Page 151 of Illicit Games

Arjun apparently got cocky and went after Rhea, who was the opposite of the profile given to them in picking the victims. He thought that because he was fired, he wouldn’t get caught. He somehow convinced Vicky to do the same. Hence, she targetedYukta. The police are actively searching for her, but she’s likely been shipped off.

“Where is he?” I ask the jail warden. He frowns, doing a double take. The action makes my hackles rise. Didn’t he know I was showing up? Darian wouldn’t do a shitty job. I quirk a brow at him, annoyed.

“You’re Mr. Singhania?” he utters, after finding his voice.

“Were you expecting anyone else?”

“But then who was it earlier?”

“Someone else is here?” His face pales. “What the fuck did you do? Mr. Grover’s instructions were pretty simple.”

“I thought you came in early.”

Motherfucking hell. Who the fuck would impersonate me? “Show me the room!”

He calls one of his lackeys and orders him to take me to the back. I follow the guard down the seedy and empty hallways. We step out of the building into an open ground. Across from it is a shed.

“In there,” he says.

Keeping my head low, I briskly march toward it. As I get nearer, faint grunts and scraping noises float out into the chilly night air. Intrigued and my gut churning, I shove open the slightly ajar door. Stepping inside, the room illuminated by a yellow bulb hanging low from the ceiling, my feet screech to a halt.

A bloody and beaten Arjun is strapped to an iron chair with one eye swollen shut. The tall figure towering over him in all black, with his back to me, whips around.

I come face to face with my brother.

Slamming the door shut behind me, I look between the two of them, demanding low, “What do you think you’re doing, Nathan?”

“What you came here to finish.”

I study the contours of his face set in stone in the dim light, noticing the palpable violence and wrath simmering in his eyes. It’s nowhere close to matching what’s thrumming in my veins, waiting to be unleashed, but it’s strong enough to convey the unbinding truth. We’re both here for one reason.

Retribution for Iris.

His presence also reveals that she means something to him, even if his actions in the past imply otherwise. Just how deep his feelings for her run remains to be seen.

My gaze travels to his hands. His knuckles are bloodied, suggesting he’s been at this for hours. Sliding my attention to the tied-up man, I lift the lid on suppressing my emotions. Clothes torn and deep purple bruises forming on every inch of his skin, he looks like he woke up at the gates of hell.

Sliding off my jacket, I roll up my sleeves. “Wake him up.”

Nathan walks to the bucket of water in the corner, fills up a mug, and returns in front of Arjun. He splashes the man’s face, making him sputter awake, which soon turns into ugly wails.

Closing the gap, I wrench his head back with a fist in his hair. His swollen eyes connect with mine, widening in horror. I smile, baring my teeth. “Long time no see, Arjun.”

Then I swing my fist and punch him square in the jaw.

An ear-splitting scream spills from his mouth, two of his teeth and blood flying out from the blow.

“That’s one,” I growl in a lethal voice. “You’re going to pay for every bruise, every broken rib, every kick, and the pain my woman felt.”

“Sso-orrryy.” His words are a garbled mess, but I hear the plea clearly.

“I haven’t given you a reason to be sorry yet, you cunt.” Holding out my palm, I bark at Nathan, “Grab me the pliers and the gag.”

The table laid out with torture devices has everything under the sun. A dream for men who get off on violence. I shouldn’t have expected anything less from Darian.

Arjun thrashes as I spread open his mouth wide using the gag. Curling my fingers around the handle of the pliers, I push it inside his mouth and take his tongue between the cutters. “You wanted to shut Iris up? Let’s see how you like it after I shut you up.”

I snap his tongue in half with a twist of my wrist.