense on hearing her name.

Bree throws her head back and laughs loudly. “Fuck, no. That’s never going to happen.”

“She’s my girlfriend,” he grinds out, which only makes Bree laugh more.

“No, she fucking isn’t. She’s been running from you for nine years. She’s terrified of you. Besides, she’s finally found happiness, and I won’t ever let you take that from her. Any deal we make today will ensure you never go near her again, and that’s not optional,” Bree snaps, glaring at Gregg when his expression shifts to anger.

“We have no deal without her,” he yells, and my heart starts to race.

Before anything more can be said, Bree moves at lightning quick speed. She stands from her chair, leans towards Gregg, before burying her knife deep into his thigh. His loud screamfills the air, and as she pulls the blade out, blood spurts from the wound.

Bree sits back down with practiced ease, swiping the flat side of her blade across her thigh, wiping the blood onto her jeans. Once the knife is clean, she goes back to twirling it, staring at Gregg as he continues to cry, swear, and scream about his pain.

Blood drips down his leg, pooling on the floor beneath him, as Bree just sits there, waiting for Gregg to calm down. When he finally stops sobbing, she breaks the silence.

“Now we’ve established that Indie is not part of these negotiations, shall we move on?” Her tone and calm manner are just the same as before, like she didn’t just stab the man in the thigh.

I notice Liam beside me, grinning at his wife like he’s never been more proud of her, watching her every move, because he can’t get enough of her—despite the craziness.