Chapter 33 Declan
My four cousins are in the hallway that houses what we call the pens.
“I want Kevin first,” I say as I approach.
Conor points to the second door. I enter the room; my boots soundless on the polished concrete floor.
He is strapped to a metal chair that is bolted to the floor.
It reminds me of the old electric chairs in prisons, only made of metal instead of wood.
Kevin’s head is hanging down, and blood and spit are dripping onto his chest.
“Time to wake up, asshole,” Conor says as he snaps an ammonia capsule under his nose. He jerks to the side, trying to get away from Conor’s hand. “Ah, there you are. Ready for some pain? It may take a while, so I hope you are comfy.”
“Who the fuck are you?”
“We can skip the bullshit questions. You’re here because you took what is mine and hurt him,” I say as I step in front of him.
“Please don’t do this. I didn’t hurt him.”
“You took him!” I scream at him as I punch him in the face. The satisfying crunch tells me I broke his nose. I hit him again and again. I am so focused on his pain that I swing at Ronan when he touches my shoulder.
“Whoa there, slugger. Give me a second, and you can get back to beating the shit out of him. I think we just solved the four murders.” It takes me a second to understand what he means. I turn back to Kevin.
“Did you take the others?”
Kevin’s head rolls to the side, and he looks up at me. “What others?”
“You know exactly who I am talking about.” I grab an ice pick from the table beside the chair.
“Chase White, Bobby Carter, Devon Smith, and Travis Carver.” I punctuate each name with a stab of the ice pick into his hands.
I bathe in his screams. They wash over me like a comforting blanket. I want to hear more.
“I’ll ask you one more time. Did you take the other boys?”
“Yes! Fuck yes, okay. The brothers,” he pants out, “They’re the ones you want. They killed them all. I just picked them up.”
“You just picked them up. You think that makes you innocent?” Conor asks.
“I didn’t kill them for fuck’s sake.” He cries like the bitch that he is.
I press the ice pick to his left shoulder. “How many more?” He shakes his head. I push harder. “How. Many. More?”
“Two, there are two more. Please stop!” I slam the pick to the hilt in his shoulder. I leave the room. My cousins are still in the hallway.
“Do you know if one or both whipped him?”
“Both. Brian had the cane when we first came in. He was in front, but Brad was behind him. I think he was admiring his work.” Liam answers me.
“Brad,” I say, and he points to the next door. Unlike Kevin, Brad is awake and very aware.
“Let me guess, you’re here to kill me. Well, get it over with.” He sneers at me.
“Eventually, but not yet.” I cock my head at him. His bravado surprises me. “You would have ended up here for the other six you and your brother killed anyway. Your time just got extended because you hurt what is mine.”
“Xavier,” is all he gets out before I backhand him. I grip his hair and yank his head back.
“You don’t get to say his name. You don’t deserve to breathe the same air as him,” I grit out. “Liam, do you think you and the others can chain him up in the same position Xavier was in?”
“No problem. You want the other ones done as well?”
“Yes, but after I talk to him.” I walk to the last door and open it to see Brian. He doesn’t have the bravado that his brother possesses. He’s crying and begging to be let go. The smell of urine is strong in the air.
“I warned you not to touch him,” I say darkly as I approach him.
“I didn’t know it was him when Kevin called me. I’m sorry!”
“We’ve been hunting you already for the others. It was only a matter of time before we found you. Unfortunately for you, it was after you hurt him. I’m going to make this last for days.” I punch him several times before I leave the room.
“Mom’s gonna be pissed. You should have wrapped your hand,” Finn says.
I look down at my hand. My knuckles are bleeding, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I fractured a bone.
I don’t feel it, though. What I do feel is the urge to get back to my A Ghrá.
I have been away from him for too long. I know that Alessia and Kieran are with him, but they aren’t me.
I need my eyes on him. I need to protect him.
As I open the door, the doctor is finishing a row of stitches on his shoulder.
He has a white ointment covering most of his body.
The smell of antiseptic is all I notice when I get close to him.
I want his smell back. I want to bury my nose in his hair that smells like strawberries.
I want to nuzzle into his neck and take in the scent that is uniquely his.
I settle for running my fingers through his hair.
“I have started him on antibiotics through his IV. I suggest we keep him sedated for at least forty-eight hours to let his body heal. He is going to be in a lot of pain. Are you going to keep him here or move him to one of the residences?”
“Here,” I answer.
“Declan, you both will be more comfortable at our house, where we can help you take care of him.” Aunt Alessia starts, but I shake my head. “Dr. Wright, could you give us a moment, please?”
“Sure, I’ll be outside.”
My dad comes up beside me and places a hand on my shoulder.
It’s odd for him to touch me. “I know that you want him here with you so you can spend time with those three. But you need to think of what’s best for Xavier right now.
He is going to need you not just physically.
We’ll keep them alive until you are ready. ”
“Trust us to do that for you and him. Besides, keeping them waiting will be its own form of torture,” Kieran adds.
They’re right, of course. I know they are. “We’ll stay at your house, but no one touches him.”
“Understood. I’ll get the transportation arranged,” Alessia says.
“I’ll be back in just a little. I want to leave them with a parting gift. Something to remind them that I’ll be coming back.”
I make it back to the pens just as they finish up on my request. I enter Brad’s cell first.
“I have a gift for you, Declan.” Finn hands me the very cane that they used on Xavier. How fitting. I take it in my hand and test swing. Brad keeps his eyes glued to the movement. I do it again.
“This is what you used on him. This is how you tortured him.” I walk behind him. “Finn, cut his shirt off.” With a wicked grin on his face, he grabs a blade from the table.
“Sorry, I cut him a little,” Finn says.
“You haven’t even started yet.”
“I know. Just being proactive.” He slices through the cotton material, leaving a blood trail down the center of his back. “I’ll go get the brother ready.”
I rear back and strike the cane against his back.
I don’t put all my force behind it. I want to see his skin welt and turn red before I open him up.
I strike him again. He has yet to make a sound louder than a grunt and groan.
On the fifth hit, I put as much force as I can manage behind it.
Blood oozes from the slash mark before dripping down to soak the top of his jeans. This time, he screams.
“That’s just us getting started. I’ll be seeing you again soon.
” I repeat the process and threat with the other two bastards.
I give each one several light hits and one bloody blow.
The euphoria I usually get from inflicting pain isn’t there.
I feel incomplete not finishing them now.
But I want Xavier awake and aware when they die.