Chapter 26
Chapter Twenty-Six
Berkleigh
“I’m ready.” I’m not. “But can we not let the baby thing catch on?” Inhaling deeply, I try to mentally prepare myself for what we’re about to do, giving Tanner a slightly twitchy smile as he starts the engine.
Before following the car that Reginald just got into—one Tanner placed a tracker on earlier—Tanner leans over me, reaching for my hand clenched around the door handle and putting his face level with mine.
His hot breath against my skin almost brings a tear to my eye and I have no idea why it’s happening, but my heart is hammering at my chest and my other fist is clenched around a gun from Tanner’s stash.
“You’ve got this, Sweet Bee. Okay?” The tender way he kisses me between the eyes only fuels the well and a lone tear drops onto my cheek.
I nod in response, any words stuck in my throat.
“But if at any point you decide you don’t got this, then you’ve got me. I’ll be there every step of the way.” Resting his forehead against mine calms my racing heart, just a little, and I start breathing slower to match him. In. And out. In. And out.
Breaking the moment because I’m aware we could lose our window of opportunity, I peck his lips and push him away, strapping myself in. The sound of his chuckling follows as the truck starts moving, the brake lights of the Sedan up ahead no longer getting smaller.
We don’t say another word, both of us with eyes on the vehicle up ahead.
According to Tanner’s sources, Reginald is on another of his notorious nights out and plans to meet up with two of his goons on arrival.
The DOGs have arranged for a private room to be allocated to him at the club, Rapture, in SoHo, through their contacts with the New York mafia boss, Marco Mancini.
Apparently, the DOGs is the name of the firm Tanner and his friends work for. Super secretive and shit. Almost as weird to discover they’re a real thing as it was to learn about the mafia…
I mean…the mafia…mind officially blown.
The kingpins of investment finance don’t get taken down in this city without the mafia knowing about it—again, apparently, because all this is new to me and I have a lot to learn about the workings of this city.
And seeing as Reginald has been flying under the radar as a complete and utter scumbag, Mr. Mancini was only too happy to oblige.
Knowing Reginald’s destination means we don’t actually have to follow him all the way there, thankfully, because he drives like it’s Sunday. Tanner easily overtakes him on the highway and I fight the urge to stare at the fucker through my window as we pass.
Still in silence, we park the truck in a private parking area we were given access to and enter the club hand in hand.
It’s stunning inside, way more glamorous than the limited clubs local to Blue Hills Grove.
The theme is red, black, and gold, the music thumping, and we wait by the entrance for our escort to the private room.
“Berkleigh!” A tall—compared to me—beautiful woman with dark-brown hair shorter than mine on one side holds her arms out to the sides and grins wide.
“I’m River Fox-Mancini, your tour guide this evening.
” She wags her brows and winks, in on our little secret mission seeing as she’s the mafia boss’s wife.
We were told she’d be the one meeting us on arrival.
On a normal day, I would shy away from her touch, but today is anything but normal and I get only good vibes from her.
So, I step into the welcome hug she’s offering as she speaks over my shoulder.
“And you must be Tanner. Why is it my husband only showed me a picture of Berkleigh when showing me who to look out for?”
Pulling away, she holds her hand out for Tanner, which he shakes politely, after securing his backpack over his shoulder, with a gentle nod of his head.
“Pleasure, Mrs. Fox-Mancini. Thank you for the private room.”
“Pfft. When Marco told me what this sleazebag has done, I was ready to string him up by the balls myself. C’mon, we’ll get you two into position.” Looping her arm through mine, she leads us further into the club.
There are three beautiful women on the stage at the end of the large, dimly-lit room, twirling, leaping, and bending around three equally stunning men, all of them wearing barely-there sparkling suits, the glittering diamonds heavier over their crotches and chests.
The lighting, all in red hues, flashes in time with the beat of the music and the atmosphere in here is electric.
“Sooo I may have done a thing. Okay, I definitely did a thing…” River pauses just outside a door along one of the side walls and turns to face me, briefly glancing toward Tanner with a smile that says she isn’t sorry for whatever this thing is.
“The club is closed to the general public tonight. Just a few trusted regulars aaaaand a few of my Reaper friends.” Her grin grows toothier and she lifts her shoulders.
