Page 7 of Unforgiving Queen

“Did he say anything?”

“The idiot knows nothing.”

“We’ll see.” I looked at the unconscious form. “He’ll talk. And then I’ll cut out his tongue and dig his eyeballs from their sockets.”

Dante caught my gaze with a curious expression. “Huh. I’m impressed.”

He stood in front of the other unfortunate soul in our holding cell. These were the men who’d run over Reina. Dante had caught them with Ghost’s help yesterday. I watched from where I stood as blood dripped down his chin and bare chest onto the concrete floor.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

It reminded me of the tempo of Reina’s heart monitor: slow and weak.

“Yeah, well…” I trailed off, retrieving my knife from its holster and moving over to the bastard. I grabbed a fistful of his hair and lifted his head. He was out cold. I flicked a look at Dante. “Give him a shot of adrenaline.”

Dante went to the table and retrieved it, returning to inject it into the man’s outer thigh.

“About the hospital—” Dante started, but I shook my head.

“Not now.”

“Then when?” he snapped. “It’s been three days since the accident. Over three months since you and Reina broke it off. You started seeing other women.” I tried to move on and failed. “Yet you attack me when I’m trying to reason with you to move on from her. It’s time to let her go.”

Let her go.

Cackling filled the cell, each drum of my heart a betrayal to human decency. To my brother, I had given up Reina, yet I couldn’t fully let her go. The thought of anyone near her had my insides twisting and my fury unleashing. What was wrong with me? She was my half sister, for fuck’s sake. I’d tried to move on, he was right about that. In the three months after breaking it off with her, I had done nothingbuttry.

“She’s just another girl.” My words rang anything but true. I didn’t believe my own voice, and according to the disbelief in Dante’s eyes, he didn’t either. “This has nothing to do with her.”

His scoff further indicated what he thought about that.

“Then why go to the hospital and stare at her?” Dante questioned, frustration flickering on his face. “Why attack me?”

The man stirred, saving me from an answer.

I strode over to the table in the corner and picked up the bloody pliers from it. Ghost must have collected his payment—in the form of a tooth. Deciding against the pliers, I picked up an AED. “This is a portable medical device,” I explained in a drawled tone. “See it?” I didn’t wait for him to confirm. “It’s designed to help people in the midst of cardiac arrest by sending a shock to your black heart.” I grinned maliciously. “However, before you get too excited, there’ll be no saving going on here today.” A whimper escaped the asshole's busted mouth. “I’ll send a shock to your fucking heart. I ensured the device is calibrated to override the safety that’ll recognize a healthy heart, so we can prolong this until you give me answers. So you see, it’s in your best interest to tell me everything.”

When I was done with this fucker, he might actually need the device for real. Too bad I had no intention of using it that way.

Dante slid his hands into his pockets and leaned against the wall, watching me. It would seem he’d gotten his fill of torture to sate his madness.

It was my turn to lose myself to rage and my own form of madness.

I charged it up before pressing the electro pads against his ribs and…Boom!

His entire body convulsed, speeding up his heart. Maybe I shouldn’t have used adrenaline, but I wanted him lucid. Fucking sue me.

His head darted between Dante and me, looking for the weaker man. He wouldn’t find one here.

His pupils met mine—wide, unfocused, and dilated.

“What are you doing, man?” he spat out, saliva dribbling down his chin.

“So we have your attention,” I deadpanned.

He shook his head. “This is a mistake. You have to release me.”

“Release you?” I repeated slowly, my lips curling to reveal the sneer I’d been keeping controlled. He nodded his head, likely mistaking it for a smile. “I’m just getting started,” I drawled.