Chapter 26
Chapter Twenty-Six
Thane
I rock back on my heels, wanting nothing more than to kill the man in front of me.
My hands literally itch, and my mind keeps picturing how great it would look to have this fool’s blood coating my hands.
But I can’t act on instinct, at least not yet.
We need him alive because he has information.
He worried about my mother taking down his vile industry.
By the time I’m done with him, he’ll be the one responsible for shutting it down. That’s if I don’t kill him first.
“So, you told Corbin?” I ask.
“She left me no choice!” Curtis screams. I barely hold back my grin, knowing I’ve got him.
Curtis is an easy clown to break, but I’m not sure if saying more will work to my advantage or the opposite — force me into a corner.
Sometimes, low-life scums like Curtis and Corbin can’t accept anyone looking down on them, thinking of them as less.
Adding a little fuel to that flame isn’t the worst idea.
If I’m lucky, he will lay out everything, to the last detail.
“What did she have on Corbin?” I ask. He just shrugs at my question.
“Some proof about him killing our father,” Curtis mutters as if it isn’t a big deal. You would think such information would affect him, but clearly, Curtis doesn’t care. Rats never do.
“But that would help you. So why not give her what she wanted?” I ask, arching an eyebrow as if I’m genuinely interested in his side of the story.
My interest isn’t entirely fake; I need information, but to get it, I have to listen to the unimportant bits.
Right now, the only thing that matters is finding Corbin.
Curtis's face turns deep red as he glares at me. “This place is all I have. She was trying to shut the sanctuaries down! That does not help me. It would only have put Bree in danger! She would have just become another target for Corbin to wipe out,” he barks the words.
Am I the only one who finds it ironic how protective Curtis is of his own daughter, while he doesn’t give a flying fuck for other Omega girls? He would watch his monster of a brother take Harlow and possibly harm our daughter, and he wouldn’t bat an eyelash.
Curtis is more than willing to sacrifice countless innocent lives, as long as it doesn’t put him or his daughter in danger.
“So, what did she have on you?” I hum, bringing my hand to my chin as if deep in thought.
Curtis huffs and looks away. “It doesn’t matter. She crossed too many people. If it wasn’t Corbin, it would have been someone else.”
I can’t believe this shit. He’s trapped, looking right into the face of death, and he’s still refusing to give up the information.
I grab the knife, rip it out of his leg, and plunge it into his other leg. I make sure to use enough force to stab the knife all the way through his thigh and into the chair.
“A little warning next time?” Leo scolds me as he jumps to cover Curtis’s mouth with his hand, silencing the screams of pain.
I shrug and turn around to rummage through the drawers. A silent gasp leaves my lips as I find a spoon, and an idea pops into my head.
A wide, sinister smile spreads across my face as I turn around to face them. “Gag him and hold his eyelids open,” I tell Leo. Curtis tries to stand up, but Leo elbows him in the face, breaking his ugly nose and making him fall back into the chair.
Leo grabs his head and pries an eyelid open. He doesn’t question my intentions for even a second. Curtis grips Leo’s arm and struggles against his hold. Slowly, I bring the spoon closer to his face, pressing it into the white of his eye, more than ready to scoop it out like ice cream.
“Wait, wait!” Curtis squeals. I stop, raising an eyebrow, and give him a second to catch his breath. It seems that Curtis is only just now realizing that he could lose more than his precious sanctuary.
“She had footage of the night Bree was dropped on my doorstep. She had your fathers break into our servers and steal it,” Curtis pants.
“And why is that an issue?” I ask. I’m curious what could be on the footage besides the obvious — surely whoever Bree’s biological mother is wouldn’t damage his reputation.
“It’s not the only footage she had,” Curtis admits, glancing at the spoon in my hand. “She also had video testimony from Bree’s mother and DNA swabs. And the tape from the night it happened,” he explains as Leo steps back.
“You were worried about Corbin finding out who the mother is?” Leo asks, but Curtis shakes his head.
“No, that was just part of it. It proved her claims that the system is rigged and the Omegas are held against their will,” Curtis states.
“But that’s common knowledge,” I say. Does he take us for fools? Why does he think it’s a good idea to share old news in a situation where he is about to lose his eyes? Perhaps I should change my approach? Go for his testicles first and then scoop out his eyes.
“It is now, yes. But before Bree was born, sanctuaries were painted as safe havens for Omegas. A fair system that women joined willingly to find the best packs. Your mother was the biggest whistleblower on what my father spent years trying to cover up. Most girls were too scared to speak up, for fear they would end up back here. But not your mother. She wanted to take us all down. Her videos would have done that.”
That makes more sense. I hum and scratch my chin. “So, you told Corbin I bought an Omega to get back at her?”
“Yes, and when I found out she was the one picking up your Omega, I saw an opportunity to make all her threats disappear. So, I told him she was coming and placed a tracker on her car before she left,” he mutters.
I take a step closer. “And the footage?” I ask.
“No idea, but it was never released,” he shrugs. I glance at Leo, who has a dark look on his face.
“What’s on the footage, Curtis?” Leo asks, his voice ice-cold. His tone is laced with so much power and dominance, I’m sure Curtis feels cold shivers of fear run down his snakey spine.
Curtis swallows and looks away, appearing ashamed about what he is about to share with us. As if someone as vile as him can feel shame at all. Leo and I exchange looks and focus back on Curtis right as the worm speaks up.
“My father was going to change his will. The first of us to produce an heir would inherit everything, but then Corbin killed him. It was too late, though, and I was desperate. I couldn’t lose this place, and it’s no secret that Corbin hates me.
He felt I deserved nothing. It’s why I convinced my father to let me pick one of the girls here.
I didn’t have the money to win an auction.
Dad was pissed Corbin made an Alpha Pack, so he agreed. ”