Page 42 of Corrupt Crown

Harrison inhales sharply through his nose as I bend forward, reaching into his mouth with my thumb and index finger to force his tongue out.

“And for the lies you told, I’ll take this.”

Then I bring the blade down, taking my time to work through the thick muscle of his tongue. Blood spatters across the wood, covering my hands and his mouth as Harrison loosens a shrill cry from the back of his throat, the sound echoing on and on through the old warehouse.

It takes several attempts before I straighten with a devilish smile, tossing the useless flesh aside with twisted delight barrelling through me.

Harrison has long since passed out, and when I turn to face Jeremy, I find him awake. His eyes are heavy-lidded, and he’s pale from blood loss as he tries to shake his head.

“You don’t understand. I’m innocent. I did nothing wrong.”

I cross the space between us with a snarl, severing the bonds holding him in place to throw him to the floor. “Nothing wrong?”

Too weak to do anything but lie there pathetically, Jeremy watches me as I step over him.

“You crawled into the bed of aninnocentgirl and forced yourself on her, and you have the nerve to call yourself innocent?”

I kneel then, unbuckling his pants before I flip him over onto his stomach. Then I lean over until I’m right by his ear.

“Before I take the parts of you that hurt myStellina, first, you’ll learn what it feels like to be violated against your will.”

His spine stiffens right as Enzo appears at my back, a red-hot poker in his hand and a gleam of dark intent in his eye. I stand, taking the poker as Enzo gets Jeremy in position, his ass facing upward.

“Please don’t.Please?—”

“Cover his mouth, Enzo.” My man quickly does as he’s told. “After all, he didn’t afford her the luxury of begging him to stop. Why should I do the same, hmm?”

And with that, I thrust the poker forward, committing the muted sound of his screams to memory as I take glorious vengeance in the name of the woman who’s a danger to all I hold dear.

The same woman I’d move mountains to keep.

CHAPTER 14

RAFE

It’slate evening by the time we’ve finished with the Danvers, the sun is low in the sky as my SUV arrives at the gates of Elodie’s childhood home in South Brook.

A lawn party is in the process of being set up, so getting onto the property goes even more smoothly than anticipated.

Once our SUVs are parked alongside the catering trucks, my small team ofSoldatiand Enzo move quickly to secure the house while I make my way toward Warren Rivers’s home office.

On the flight, I’d ensured that all of us were familiar with the layout of the Rivers’s family home, so I have no doubt my plan will go off without a hitch.

Just like how I’d made those Danvers bastards pay earlier.

A smile lifts my mouth when I recall how Jeremy had begged at the end. How he’d confessed his sins with tears in his eyes and the barrel of my Glock in his mouth.

How my heart had sung as I’d taken the life of the man who’d hurt myStellinabeyond measure.

My smile grows when I think about how I’m about to see more justice done on her part momentarily.

When I open the office door, I’m pleased to find it’s empty, so I pour myself a finger of whisky before I take a seat atWarren’s desk and sit back to await his arrival. My eyes glance about the space, instantly noting that although photos are dotted throughout the room, not one of them contains Elodie.

My jaw twitches in annoyance before tugging open the desk drawers and checking inside. All are devoid of anything worthwhile, except for one drawer I can’t open. It takes me a second to jimmy the lock, and slide it open, freezing when I find a photo of a blonde woman who could be Elodie’s doppelganger. They’re identical, aside from their eyes. Whereas Elodie’s are a deep navy blue, this woman’s are icy, almost translucent.

“Are you with the caterers?”

Raising my head, I find an angry-faced Cressida Rivers standing in the doorframe. “You’re not supposed to be in here.”