Unhinged (Necessary Evils #1)(68)

Noah’s head hurt. His heart hurt. But he had to keep him talking. “How many are there now?”

Gary’s brow furrowed. “How many what?”

“How many others are out there who are just like me?”

Gary shrugged once more. “I don’t know anymore. I just procure the boys and provide the use of my cabin so nobody is disturbed. Partake from time to time. We all have our parts to play.”

If Noah had held the gun, Gary’s brains would be painted across that room. But he didn’t. “And who exactly do you answer to?”

Gary scoffed. “I think you know the answer to that.”

He did. “O’Hara. Your mentor. He runs you all around like his chess pieces and you just go and do his bidding. You’re pathetic.”

“Yet, you’re the one with the gun to his head,” Gary reminded, his voice growing cold.

“He’s not the only one.”

Noah let out a sigh of relief at Adam’s voice. He stepped forward out of the shadows, a much smaller gun trained on Gary.

Gary’s eyes went wide but he didn’t lower his weapon. “Who the fuck are you?”

Adam pressed the gun to Gary’s temple. “I’m the guy who killed your boyfriend. Now, drop the gun.” Gary hesitated. “Do it now and I won’t fillet you before I kill you. Make me take it from you and I’ll make sure you die screaming.”

Gary lowered his arm, the gun slipping from his fingers, head swiveling back and forth between Noah and Adam, like he couldn’t quite get the pieces to fit. “You couldn’t have killed Wayne unless you’ve been swimming in the fountain of youth. You would’ve just been a kid.”

“I was sixteen. But I’m not anymore. And I promise you, I’m going to enjoy killing you far more than I did Holt.”

Noah’s tongue darted out to lick over his lower lip. He wanted nothing more than to watch Gary take a bullet. But then inspiration struck.

“Wait!” he cried.“I have an idea.”

Adam arched his brow. “I’m listening.”





“Why are we standing in an empty storage unit?” Atticus flicked his gaze to the center of the room, lip curling in disgust. “Well, almost empty.”

Adam rolled his eyes as he watched his brother remove a silk handkerchief from his pocket and wipe his hands, as if just standing in the damp, musty unit was enough to make him dirty.

“Yes, I’m just dying to know why that guy”—August pointed at Gary, currently tied to a folding chair—“is not currently dissolving in an acid bath?”

Gary began to thrash around in the chair, frantic noises coming from behind the gag in his mouth.

“Shut up,” Asa said, bored. When Gary didn’t take his advice, Asa picked up a booted foot and upended the chair. “This one’s going to be fun. He looks…juicy.”

Avi ignored the man currently flailing on his back to study Adam. “So, why are we all here?” he finally asked, exasperated. “And why isn’t Dad here?”

Adam shrugged. “Don’t ask me. Noah’s the one who called the meeting.”

Most people would have wilted under the gaze of five stone cold killers, but Noah just continued to lean against the wall, hands in his pockets. Maybe after having a gun pointed at his head for twenty minutes, he lacked the ability to look frightened.

Noah looked positively serene as he addressed Adam’s brothers. “Thomas isn’t here because he chose not to come. If I had to venture a guess, I’d say this is a test of some kind, but I don’t have time to worry about that now.”

August looked amused, Archer bored, Asa and Avi intrigued, and Atticus, as usual, looked like he’d smelled something bad. But Adam found it hard to tear his gaze away from Noah. He looked so sure of himself. It was sexy.

Noah flashed a quick smile in his direction. “Adam said the only way to kill these men is to do it all at once. That prospect seemed less difficult when we were looking at six or seven major players. Now, there could be as many as twenty major players. Politicians. Police. Priests. High value targets that are going to draw a lot of attention.”

“And that changes things how?” August asked.

Noah tilted his head, examining August with the same shrewd gaze he was receiving. “Well, the original plan was for each of you to take out a target on the same night, at the same time. You can’t do that with twenty people. As soon as word hits that one is dead, the others will start scattering like roaches.”

Asa cocked his head. “Go on.”

“Adam said Thomas would probably make you take out the targets one at a time, but that’s not very efficient.”

“Alright?” Atticus said, frowning like he was hoping Noah would get to the point.

“So, we kill two birds with one stone. We make Gary here call up the major players and get them to agree to meet them somewhere desolate, say Gary’s cabin. Then you lock them in, set it on fire, kill the stragglers as they run for their lives. That takes them out all at once and the fire will hide the evidence. It ain’t sexy, but it will work.”

As far as plans went, it was more than a little risky. It was madness if Adam was being honest. But it could be done. Quickly if need be. Adam knew just the place. Not Gary’s cabin, but somewhere equally as desolate.