Merciless Love: A Dark Romance(8)

I raised an eyebrow. Izzy sounded surprised. Didn't even think she was capable of that after bitching and moaning and putting the heat on me for so long.

Not that I didn't deserve it. I needed to do the dirty work here. I deserved a thousand twists of the knife for what I'd done – just wished I didn't have this bitch along for the ride.

“Get some fucking sleep,” I growled. “We'll start with her in the morning. Not too fast. The bastard I buried put some nasty cuts on her back and we're gonna need to let 'em heal up. If Miguel sees those lashes, he'll think she's ruined goods.”

Izzy rolled her eyes. “Another delay? Why not! Jesus, Evan, every day there is too much for him...you know that?”

Fuck. I wanted to walk over, jerk her up, and spit right in her face.

Yes, bitch, I fucking know! I'm the one who put him there! I'm the guy who knows EXACTLY what kind of shit that animal is capable of!

And he's got my son. My poor, helpless, innocent son...

“Watch your fucking tongue.” I walked over and snatched up the whiskey. She made a little sound as I stepped to the nearby sink and began to empty it in the metal basin.

“You bring another bottle in here, I'll find out about it. Need your ass sober for the shit that's coming, Izzy. I'm not gonna let you piss all over me while you fart off your own duty.”

“Whatever. Just do right by Jenny and Ty. You promised me you would, Evan. No matter how hard it gets.”

“I promised myself. Didn't have a damned thing to do with you.”

I was so done with this. I turned, walked right past her, and headed downstairs, leaving her alone with the last of her precious poison gurgling down the drain.

We all drown our demons in something. If the smell of alcohol didn't make me sick since my life went to hell, I might've easily ended up like Izzy.

My escape? Running my ass ragged.

I spent the whole evening on the treadmill, pounding it until my legs screamed at me to stop. Then I lifted iron, more than anything I needed for a good workout. I forced every muscle into a frenzy, driving the energy out, leaving me an exhausted mess.

Ironic, really.

Killing fuck-heads for a living kept me ripped, but now I was in the best physical shape of my life, and it didn't mean shit. Playing strongman wouldn't get my son back.

This game was different from everything I'd known. It wasn't a matter of extracting Ty and making Miguel Borzia pay for what he'd done. If it were that easy, the bastard would already be six feet under. If there were even a glimmer of hope that fists and guns and muscles could fix my fucking problem without enslaving an innocent woman, I would've done it in a heartbeat.

But that bastard – that utter, conniving, despicable fucker – was too damned cautious for his own good. Six years working with him as my boss showed me he'd built a goddamned fortress. He had the only villa on the border nobody fucked with, and if they were stupid enough to try, they wouldn't walk away from it alive.

I was leaning against the wall, breathing heavily, when my phone kicked on. I already had a good idea who it was before I snatched it up and shoved it against my sweaty face.

Video call. Only one dickhead ever rang me with the camera request. Guess thinking about him too much brought out the devil himself.

“Good afternoon, Cole. I trust you're doing well?” This man...fuck, I'd never hear anyone speak perfect English with just a hint of a foreign accent again without wanting to break shit. Not after this.

I stared into his face, letting my nostrils flare. Bastard. He always looked so neat, so organized, leaning back in a luxury chair next to his pool that always seemed to go on forever.

He was wearing white. What else?

The monster presented himself to the world in pure ivory, a terrible camouflage for his dark heart. He wore the same immaculate cream suite whenever I met him in the flesh, and always when he did conference calls too.

“Miguel. What do you want?”

He leaned in close to his phone. “Christ. You're not on something, are you? Because if you are, we can end this now. I told you – I'll make sure the boy doesn't suffer long. Not like her.”

Each word he spoke was like a dagger sinking deeper in my heart. The urge to hurl my shitty phone against the wall and blast it into smithereens was overwhelming. Only his threats held me back, saved me from getting reckless and condemning my boy to his death.

“I'm fine. Really. I'll piss in a bottle and send you the sample if you want proof. I'm not interested in your fucking products.”

He threw his head back and laughed. Large, polished, white teeth rippled in the blue night lights installed around his pool and gardens.

“No need to do that, Cole. This arrangement will keep you from doing anything stupid.” The smile melted, leaving me looking into a cold, dead face. “We've made our mistakes, you and I. Only difference is I've sorted things out like a man. What about you? Have you fulfilled my request?”