“Just in case you wanted the back up. I know it’s only one guy, but sometimes guys like this can be slippery fucks. ”
Blinking a few times, I can’t help grinning back at her, huffing a laugh and shaking my head. I don’t know who or what the Reapers are but I get the impression it’s a good thing.
“Thank you.”
“Speak of the devil and she shall appear!” River gestures behind us to a woman with long blonde hair and a scowl on her face that would rival Tanner’s.
“Room’s all set. Glitch says the scumbag is two minutes out.
” The woman nods to acknowledge our existence once she has relayed her information to River.
There’s nothing else from her before she heads off in the opposite direction, settling in one of the lush red booths beside a man I assume is her partner—if I go by the ass grab as she attempts to sit down.
But then she smacks him over the head and I’m not so sure.
“That’s J, Capo for the Reapers. She’s not exactly personable, but once you get to know her she never shuts up.
Anyway, you’re here to work…” She pauses and leans in.
“Although, you should definitely get some pleasure from this too, I would know.” She wags her brows again and opens the door to the room.
“If you just stay behind the door, he won’t see you when he comes in.
Then, as soon as it’s closed, he’s all yours.
Try to keep it in here, if you can. I have a ladies’ night tomorrow and J’s cleaning crew will be pissed if I rush them. ”
“We’ll keep it in the room.” Tanner speaks up, voice level, calm, everything I’m not.
“The only stipulation to this is that J gets the two coming with him. So Reginald will be the only one entering this room. Okay?”
We knew this information, and it’s actually really helpful because they won’t be the same mountainous men he had with him at my house. Tanner got them already. Reginald is the only one I want.
“Fine with me.” I nod. Raising my chin to try and mirror the confident stance that appears to come naturally to River, I take a deep breath and manage a smile. The tremble from before is beginning to ease out the closer we get to completion.
“I’m curious why she wants them? I couldn’t find a lot of information on the two extra.” Won’t lie, I’m curious too, so I’m glad Tanner asked.
River shrugs. “She’s bored. Been a while since she had a chance to play and they’re ripe for the taking. Her words.”
“Got it, and thanks for the assist.” Tanner politely ends the conversation and his warm hand on my lower back leads me into the room as I smile and wave awkwardly at River in thanks.
She closes the door behind us and now it’s just a case of waiting.
Reginald has been here before and has paid for private dance sessions from the extracurriculars the club also dabbles in, so as far as he’s aware, he’s just here for a normal night out with his goon friends that he probably has to pay to hang out with him.
“You good?” Tanner’s question doesn’t come from nowhere but I do startle a little, immediately giving him all of my attention as I remember to breathe.
He holds my eye contact for a few moments, his deep browns boring into my light blues, and that’s what I concentrate on. Us. Our connection. Everything he has given me since it was ripped away from me so cruelly, all because I said no.
I hum a yes in response with a sharp nod, afraid that if I speak I’ll fuck this up somehow. We’re so close.
The world goes quiet, dulled, all except for the noise of the handle as it lowers, the door opening, and the sound of my blood rushing through my body with the rapid beat of my heart.
“Why’s it so dark in he—” His voice grates at my spine, awakening the anger from deep inside, one that he put there that night, but he’s quickly cut off as the door slams closed.
The music outside gets louder, and I hit him over the head with a new baseball bat.
Tanner presented me with it before we left for our stakeout, said it would be good for Karma.
Reginald’s yell of pain makes me smile. There’s a fleeting thought that this is insane, feeling so good about inflicting this kind of pain, about the thought of this man’s blood splattered all over the room, but I push it aside.
I’m making the world a better place. I’m enacting karma. This complete scum deserves it.
A dim red light flickers on, showing Reginald on the floor in a fetal position, holding his head in his hands and writhing around. Blood is pooling from the wound…
“Shit. Did I hit him too hard?” I grimace and turn to Tanner, who is covering his mouth, trying to hide his growing grin. “It’s not fucking funny. What do we do?”
I hate to be the girl that asks the guy what to do, but I’d be asking the same to whoever was here with me.
I’m basically a student at this point—something I have always excelled at—and Tanner is my teacher in this specific subject.
I’m here to learn, not grow a bravado over something I have little experience with.
Clearing his throat, he glances toward a contraption up against the wall. “I think that’ll do nicely.”
“What is it?” I frown, my eyes wide and questioning as I take in the huge cross-shaped object.
