Page 97 of Five

“It’s our guy,” Clover confirms.

I pat R—the prick’s jacket and find a knife and a cell phone. I leave the cell on the ground and keep a grip on the knife. I roll him over, bloody-face up—with Clover’s help—as he groans in pain. I crouch down and push the blade of the knife to his cheek—not grabbing his hair this time, because my nail polish is fucking fabulous and ruining it would be a Shakespearean tragedy.

“Now let’s try again. Why did you attack and stalk me?” I growl.

“Don’t know who you fucking are,” he moans.

“Talk,” Sari interjects. That domineering voice comes out again, and I almost let out a “yes, sir.”

“Fuck you!” Chimney doesn’t sound as equally impressed.

The tip of the blade digging slowly in his cheek makes him grunt and curse, but still no words.

We don’t have much time so tough love it is.

I remove the bloody knife and lift Wednesday from the ground, while Clover sits on Chimney holding his good arm.

“My little lady here loves to peck at soft things, like worms and eyeballs.” His eyes widen with shock. “She doesn’t stop until she gets to all the gooey, juicy parts.” I let the threat float in the air for a second. “Sari, be a dear and keep his eyes open for me. Hope you know where to buy a pirate eye patch.”

“Don’t you fucking come near me!” He twists and wiggles his body, trying to push Clover and Sari off him. His frightened gaze flickers from my smiling face to Wednesday’s red eyes. “Stop! I said stop!”

I move my hen’s beak closer, performing a perfect psycho-villain chuckle. “Talk!”

“Bart and Frederick Dorridge!” he yells the names of the two lawyers Gabe fired. “They paid me to roughen you up and then take you someplace.” The maggots wanted to get their revenge on me.

“Where?” I push my stiletto heel right on his groin.

“I don’t know,” he cries. “I was supposed to get the location after I got you. But I never did because of that fucking guy in the suit who doesn’t take his eyes off you for even one second.”

“Seems like Gabe islassoed,” Clover jokes.

“You mean hooked, he’s hooked,” Sari tries.

“Why would I say that?” Clover makes a disgusted face. “That would hurt him.”

I open my mouth, but my eyes are caught by the sight of a furious Uri walking forcefully toward us, eyes zeroed in on Sari. He stops in front of him, grabs his face, and then proceeds to suck his bloody lower lip inside his mouth. Sari’s eyes almost fall out of their sockets for how much they widen.

My mouth turns slack at the scene while Clover whistles suggestively. It lasts a few seconds, but bloody hell that was hotter than hot.

“Who did this to you?” Uri growls in Sari’s face.

“Him! Him!” I point at the bloke under Clover, who, seeing Uri’s enraged expression, visibly tries to make himself smaller.

“Let him go,” Uri hisses, dropping his hand from Sari’s face, his blazing eyes focused on R…R… Damn it. I don’t care what his name is, he’ll be dead anyway.

Clover takes a step back, letting Uri’s boot come down on Chimney’s nose first, breaking it, then his left hand. A bone-crushing sound mixed with his scream makes a couple of people turn our way, but Clover pulls out a badge from his messenger bag, stating that this is a police matter.

“Fake?” I ask from the corner of my mouth.

“No,” is his succinct response.

Wednesday is starting to fuss, so I lift her in my arms. She instantly calms down.

Uri has Chimney by the neck now, his face is painted with blood, eyes closed, mouth slack, The kidnapping van stops near us and Hunter and Rami get out.

“Only the antichrist could have come out from C-3PO and a gremlin.” Rami waves at Wednesday as Hunter opens the back door of the black van.

I flip him off. “I’ll sic her at you, Reacher.” I hear the thump Chimney’s body makes when it hits the metal inside the van.