I was shaking as my fear amplified.
“So you see,” I sniffled, “I won’t draw Kane out be-because—”
“If you don’t draw Kane out then there will definitely be no use for you so I suggest you stop talking.”
I clamped my mouth shut.
“I like you.” He chortled. “You’re obedient, not like that fucking Aideen bitch. She had a mouth on her.”
I couldn’t begin to imagine how Aideen could backtalk him when he had her, I was almost too scared to breathe in fear he would hurt me.
“I made a mistake with her. I wanted her to suffer, like my boy suffered, when what I should have done is put a bullet in her head and stomach. That would have really killed Kane.”
“You bastard!”
It was out of my mouth before I realised I said it.
Big Phil laughed. “Ain’t that the truth.”
I continued to cry, and it grated on his nerves.
“Stop your blubbering, I haven’t got the patience for it. I’ve worn out every ounce of tolerance I have for your fucking family.”
I closed my mouth and tried my hardest to control my sobs, but it was difficult. It was like every ounce of strength I had up and left me, and I just accepted my fate like a coward. I wanted to be strong, but my body hurt, my head hurt, and my heart did, too—I honestly didn’t know how it was still beating.
After what I saw with Ryder and his… friend, I was positive it would never work right again. I thought for sure the shock alone would kill me.
I wasn’t stupid, in the back of my mind I knew we were all in constant danger from Big Phil. A man didn’t attempt to murder a pregnant mother for revenge then just disappear because he failed. No, Big Phil had an agenda, and it was obvious it was one he was going to fulfil no matter what—or who—it cost.
It was unbelievable, but the threat of him and what he was capable of faded to the very back of my mind when my relationship problems took centre stage.
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 assholes 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.