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Somehow, Ghost had escaped. I entered the room and shut the door. Birdman, also known as PatrickChoi, slouched in a metal chair with his hands tied around the back. His face was bruised, lips swollen, and one eyelid was so puffy I couldn’t even see his eye.

I pulled over a chair from the wall, and the legs screeched across the floor.

Sitting down, I glared at him. “I won’t ask you where Ghost is because Calvin already did.”

One eye looked at me, and fear gleamed behind it. I had no doubt Calvin had his own way of extracting information. The blood leaking from Birdman’s thighs and arms showed his ruthlessness.The pools of blood on the concrete floor looked like a rug around the chair. I was surprised Birdman was still conscious.

“Is Ghost working for an organization called The Trogyn?”

Vivian had mentioned what she’d overheard at theclub last night.The fear on Birdman’s face confirmed my suspicion.

“Where’s the shipment? I want exact dates and times. Who’s your contact?”

I knew Birdman had already given Calvin this information.

But Iwasn’t sure if Calvin would share it with me. He was a triad member trying to keep his business intact, and I was a businessman who understood that. We both had our agendas. A common enemy had brought us together. That didn’t mean we were friends.

Vivian was the link between us, and for that, I considered him an acquaintance. He had saved my love back then, and that gave him points in my book.

Birdman didn’t answer my question, and I wanted to add more bruises to his injuries. When I rose from the chair and walked over to the rack of knives, pipes, and other tools used in torture, he straightened up. I grabbed a knife with a design on the blade.

From my experience, the anticipation of horrific pain was fear in itself. Just holding the knife in my hand gave him the impression of what I was about to inflict on his already injured body. I didn’t need to get blood on my clean clothes. But if I had to, I would.

“I won’t ask again.” Moving to stand in front of him, I examined the blade of the knife. “I’m not a triad member, but I’m very familiar with getting a man to talk.” I met his eyes. “And killing a man wherehis body will never be found.”

In ten minutes, I got all the information I needed and more.

As I had suspected, Ghost had killed his father and Vivian’s grandfather. He’d killed two members of her family and recruited several members of The Triad to assist in his crimes. No wonder Calvin looked like he had death in his eyes. He was dealing with several traitors within his organization.

Calvin had his own shit to deal with, and I had The Trogyn.

A smirk slid onto Birdman’s face. “You know a Vivian Vo?”

“Why?”

Had he known it was me and Vivian at the club? Probably not.

“I have something to tell you. It can make you rich.” He tried to smile with his bloody lips. “But you need to get me out of here. Out of the country.”

I arched an eyebrow. “Why should I trust you?”

“There’s something I didn’t tell Calvin.”

Perhaps desperation had forced Birdman to ask an enemy for help. I was curious what went on inside the mind of a man at the edge of his death.

“You need to give me something I can grab onto. Right now, I don’t trust you.”

“That woman’s mother had a key to a safe worth millions of dollars.”

“How do you know?”

“I overheard The Triad leader talking to his daughter. I worked in their restaurant for a while. It’s not a regular key. Something with a flower design.” His eyes sparked. “You get me out of here. We track her down and force her to give us the key. Fifty-fifty.” He smiled. “I hear she’s a beauty. You can have her first. Then she’s all mine.”

The knife slid into his stomach, and he gasped as the single eye widened.

“You don’t touch or threaten my woman.” I shoved the knife deeper, twisting it and watching his life drain from his eyes.

I’d killed many during my years in the Navy.To see life drain from people was something I’d never forget. Taking someone’s life wasn’t something I dismissed or took lightly. I had to prevent him from hurting more people.