Page 28 of Black Bay Enforcer (Beasts of Black Bay #3)

Kong kept Katherine close as he walked her out of the shack. It pissed him right the fuck off that Godwin had hit her. That cheek was going to have a nasty bruise. But it could have been so much worse. So. Much. Worse. He thanked every deity known to man that he’d gotten to her in time.

Now that he had Katherine safe, back in his arms, could feel her warmth, and see the steady pulse beating in her throat, he felt a million times lighter. He also felt like strutting. Katherine loved him.

Godwin was trussed up like a turkey on the ground outside where someone had dumped him.

His hands were zip-tied behind his back, his ankles bound, and some lovely soul had duct-taped his mouth to keep him quiet.

Or quieter , rather. He was still grunting and making noises in his throat as he fought against the restraints.

Kong went to shield Katherine from the sight of him but she surprised him when she yanked away and delivered a swift kick to Godwin’s side. “Honk!” Kong stared dumbstruck as she kicked him two more times, yelling, “Honk! Honk!”

He had no clue what the honking was about, but those kicks were well deserved.

Finished, she straightened her shoulders and let out an adorable little, “Humph.”

His woman was stronger than she knew. She could have completely broken down and he wouldn’t have blamed her – no one here would.

She’d endured a traumatic experience, would have been entitled, and he would have held her and supported her as much and for as long as she needed.

But instead, her first thought was to get a little payback.

Kong’s lips twitched. “Do you want me to hold him up so you can get a couple more hits in? Maybe kick him in the nuts? Trust me. No one here will mind.”

She looked like she was considering it for a second before she shook her head. “No. I’m good, thanks.”

Turning away from Godwin who was making quite the ruckus, gagged or not, she snuggled in close to him and he happily wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

“Be still,” Perrin hissed as she knelt beside their captive, roughly rolled him, and slapped a bandage on one of his wounds. “Or I will let you bleed out right here.”

Godwin had taken a couple of bullets. All non-lethal, more’s the pity, but he’d be functional when they interrogated him, so that would make General Davies happy.

“I’m going to punch you in the head,” Perrin griped, and Kong nearly chuckled. They all had basic field medic training, Perrin was the least patient, nor was she known to be gentle. Good. The bastard didn’t deserve gentle.

Kong had fully intended to rush into that shack and kill Godwin with his bare hands, but as soon as he’d seen Katherine curled up in a ball on the floor, trying to make herself as small as possible, his need to protect her had superseded anything else.

He’d let his team take down Godwin while he shielded Katherine with his body.

Erik and Leo approached with matching frowns on their faces. “What the fuck was that piece of shit doing so close to Black Bay? That’s what I want to know,” Leo growled as he glared at Godwin.

A question Kong would be asking when they had him in an interrogation room.

“He was there for me.”

All three of them looked at Katherine who had said that but her eyes stayed on Kong. “He took me to threaten my father. He made a video.”

Lark, having overheard, held up a cell phone. “I’ve got it. Looks like a video attachment was sent just moments before we breached.”

Kong nodded but he didn’t ask Lark to play it for them.

He could go over any evidence later. Katherine was his priority and he didn’t want her reliving whatever bullshit threats Godwin had made.

She was safe now. All he wanted was to get her as far away as possible – back to Black Bay where her safety was guaranteed – where he could wash away the fear scent that clung to her and was currently testing his resolve not to go over there and kill Godwin.

“Radio the pilot, let him know we’re ready for a pickup.” When Lark nodded, he looked at Leo. “Go through that rental, see if you can find anything.”

Katherine stiffened in his arms. “There’s a body in the trunk,” she blurted, her voice cracking under the emotion. “A woman.”

Kong hugged her close and softened his voice. “We’ll take good care of her, Katherine. We’ll find out who she is and make sure she gets back to her people.”

She nodded against him, her fingers curling into his vest as she clung to him and let out a shaky breath. “That could have been me.” He heard a choked sob. “If you hadn’t come…”

Kong curled his big body around her. “You’re safe now. I’ve got you. I’m not ever going to let anything happen to you, Katherine.”

He held her close as she quietly cried, for a moment, releasing the horror of what she’d endured.

Back at Black Bay, Kong hadn’t wanted to leave Katherine’s side but the general wanted him at the interrogation and it couldn’t wait.

Too much was riding on what Godwin knew.

He’d left her in good hands though. Perrin, Lynx, Jayla, and Paige had all gathered around her, ready to ply her with wine, chocolate, and conversation to keep her mind off what had happened.

He’d made them promise to call him if Katherine needed him and Paige had also promised to look Katherine over for other injuries before the women had shooed him out.

Outside interrogation, Lark told him, “As expected, the body in the trunk was Valerie Felix. She’d flown in for a business conference, and checked into her hotel room but never showed up for any of her scheduled meetings.”

Kong grimaced as he nodded. “Her family?”

