RYDER (Slater Brothers 4)(67)

To be honest, I just didn’t care about Big Phil, or the threat he posed to me when I thought about what my so-called partner did to me. I didn’t care about anything because I was so focused on Ryder and how much he, and our relationship, had changed.

It was then that I wondered why I was so scared. When I thought hard about it, Big Phil kidnapping me was kind of—in a twisted way—a favour to me. If he killed me, I would be at peace. No more sadness, no more bleeding for Ryder and the love we once shared, no more of anything. If he beat on me, maybe he would hit me so hard that it would erase my witnessing Ryder with another women. Maybe one solid knock to my head and he could wipe out all the heartache I carried and I could start over on a clean slate.

It suddenly became very tempting to anger him just to see if he would do it.

“You aren’t shaking anymore,” Big Phil commented, gaining my attention.

He was right. I wasn’t shaking anymore. If I was being completely honest, I didn’t really feel fear anymore either, what I felt was curiosity. This man could take all my suffering away, what the hell was there to fear about that?

“‘Cause I’m not scared anymore,” I replied, my voice firm.

This made him laugh before he asked, “Where are we, Branna?”

How in the Hell was I supposed to know? I wondered. I had a blindfold covering my eyes for God’s sake.

“Darkness?” I guessed.

“Why would I take you to a nightclub?” he curiously asked.

I managed to shrug. “It’s where me sister and friends were taken to when they were kidnapped, so I figured since you American arseholes and wanna-be gangsters are all alike, you would take me there, too. It’s unoriginal which makes it the best bet.”

Big Phil laughed loudly as I winced when I felt the sting of his slap as it tore through the side of my face.

Bastard.

“One of those American *s you speak of was my friend, so watch what you say about him or I’ll make you bleed.”

There was a bro code between criminal scumbags, who’d have thought it? My mind sneered. Not me.

I wanted to make my thoughts know, but instead I grunted and kept my mouth shut because bleeding didn’t sound appealing in the slightest.

“We’re in my rented apartment.” He eventually said.

That surprised me.

“You took me to your place?” I questioned. “Why?”

I heard him move around.

“Because I want to spend time with you in a comfortable environment.”

Did that mean he wasn’t going to kill me? I wondered and was surprised that the thought saddened me.

“How long do you plan to keep me here?” I asked, hoping the fear I felt didn’t show in my tone. He would probably link it to fear of being killed if he did pick up on it anyway.

He hummed. “As long as it takes.”

I furrowed my brows. As long as what takes?

“What are you talkin’ about?” I asked in frustration.

I froze when I heard more movement close by and felt him approach me. The floorboards creaked under his weight as he stepped on them. I flinched then tensed up when I felt a rough pat on the crown of my head.

“You ask a lot of questions for a captive.”

I actually grinned as I said, “If you wanted peace then you should’ve kidnapped a mute.”

Things were silent for a few moments then Big Phil guffawed. I lost my grin, drew my brows together and glared at him through my blindfold. He was maddening.

“You’re amusing me greatly.”

I set my jaw. “Glad I can entertain you.”

Another chortle.

“Are you going to be silent enough for me to answer your earlier questions?”

I hesitated. “I kind of forget what they were.”

“You asked why you were here and if I was going to kill you, and I’m prepared to answer them.”

It was twisted that I got a tad bit excited at the prospect of knowing my fate. Would it end in freedom or death—in a perfect world, the latter would win.

“Oh, right,” I said. “Go ahead, I’ll be quiet while you speak.”

“Thank you,” he said sarcastically.

“You’re welcome,” I replied, just as sarcastically.

A snort or two later, the piece of scum began to talk.

“Originally, my plan was never to come for you, or even for Aideen, it’s always been Kane that I’ve wanted. You can’t catch someone like him off guard though. I created him, and I know first-hand what he is capable of doing when he’s backed into a corner.”

I gritted my teeth in anger. He was speaking of Kane like he was some animal he trained… I suppose for a time, he was that, but not anymore!

“Then I got to thinking,” Big Phil continued. “Who would it hurt if I managed to kill Kane? None other than his brothers, and I don’t want that, I want him to suffer. When I got here last year, I watched him for a while, to see if there was someone important in his life outside of his family, and that’s when I came to know about Aideen, and her pregnancy. It was like God Himself was gifting me the lives I needed to end that would finally break Kane and force him to live with the pain I do.”

Sickness swirled in my lower abdomen, and I fought with my body not to heave.