Chapter 29
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Pennsylvania
A yacht didn’t bode well for Gideon getting to me if it left the dock. As soon as I’d sent my location via the GPS to Gideon, I’d known I was most definitely screwed.
I kicked my phone under the bench on the far side of the van. Unless they were looking for it, they wouldn’t see it, likely focused on getting me onto that boat.
The doors opened and three men stood there. Two were pointing guns at me, and the other was Tolland.
“A bit overkill wouldn’t you say?” I jangled the cuffs. “Are you afraid I’ll spit on you?”
“Shut the fuck up.” Tolland reached in and yanked me out. He grimaced, and there was a fair amount of blood soaking up his shirt from being shot. I could have been a dick and bumped him, but I was outnumbered so there was no point in fighting just yet.
There were more men on the dock, and as we got closer to the yacht, I saw even more on deck. Where’d Lorcan get these people? Couldn’t be the mercs he hired last time, because Gideon was paying them double to not work for Lorcan. Was there such a thing as an honest mercenary?
“Pennsylvania Garrand!” I jolted out of my musings at the sound of my name.
Above me, standing on the yacht, in a stupid cream suit, sunglasses, and fucking flip-flops was Lorcan Anders.
His light-brown hair was slicked back from either sweat or hair gel, his smile was wide, and his too-white teeth were irritating.
“Lorcan. Nice to see you again.”
He laughed and chugged what appeared to be a martini, then handed the empty glass over to a bikini-clad woman. “Yes, such a pleasure. Do come on board; we have much to discuss.”
Because the yacht was massive, you couldn’t jump onto it like other boats, so climbing up was impossible. Tolland unlocked the cuffs, and after many threats told me to get on.
I wasn’t sure if I’d survive if I ran with all these men around. I looked down the dock, and there were too many for me to likely fight off, so onto the yacht I went.
I was led to the lower, lower deck. Apparently there were floors to this monstrosity.
It wasn’t as pretty here as up top, but that could have had something to do with the lack of windows, the hanging metal hook, the array of weapons on the wall, or the variety of instruments on a medical table to the right.
There was a chair which was bolted to the floor, but it was a boat, a lot of furniture was.
“Nice place.” I smiled at Lorcan.
He lifted his sunglasses to rest on the top of his head and regarded me. “There’s something strange about you, Pennsylvania.”
I didn’t like him calling me that; it felt tainted.
It must have shown in my expression, because he laughed.
“I’ve learned a lot about you since our last tryst. Why don’t you have a seat, and I’ll tell you what I discovered and then when I’m done, you’re going to answer all the questions I have for you. ”
“I highly doubt I’ll do that.”
He stepped closer and gently patted my cheek. “We shall see.”
I was roughly pushed to the chair, where my arms were tied to the arms and my ankles to the legs. It wasn’t a great position to be in but I had to hope the yacht would stay docked, Gideon would find me, and I’d survive.
Lorcan pulled up another chair, this one not bolted down, and sat across from me.
“Pennsylvania Garrand, born Mitchell Garrand to Louis and Barbara Garrand. Suspiciously gave you up for adoption at the age of five.” He cocked his head.
“Sunshine House only had on record that the parents thought you were strange and they were unsettled by you.”
I glowered at Lorcan as best I could. I wasn’t sure what he was hoping to accomplish by telling me my life story.
He sighed. “I thought that was odd. I mean, a five-year-old boy scaring his parents.” He glanced at one of his men on the right and chuckled. “If I believed in that sort of thing, I’d say you were a demon or something.”
“Or something,” I growled.
He snickered. “I actually like you, Penn. I do. I hate that you’re working with Gideon and truly feel like I can offer you a lot more than he can.
See, he’s not as powerful as he once was.
I replenished my men, have multiple sources of income pouring in, and where is he?
In a holding cell. Hmm…is he really the horse you want to bet on? ”
“Did you bring me here to pitch your business to me? Because tying me up isn’t a great idea.”
He made a swipe of his hand. “No, one thing I’m certain of is that you’re stupidly loyal, and Gideon has sadly sunk his teeth into you.” He leaned closer. “You didn’t actually know who lived in that house you so insanely ran into, did you?”
“I’m not like you, Anders, I don’t sit back and watch children burn alive.”
He hummed and relaxed in his chair. “I imagine you learned this bravery, and kindness, and whatever else from Tennessee, is that right?”
“Did you bring me down here to talk about family?”
He pursed his lips. “But she wasn’t family. She didn’t even adopt you…maybe she didn’t want you but instead felt bad for poor little Mitchell whose parents didn’t love him.”
I cocked a brow. “Seriously? You’re trying some sort of psychological bullshit on me?”
I was happy when his nostrils flared slightly. “I did find it interesting that your medical records were sealed.”
Tenny had been protective. Her uncle was a judge and had agreed to make sure no one would go digging. I wondered now, if maybe she’d had some sixth sense that I’d be in a position like this one day.
“Sorry?”
He snorted. “See, here’s the thing, Penn. I’ve had people in front of me like you are today. Most of them aren’t even strapped in before they’re crying, begging, and on some occasions soiling themselves.”
“Oh, were you hoping I’d do all that?” I smirked. “You’ll be disappointed.”
He slapped his leg and cackled. “Right there. You aren’t even afraid of me, of what’s going to happen here.”
“Not really, no. Gideon’s far more terrifying than you. After all, he did walk right up to your brother, on the steps of his own home, and shoot him in the head. Didn’t even go to jail for it…why would I be afraid of you?” Okay, in hindsight, poking the bear might not have been the best idea.
Lorcan’s smile fell, and his gaze turned to ice. “I’ll make you afraid, Penn. You’ll be pissing your pants soon enough.”
“Sounds fun. Now, didn’t you have questions for me?”
He clenched his fists, and I knew he was desperately trying to keep his cool. Not sure why—I mean this was obviously a room for torture.
“You ran into a house to save strangers, lied to me about who did, but from what I’ve found out, Gideon hadn’t approached you yet. What made you side with him over me?”
Oh. My. God. “Wow, is that what this is about? You’re butt-hurt because I chose Gideon over you? That’s what all this is about.”
He shot out of his chair and punched me square in the jaw. “You need to watch your mouth.”
“I’ll give you this one, Lorcan.” I grinned. “He didn’t try to murder kids. That was pretty much a deciding factor.”
“He’s no saint!”
I nodded. “I’m aware. He’s morally ambiguous or whatever you want to call him. He’s done monstrous things, but he has a line he won’t cross and you have none. That’s a dangerous thing, and there’s no way I’m going to shackle myself to a rabid coyote.”
He gripped my shirt and yanked me closer to his face, which wasn’t easy, seeing as I was tied to the chair.
“I think you’re quite unique, Penn. I could have used you in my ranks.” He tilted his head. “I see there’s no way you’ll switch sides, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be useful.”
“I’m not sucking your dick.”
He released me roughly. “No, you reserve that for Gideon, don’t you?
” A smile bloomed on his face. “Yeah, I figured that out too. Know what else I realized?” He walked behind his chair and placed his hands on the back.
“Gideon cares a lot about you. He got himself locked up for you, which means, when he finds your broken lifeless body on his doorstep, he’ll fracture just enough that I’ll swoop in, destroy his empire, and deliver Gideon to my brother in Hell. ” He nodded to one of his men. “Begin.”