The Perfect Stroke (Lucas Brothers #1)(135)

Tonight, I have a lesson to teach Roman Anthes.





“Who the f*ck is this?”

I watch as Ana’s brother looks at the f*cker that Bruno just threw down at the man’s feet. The bastard in question is hogtied. He couldn’t move if he wanted to. Marcum really is a master when it comes to ropes. He’s got a gag in his mouth and the bruises on his naked body and face tell me that this was a job that Marcum enjoyed.

“He doesn’t look familiar?” I ask Ana’s brother.

You can see the exact moment recognition hits him. Allen’s body literally shakes with it. Then he goes pale, so motherf*cking pale I’m starting to think the son of a bitch is going to pass out in front of me. Slowly, I see the heat of anger replace every other emotion.

“Ana f*cking told you?” he screams. “That f*cking cunt had no right! Get him out of here, you all f*cking need to just get out of here. Kill me already! Stop torturing me! Who the f*ck do you think you are? I can’t…”

I stop his tirade by grabbing him by the neck and slamming him hard against the wall. I squeeze his neck so tight, his face begins to turn blue. His hands don’t even come up to defend himself. Then I look into eyes, eyes so much like Ana’s that it’s unreal. Except these eyes are full of an emotion I never want to see in Ana’s: misery. The son of a bitch truly wants to die. It’s time for some hard truths and it seems I’ve been elected to deliver them.

“Not one more f*cking word about Ana. The reason you’re alive right now, motherf*cker, is because of Ana. The reason I’m giving you even a ghost of a chance is because of Ana. For some f*cking reason, she loves you. She believes in you. I’m a selfish *, so I have to tell you. If you were anyone besides her brother, her even caring for you would be the end of you. Instead, I’m giving you someone to take your aggression out on. I get you’re f*cked up in the head. I had to hear my woman cry. She’s innocent to the slime in this world. She hasn’t been exposed to the shit we have. You and I know how f*cking twisted shit is. Ana doesn’t. A frightened girl ran and hid from a bastard not knowing her brother would even be considered a victim. You get that? She didn’t know.” I see the need to argue with me in his eyes. I let off the pressure on his neck slightly—not enough for him to talk and argue, but enough so he can breathe. “What you don’t know is that once she knew, she tried to get the monster’s attention away from you. She tried to sacrifice herself to keep him from going after you again. What you don’t know is that she blames herself every f*cking day. So you need to get your head out of your ass. Focus your anger on this bastard until you can start to breathe clear again.”

“What do you know about anything?”

“A f*ck of a lot more than I’ll ever tell you.”

I see indecision in Allen. I let Allen stew in everything while I instruct the boys to untie our plaything and chain him up on the wall.

“What’s it matter? I go to jail. I don’t have anything to live for anyways. Just f*cking end me and stop torturing me. Word on the street was, you don’t let people breathe air that cross you. Jesus, why are you putting me through this shit?? End me already!” Allen says, screaming his last command, his whole body shaking from the force of it.

That’s when it hits me. Full-on. In the f*cking face.

“You picked my club because you had a death wish. That’s why you ignored my warnings. That’s why you kept coming back, even knowing you were getting on the Russian’s radar?”

The kid shrugs, but avoids my eyes. “I figured between you and Kuzma…” he says, but doesn’t finish the thought.

“If you wanted to die so f*cking bad, why not just eat a bullet?”

“Because no matter how bad I wanted to end it, I could never pull the f*cking trigger! There! Satisfied?”

“What if I told you I had enough power to keep you out of jail?” Allen’s face jerks up to me. Disbelief is clear, but there’s something else.

“Why would you be willing to do that?”

“Because you matter to Ana.” I tell him the truth. I’ve come to the conclusion I’d do anything for Ana. Absolutely anything. Even save her worthless brother. Though, if I want to think about it, I can admit to seeing a little more in him now. Maybe something even worth saving.

“You’re that gone over my sister?” he asks while I take off my jacket and lay it over the top of a chair. Ana is something I’m not discussing with Allen. Something I’m not discussing with any motherf*cker. I motion to Bruno and he tosses me the baseball bat I brought earlier.

“You gonna help me end this motherf*cker or not?” I ask him, gripping the bat and walking to the son of a bitch who is squirming against the wall, but knows it’s useless.

“Why are you helping?”

“Because he touched Ana. For that alone, he’s not allowed to breathe anymore.”

Allen is silent for a minute, and then I see half a smile on his face. “Yeah, I’m going to help. You first, though, because I want to finish him.”

I can’t argue; given Allen’s history, I’d demand that too.

“Batter up, then,” I tell him, right before my bat drums into the side of our prey’s head. I have to remind myself to pull my swings so Allen has something left to play with.