Chapter 8
Poison
Screens and dead cries
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W e stand here confused and conflicted as phones begin to chime, beeps and rings alerting the owner of the cell phones. I watch most of them glance at each other confused, probably curious as to why their devices are all ringing at the same time. Until horror hits their faces, some covering their mouths, some screaming and shaking with terror.
“What the fuck are you doing?” I charge at Victor, but the fucker who was holding down Mal comes forward, digging the barrel into my head.
“Ronan.” Anita gasps, coming toward the man with her dagger. I hold out my hand quickly, stopping her from doing something that can result in her death or all of ours.
I side eye Victor with a light chuckle. “You better hope you find a way to escape because you’re dead.”
“Don’t threaten my men, Alvarez. It’s so uncivilized.” He wags a finger at me like I am a bad dog. Oh, man, I’m going to ruin him so fucking much.
“Take a look.” He arches a brow, directing me to the screen. He switches it on, and my heart tumbles to the floor. My stomach churns, causing the bile to rush to my throat. I lower the gun, watching the screen in dismay.
No.
“Fuck,” Mal says in a shaky breath.
“Oh my god,” Anita cracks with a whisper.
“See, Ronan. Or should I say Poison?” Victor growls through clenched teeth, hooding his black eyes at me. “Remember the first man you killed?”
I don’t look at him, only at the screen with young kids, probably no older than ten, and the oldest I can see is most likely fifteen. All tied up with cloth around their mouths, arms, and feet. Tears staining their faces, fear emanating off them. Some are crying through the bondage on their lips. The pain stabs me in the heart as I narrow my eyes at the younger one crying for his dad. He’s bawling to fucking tears and there's nothing that I can do. Nothing. I want to break the screen, then smash it on Victor's disgusting head.
Victor continues obnoxiously. “See. Before you killed him, Henley overheard the conversation before you clicked the end call and killed Tractor. He was a lazy idiot, so you helped me there, anyway.” He waves his hands, and I clench my teeth, fighting everything in me to not break them.
“He said the name ‘Poison.’” He shakes his head slowly. “I never would’ve expected it to be you. But here we are. Nearly a decade later. If that’s not the definition of revenge, then I don’t know what the hell is.” Victor cackles while taking a sip of his drink, like he’s on a vacation drinking a pina colada. That only infuriates me even more. “So, I had to do something, and Fred was just collateral. All the shit at his safe house was only a diversion to keep you clear of my true plan. Since you have been offing my men, intervening with my hostages, invading my compounds, and playing with my money, I’ll teach you what happens when you fuck with me,” he drawls, throwing a sinister look. “Revenge fucked with your mind so much, you didn't see that I was always two steps ahead.”
He taps another button. A video pops up, a figure in a black hoodie with a blacked-out face and a distorted voice. It seems the video shows downstairs.
Your worst nightmare has come to fold. Your children have been taken hostage. If you want to see them again, you will do as I say. Disobedience will result in death through both parties. Do you wish to live? You’ll listen. If you want your child? You’ll listen.
By 8 p.m. sharp tomorrow, you will wire ten-million each to an account that is strapped to your child. Record the numbers immediately.
The kids pop up on each of their phones. I can’t see it, but it’s obvious from the way their voices become frantic. Some parents begging and some tapping away on their devices to jot it down.
If I do not have the money by this time, your kid will die.
The screen shuts off.
My chest is burning as if my heart has sliced itself and bled out everywhere. The look on those kids' faces...
“What do you want?” I grit out facing him. Nothing can happen to these kids.
“Remember that leverage I told you about? Well, this ensures my escape. I told you I won’t be dying tonight. If you kill me? This immediately goes off, triggering a bomb. Killing every last one of those little, adorable children.”
I aim the gun back at him. “I don’t believe you.”
“You're lying,” Anita hisses, stepping closer to him.
His face turns to steel as if that offended him. “Liars are for dipshits who are afraid of the consequences.” He clicks the button again and the kids appear. Each of them are strapped with bombs.
I suck in a small breath. Bile approaches my throat. For the first time since starting this job, I feel so helpless.
Fuck, they are going to be so traumatized.
“You shoot me, they die. My heartbeat is connected to the bombs. If it stops, it automatically alerts it and it explodes. It’s wonderful what inventors can create.” He smirks wickedly.
His heart is the detonator . What the fuck. I cut my gaze at him. “What do you want?”
“I want your cooperation. See, I will leave. You’ll all die. I’ll get my money, and you’ll be rid of the world and my business can continue as planned. End of story.”
I stand there, lowering my gun. Even though I feel like pure shit, the one thing he doesn’t know about me is that I don’t back down for anyone, and I damn sure don’t answer to him. He may be able to walk out right now. But we will make it out of here, one way or another. I’ll save those kids like my life depends on it. Because it does...My compound, my school, the kids and teens I take in, it’s all for them.
I clasp my hands together, raising my chin. It's clear what the message sends.
Fuck. You. This shit isn't over.
Victor grins, standing up, then strolling casually in between us before facing Anita.
“I’m sorry we couldn’t have had a better run. You would have been a delight to have. Probably a personal fuck toy?” He roams his eyes up her body. My hand has a mind of its own. I grab his collar with the pendant on it, and my fist flies out with the gun, decking him straight in his nose. It felt so fucking good. He staggers back, howling out a roar. My hand crushes the pendant, and my other fist stings with joy.
The other two guards rush out, yanking me by the arms and locking me, causing my gun to drop on the floor.
“You never said anything about punching you.” I huff, grinning. After a couple of sniffs and nose checks, Victor glowers at me, while fixing his suit and wiping his nose with a spare napkin. Instantly, he’s in my face. I keep my eyes steady on him, unafraid of his backlash.
He stares at me before curling a wide smile and striding off, buttoning his suit jacket back. Once he approaches the door, it opens, and five other men stampede in. Mercenaries.
Victor looks back at us, then at his men. “Kill them.” With that, he disappears, leaving the merc’ to follow his command.
“Look what we have here. Fish to fry. Bones to crack,” one of them spews, each of them lined with a bulletproof vest and a gun.
I stuff the pendant into my pocket undetected and immediately look at Anita, whose eyes bounce from man to man. We are going to make it out of here alive. At least some of us are. I glance over at Boone. His arms are shifting slowly.
Mal, no longer kneeling over but sitting on the heel of her feet, looks around with a malicious expression.
“Who wants to go first?” the merc’ says, looking around like he’s doing us a favor by asking.
“Maybe you.” He targets Anita, and my entire body stiffens. He strolls toward her. “Drop the knife.”
She listens.
He grins. “Now—”
Bam!