“The police are notifying them.”

Another nod before Lark put her hand on Kong’s forearm. “How’s Katherine?”

He swallowed hard. “She’s holding her own.

” He’d been a little concerned about the somewhat vacant look in her eyes when they got back to Black Bay as if Katherine had gone deep in her head, but Paige assured him it was to be expected after such a traumatic incident and that she’d keep an eye on her.

Still, he checked his phone again just in case they’d called and he’d somehow missed it.

If Katherine needed him, he’d be there for her.

“She’s strong.”

He nodded again, his jaw tightly clenched for a moment before he released it. “She is. But she shouldn’t have had to be.” He eyed the door to interrogation knowing his prey was behind it.

“Are we ready?” General Davies asked, joining them.

Game faces on, they entered the room. Plain, beige walls, a bare floor with a drain for easy cleanup, a two-way mirror for observation when needed, and a single metal chair where Godwin had been secured.

The bastard didn’t even look worried. He was grinning and Kong wanted desperately to lunge for him and wipe that smile off his face.

“Snake Girl and Monkey Boy! Wow! This is a treat.” His eyes went to General Davies and flared with recognition. “Hey, I remember you. It’s a party! Where are the snacks?”

The general took an at-ease stance in front of Godwin. “You’re going to answer some questions for us about August Cleary.”

Still smirking, Godwin slouched a bit in his chair, getting comfortable. “Sure, sure. I’ve got plenty on Cleary. But first, I want the deal spelled out, in writing. My freedom, safe transportation away from whatever hell hole this place is, and money. I want money.”

“You think you’re in a position to make demands?” Kong let out an aggressive rumble. “The deal is you tell us what we want to know or I get to beat you to death.”

“Well, that doesn’t sound fun.”

He was itching to strike that smug smile off Godwin’s face.

“You work for August Cleary,” General Davies said, completely unruffled by the prisoner’s attitude.

“Worked,” Godwin clarified. “I worked for him.” With a scowl, he uttered, “Worthless piece of shit.”

“Fine. When you worked for Mister Cleary, what did you do for him?”

Godwin suddenly started laughing. “That reminds me. Hey, Monkey Boy, Snake Girl, you remember Doc D?”

The general opened his mouth, probably intending to get the interrogation back on track but Kong halted him and narrowed his eyes at Godwin. “Doctor Anne Dietrich?”

All of them remembered her. She was their creator, the geneticist responsible for the experiments that brought them into this world. She was also, currently, a permanent resident of their brig, having received a less than hospitable welcome when she’d tracked them down here at Black Bay.

“That’s the one.”

“What about her?”

Godwin started laughing again, trying Kong’s patience.

“Turns out Cleary was fucking her.” He snorted another laugh.

“I found some pictures of her stashed in his office.” He waggled his eyebrows.

“Wearing lingerie in some pretty suggestive poses. All saggy tits and cellulite thighs, but hey, maybe that’s Cleary’s thing. ”

His smile turned evil as he eyed Kong. “I was going to use them as blackmail material – you know, maybe threaten to pay her a little visit – until I found out Cleary had a daughter. Now she’s got some nice big tits. Firm.”

Seeing red, Kong’s fist plowed into Godwin’s face, snapping his head back.

The blow would have put him on the floor if he wasn’t tied to a chair that was bolted down.

And if Lark and General Davies didn’t immediately restrain him, Kong would have jumped on him and kept hitting him until the smug sonofabitch was no longer breathing.

Blood was gushing from Godwin’s nose and he spat a mouthful of blood on the floor before he grinned with bloody teeth. He started laughing like a lunatic, sheer madness shining in his eyes. “Woo! That was a good hit, Monkey Boy! I taught you well.”

“Enough!” Lark stepped in front of Godwin, getting right in his face to snag his eyes and mesmerize him. “Tell me what you did for August Cleary.”

His eyes slightly unfocused, and his voice without inflection, he confessed, “Cleary needed my black-market contacts. They would only do business with me, so he needed me to be the middleman.”

The general stepped up. “And do what?”

“Sell weapons.”

“To whom?”

Godwin listed off several names, known heads of terrorist groups on their watchlist, and some that would be added as soon as this interrogation was over. Teams would be deployed to dismantle the operations and recover the weapons.

“To what purpose?” The general asked. “What was Cleary’s goal?”

“To start another war.”

It was what they’d suspected, and enough to bring in Cleary for questioning, but General Davies wasn’t finished.

“When you were in Venezuela, you received a call. Were you tipped off that the location had been compromised?”

Kong was glad the general was on his game because he’d forgotten all about the leak.

“Yes.”

“Who called you?”

“Cleary.”

“How’d he know?”

“No clue. Didn’t ask. Didn’t care. It was part of our agreement. In addition to my cut, he kept the heat off me.”

The general stepped back and motioned for Lark that she could release Godwin. “Lock him in the hole.”