by Eva Ashwood
Leland may be a traitor with a weakness against betrayal and bribery, but he’s received the same training each of the other men have. He doesn’t break easily. Whatever secret he’s holding on to isn’t going to come out even under an assault of fists. When Ciro begins to sense this, the punching suddenly stops.
Walking over to the other side of the room, he opens a cupboard I didn’t notice before. It’s only when Ciro grabs a knife from the rack of weapons and devices attached to the doors and shelves that I realize the display isn’t just for show. My stomach tightens into a hard knot.
The next level of interrogation has started.
Battering someone with questions isn’t going to break them down, not in the line of work these men are in. No, it comes down to pain and how much of it you can stand. Ciro survived months of torture at an enemy syndicate’s hands, but he never broke.
He’s the exception, though. Not the rule.
Ciro’s torture is purposeful and deliberate, and when Leland screams with the first cut, Zaid curses under his breath, shifting to stand in front of me.
“No,” I say, shaking. I feel like I might fucking hurl any second, but I’m not backing down now. I’m not fucking leaving. “No.”
“Grace—” Zaid protests, trying once again to block my view. But Hale holds out a hand, stopping him.
“She said no,” he growls. “It’s her choice.”
It is my choice, and I chose to be here. I didn’t choose the censored version, the version that’s easy to bear. I chose the truth.
And the truth is that Leland’s punishment is nothing compared to the blood shed from Damian. His pain is nothing compared to what Hale felt as he watched his father die. And if it is just as bad? I don’t care.
He brought this on himself when he betrayed the men I care about.
Leland holds out for a long time. Almost longer than my stomach can take. My palms are clammy, and my fingers shake as I clench my hands into fists. As the smell of blood becomes stronger and stronger in the air, I wonder how much longer I can hold on before I do vomit.
Luckily, I don’t have to find out, because Leland finally gives up.
“I’ll tell you!” he screams, his voice hoarse. “I’ll tell you. Please. Please…”
Just like that, Ciro stops, glancing back over his shoulder at Hale. His face is completely blank, impassive—as if he’s turned off his emotions completely as he did the job that had to be done.
Hale nods, and Ciro straightens and steps back, still holding the bloody knife.
Not even bothering to side-step the dark red puddles that have gathered on the floor by the chair, Hale steps forward. The room must be scrubbed down by someone after every interrogation, because the room was pristine when we came in. Now it smells like sweat and blood, like fear and adrenaline, but Hale doesn’t even seem to notice. He braces his hands on his knees and lowers his face until his eyes are level with Leland’s.
“Who do you work with?” He speaks the words slowly, his voice hard.
“I work for you—”
Leland’s stupid words earn him another blow to the face. The blood dripping from his nose and mouth sprays in a wide arc, splattering the floor in thick droplets.
“Why did you betray my father? Why betray the syndicate?” Hale growls. “Who are you working with?”
“Brian and I were trying to get Grace,” Leland says, wincing against the pain. His breaths come in gulps as he grasps for words.
“Brian is dead,” Hale says, straightening his back. “And yet you continued to operate. You had help with the attack on my father. So who else are you working with?”
I keep my eyes trained on Leland, not shaken by whatever he has to say about Brian. By the way Zaid and Lucas shift, I can tell they’re concerned about the mention of my ex-fiancé. But it’s not new information that Brian was working with Leland—or that Brian was a dirty cop.
I’m done mourning anything I once had with that slime-ball. I’m done being hurt by his betrayal. I’ve found four men who are better than he could ever hope to be, even though once, I was convinced the opposite was true.
Before I had my eyes opened.
“We sent the dog to scare her,” Leland pants. “She ran from you once. We wanted her to run again. It was a warning. That’s all.”
“You’re still not answering the question,” Hale says. “You’re not working by yourself, Leland. I’m not stupid. Choose your words wisely.”
“I don’t actually work for her, you see.” A hint of panic creeps into Leland’s voice. His wounds are bleeding profusely, and his words are slurred. I don’t know if it’s because he’s on the edge of consciousness or because his mouth is too swollen for him to speak properly. “I didn’t want to help her. I didn’t want to get roped into her fucking plans. I tried not to give in, but she—”
“Who?” Hale demands. Ciro steps forward, grabbing Leland’s forearm and twisting.
I flinch at the sound of bone breaking. Leland gives a wail of pain as Hale leans down, saying something low in his ear that I can’t make out from where I’m standing.
“Camilla,” Leland finally says, face crumbling. “She wanted Damian dead. She had Brian go after Grace. She set all of this up.” He coughs, spitting out blood. His gaze flicks to me before returning to Hale. “It was Camilla Weston.”
My entire body jolts, shock making my heart thud heavily in my chest.
Mom.
To Be Continued…
The story will conclude in Savage Queen, the final book in the Dark Elite series! Find it on Amazon HERE.
And if you’re dying to talk about the book, come hang out in my Facebook group, Eva Ashwood’s Readers. I post giveaways, teasers, and updates there too!
Want something to read while you wait for Savage Queen to come out? Try my completed enemies-to-lovers reverse harem romance series, Clearwater University. It’s got a fierce AF heroine, hot hate sex, and three alphaholes who’ll steal your heart and melt your panties. ;) If you liked this book, I think you’ll love that series! Turn the page to check out the cover and blurb.
They were my bullies once.
Three boys I hated more than anything.
They made my life hell for a year--until I escaped their cruelty when my dad's job moved us away.
I've never forgotten them though. Never forgotten what they did. And I know they haven't forgotten me.
But when I'm offered a full-ride scholarship to the prestigious Clearwater University, I refuse to let old fears stop me from accepting.
Because I'm not the girl I used to be.
I'm stronger. Tougher.
Angrier.
And if West, Reese, and Trent think they can fuck with me again... well.
We'll just see who breaks first.
Start reading now!
Books by Eva Ashwood
Clearwater University
(college-age enemies to lovers series)
Who Breaks First
Who Laughs Last
Who Falls Hardest
Magic Blessed Academy
(paranormal academy series)
Gift of the Gods
Secret of the Gods
Wrath of the Gods
The Dark Elite
(dark mafia romance)
Vicious Kings
Ruthless Knights
Savage Queen
Slateview High
(dark high school bully romance)
Lost Boys
Wild Girl
Mad Love
(contemporary romance standalone)
Say Yes
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