Page 26 of Taint My Soul

Oliver jostles and falls to the ground in his struggle. I squat down behind him and pull him up, placing the muzzle against his neck. “I’ll talk. I’ll talk.” He sputters, shaking.

“Good, Oliver.” He nods relentlessly, and I grin. “Tell me the truth.”

“They came to the docks two days ago. I have never seen them my whole life.” Oliver splutters.

“What did they want?”

“They just wanted us off duty, so they’d tamper with the shipment. They paid us for it.”

“Names?”

“I didn’t get any names…” he quivers, hands shaking. “But we were going to meet up at the poker room at the Red Horn Club next week for the rest of the payment.”

“Good enough.” I squeeze the trigger, and the gun makes a mechanical click, but doesn’t go off. I hear the bastard’s heart almost explode as half-full breaths drill out of his lungs. “Isn’t it your lucky day?”

His tortured gaze slides over to me, and I smile, depravity flashing in my eyes as I face him. “Just so you know, this is not over yet. I’ll be back, and I’ll collect my due.” I holster my gun and head out of the warehouse.

“Take that bastard to the hospital and keep a close eye on him.” I tell the bodyguard manning the entrance.

“Yes, sir.” He nods and slips through the door.

Just as I hear footsteps crunching against gravel, my heart sinks with an ominous feeling, and then my gaze lands on Virgil, who has a gun pointed at Mason’s head.

Something in me shifts, and a hard pinch of regret follows.

I hate that these things happen to me whenever I see him.

These tiny flutters I can’t control.

Butterflies.

The young man has his hands pulled back by the two men behind him, knees forced against the ground. But he appears so calm, it’s almost terrifying.

“What do you reckon?” Virgil asks me.

“Let me take care of it.” My eyes slide to him, but he doesn’t look at me. “Do what I asked you to.”

“Alright, brother.” Virgil withdraws his gun and marches toward the freight container. I jerk my head towards the shadowed part of the docks, and Mason follows me into it.

CHAPTER NINE

MASON

Ishouldn’t even be six inches near Saint.

But here I am, stalking him.

What Vincent wants. Vincent gets.

He wants me to report back with information on how Saint’s handling the attack on his warehouse. An attack Neo had executed under his command.

The air drifts with rust and wet earth. Freight containers rise in crooked rows in the quiet dockyard. I press my shoulder against the steel surface, the cold leeching into my black leather jacket.

I’m in enemy territory.

I have been since the moment he kidnapped me. Since he tried to sell me off at the auction house in Queenstown. Since he threatened my life.

Work for him or die. Those are the rules.