“St. Andrews Cross. Kinky as fuck if you use it right. Maybe I’ll let you try it on me when we’re finished here.” He winks. “But for now, it’ll keep him in place so you can do your thing.”
“Okay, yeah, let’s do that.” I wait for him to approach Reginald first because I’m not fucking stupid and about to get punched in the face for not being careful.
Quick as a whip, Tanner grips one of Reginald’s wrists and drags him up toward the giant X on the wall. It’s as though the guy weighs nothing with the way Tanner lifts him, strapping him into the contraption with ease. He groans, not putting up a fight until his last foot is being strapped.
“Wha…What’s going on?” He’s a little sluggish, his eyes glazed over, blood dripping down the side of his face from his head wound.
Without saying a word, I step forward so he can see me as I pull out a gleaming silver dagger, courtesy of Tanner. I hold it up, allowing the light to catch the shine and enjoying the way Reginald’s eyes widen in recognition and fear. True to form, he attempts to mask it and scowls.
“You bitch. I should have finished the job that night.” He spits in my direction, but it’s weak, doesn’t go much farther than dribbling down his own chin.
I chuckle. “Yeah, maybe you should have.” One step closer and a deep inhale. I hold out my empty palm, hoping Tanner gets the hint. He does. His hand soon envelopes mine and I sigh, my heartbeat slowing to a more steady pace.
“And you…” Reginald snarls at Tanner. “You should have taken that job. You wouldn’t be holding that cunt’s hand like a fucking pussy, you’d be halfway across the world with all the fucking money I was gonna pay you.
” He coughs, wincing and twisting his neck, his body tensing briefly before he calms again, his dozy gaze back on me.
“And you’d be pushing daisies because your protector wouldn’t be around to save you. ”
Tanner squeezes my hand, and I know he wants to say something, but this is my show. I don’t need to argue with the man in front of me because he’s not worth it. Right now, I am saving myself…yes, with Tanner’s help, but there’s no shame in having help.
“Pussy and cunt aren’t the insults you think they are. They’re stronger than the dick and balls I’m about to slice from your body.” Not my finest moment, but it felt good to say that out loud.
“You wouldn’t fucking dare.” Reginald’s snarl sounds like it took a lot of energy and I don’t know how long he has left with that head wound.
“Tanner, did he just dare me to cut off his dick and balls?” I twist my head to face him and feign innocence.
“I think he did, Sweet Bee.” Tanner’s smirk settles every ounce of doubt I had left in my body and now I’m truly ready for this.
“Well, it’s only polite to play the game. I’d ask you for a truth first, but I really couldn’t give any shits.” Smiling as sweetly as possible, I lightly shrug.
One single step forward is all I need to be close enough.
The mere thought of seeing his junk again makes me shudder, touching it even more so, but that’s what I’m here for.
Tanner is beside me the whole time, and he reaches out his hand—the one not holding mine—to slice down the front of Reginald’s pants.
They fall to the ground in shreds, revealing everything I need.
I close my eyes for just a second and swallow, slowly lifting my lids with a sly grin.
My focus is on Reginald’s flaccid dick and sagging balls.
The disgust I imagined is there, inside me, but anger overrides the feeling tenfold and I reach out with my dagger, pushing the blade into his flesh at the base of his cock.
It is absolutely not like slicing through beef or any normal kind of meat, instead, it’s hard and grisly, depending on the layer.
Blood squirts up and out of the wound, only growing as I push the dagger deeper into his flesh, and his screams are like magic. They urge me forward, helping me to push through his veins, his muscle, until finally, his cock plops against the floor.
The screams stop suddenly, Reginald’s head flopping to his chest, his open mouth full of blood that has dripped down from his head.
I step backward, a little disappointed. “Is he dead?” I glance at Tanner, who is covered in blood, although he probably looks a lot better than I do because I can feel the wet liquid sliding down my own skin.
Holding two fingers against Reginald’s neck, Tanner checks for a pulse and I hold my breath in anticipation.
“Dead as a doornail. Sorry, Sweet Bee.” He pulls me into him, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and kissing the top of my head.
“Oh.” I sigh.
“Oh?” Tanner chuckles.
“Yeah…” I’m a little deflated. “I was expecting that to last longer.”
“Next time, baby.”
“I already said baby isn’t becoming a thing!”