Viking shut the door and snapped the lock. AK switched on the bare lightbulb that hung down from the center of the wooden roof. I pushed through Smiler, Hush and Cowboy and stepped around Flame, who had his blades ready at his side, pacing back and forth with bloodlust in his dead eyes.
Ky shackled Rider to the long chains hooked into the barn floor. And my best friend wasn’t taking it easy on the traitor. He threw in a random punch when he fucking wanted, wrenching Rider’s arms back as he tied the cuffs around his wrists. I saw the pain on Rider’s face, but the fucker barely even flinched. His eyes were focused on the floor, staring off at sweet fuck all.
Ky stepped back, panting from the adrenaline pumping through his veins. “What’s wrong, rat? Someone take away your new puppy? You cryin’ over your new bit of pussy findin’ out you’re a rapist?”
Rider looked up. With a fucking spew of venom I never expected the cult-freak to muster, he hissed, “Don’t you ever talk about her like that ever again. I’ll tear your tongue from your mouth.” His voice was low and raw. Turned out the turncoat had some brass balls underneath that pansy tunic after all.
Ky froze, then a cold-as-fuck smile spread across his perfect face. The VP crouched down, getting right in Rider’s face. “Aw, what’s the matter, oh holy one? Don’t like us fuckin’ with someone you care about? Talkin’ about her sweet, wet cunt?” His smile dropped, and he leaned in until his nose almost touched Rider’s. “Should’ve thought ‘bout that before you and your pedo twin made it your lives’ mission to take what was ours . . . over and over and fuckin’ over again.”
Rider’s cheeks flamed. Then, just as I thought Ky would back away, he smashed his forehead against Rider’s, the dull sound echoing off the bare wooden walls. Rider’s head snapped back at the force of the blow. But he quickly righted himself and forced himself to sit up.
“Looks like we got a fuckin’ fighter here, boys!” Viking shouted, cracking his fingers. I felt the tension in the room soar.
Ky hovered over Rider, lording over his sitting form. Flame was off to the side, losing his shit second by second. I knew if I didn’t do something about this shit, and quick, this fucker wouldn’t talk about why the hell he was here. These rabid pitbulls wouldn’t give him the chance—not that the fucker deserved it. But I wanted an explanation for the Bella situation.
So I’d fucking get one.
I didn’t buy for a second he was just here to return Bella. This fucker always had an agenda. There was always a catch. A damn deal to be done.
I pushed forward, the brothers scattering outta my way, and stopped dead in front of Rider. To his credit, Rider looked up and never fucking broke my gaze. The bastard didn’t even look scared. Maybe I’d have to change that quick. Shaking my hands to loosen them off, I motioned with my head for Ky to move away. Ky glared at me. He wanted to tear this fucker apart piece by piece.
It wasn’t happening. Not yet.
When Ky saw I wasn’t gonna back down, he threw his middle finger in the air and moved to stand next to Hush. Hush pressed his arm on Ky’s shoulder to hold the fucker back. Ky’s eyes locked on Rider. I knew one wrong word from his mouth would push my VP over the edge.
Rider’s attention was squarely on me. I rolled my neck from side to side, then signed, “You better start talkin’. And you’d better do it fuckin’ quick. ‘Cause I got about eleven reasons stood around this room for why you wanna start explainin’ shit . . . before it’s too late and I just decide to slit your fuckin’ throat.”Rider’s nostrils flared at my words. But he opened his mouth. I noticed the traces of faded bruises all over his face. That fuckin’ got my attention. Someone had got to him first.
Lucky bastards.
“He’s coming to attack you,” Rider blurted, and every one of my brothers froze.
“What? Who’s comin’ to attack?” Tank asked and came to stand by my side. Ky wasn’t translating anything I asked, the brother was too pissed at me, so Tank stepped in. I was glad. The ex-Nazi was as cool as shit under pressure. Ky was falling apart.
“My brother.” My hair stood on end. Rider’s psycho, pedo twin. That shit-stain was even worse than this cunt, if that was possible.
“How the fuck is he comin’ to attack us?” I signed. Tank translated my question out loud.
Rider’s face lost some of its color. His eyes tracked over every one of the brothers. Looking back to me, he said, “When he took the women—your women—it wasn’t on my order. He was doing it because he thought he had to fulfill the prophecy of the prophet marrying a Cursed for the sake of our people.” Rider shook his head. “Which I now know is false.”
Rider dropped his head. “When I set your women free at that mill, it pissed off not only Judah but the other elders too.” He glared directly at me, and added, “Then I fucked them off even more when I was asked to attend a Lord’s Sharing. I’d never seen or been in one before—”
A savage roar rang out, cutting Rider off. When I lifted my head, Flame was seething. Radiating pure fucking rage. His neck was ripped with corded veins and the blades in his hands shook with anger.
AK met my eyes. I nodded my head, telling the ex-sniper to calm his friend the fuck down. AK moved in front of Flame and started talking him down off the ledge. Flame’s eyes closed, and he growled, “That happened to Maddie. That fuckin’ happened to my Maddie. They hurt her in those fuckin’ things. They fuckin’ hurt her.”
My blood boiled at his words, because the anger over that fucking rape ritual stirred in me, too. Every time I looked at Mae’s scarred inner thighs I got murdering mad. As I glanced across at Ky, who had his eyes closed to calm himself the fuck down, I knew my VP was close to going nuclear on Rider’s ass too.
“I stopped it!” Rider spat out, as if sensing I was a few seconds away from scalping him where he sat. Rider’s face contorted with pain. “I didn’t believe that it actually happened until that day.”
“Mae told you, scumbag. She told me she’d told you,” I signed.
Rider’s expression fell and he turned his head away. “I didn’t believe her. I thought she was just lying to get free from us . . . but now I know it was the truth. I saw that messed-up shit with my own eyes.” He dragged in a breath and squeezed his eyes shut. “I saw the men raping the kids, forcing themselves on tiny kids . . . so I stopped it . . . I beat a man until he fucking stopped breathing. It was sick . . . I never . . . I could never have believed that kind of act was true of my people.”