carefully. “You were barely a blip on my radar; you were just some whore my idiot son was fucking. But then Bradley came to me yesterday with some very interesting information. Apparently, you’ve been quite inquisitive. You were the reason that Bradley and my son were arrested. Of course,” his eyes flicked to Bradley, “it was wrong of Bradley to keep this from me for so long. But he’s working hard to redeem himself. He just needs to be educated. His first attempts against you were sloppy and foolish. I’ll admit that bribing Garcia to go after you on his behalf wasn’t a half-bad idea, but personally making an attempt on your life was beyond stupid.”
Fury boiled up in me, and I glared at Bradley. “You killed Clayton,” I hissed. “He was a federal agent. Did you know that? You’re going to rot in jail for the rest of your pathetic life.”
Bradley’s face darkened to a thunderhead and he took two menacing steps toward me, but Ronan held up a hand, stopping him short. “Don’t let her goad you into hurting her,” he ordered. “Not yet. She has a choice to make first. We’ll see whether or not she submits to my control.” His grin was hard-edged and cruel.
My rage overwhelmed me, making me reckless. Suddenly, I wanted to make him strike me. If it was his plan not to hurt me, then I would force him to do the opposite. “You murdered my parents, you son of a bitch. And the FBI can prove it. You and Bradley can be prison buddies. You might scare him now, but you’re getting old. I wonder how long it’ll be before he makes you his bitch?”
He just continued to smile down at me, his eyes devoid of warmth. “I killed your parents?” He asked, sounding no more than mildly interested.
“You gunned them down in the street outside New York Methodist Hospital on October 6, 1998,” I hurled the accusation at him, my voice steeped in venom.
Ronan tapped his lips thoughtfully for a moment, his gaze turning inward. Then he shrugged. “I don’t recall. As you say, I’m getting old. My memory’s not what it used to be.” He had the gall to smirk at me.
“You don’t remember?! ” I shrieked. “You ruined my life! And you don’t remember?! ” I jerked against my restraints, my fingernails biting into my palms as my hands curled to tight fists. I wanted nothing more than to beat the shit out of Ronan. In that moment, all compassion, all of my humanitarian urges, left me completely. I wanted him dead. And I wanted to watch him die slowly.
He frowned at me slightly, unaffected by my tirade. “I’ve told you not to struggle,” he reprimanded.
I just twisted harder against the bindings. “And why the fuck would I do anything you tell me to do?” I flung at him defiantly.
“Because if it’s going to look like an accident, then there can’t be any defensive wounds,” Ronan explained as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Bradley’s methods were misguided and unrefined. This is much more elegant. You’re the snitch. If we murder you, then that only incriminates us further. But if you’re dead, you can’t testify against us in court.”
I wanted to tell him that the absence of my testimony didn’t matter; Sean would bring him down even if I was gone. But I couldn’t tell him that. I had to keep Sean out of this. Ronan and Bradley believed that he was still in jail. They didn’t have the slightest inkling of his betrayal. I had to ensure that it stayed that way.
“There are others,” I said desperately. “Some of the men that they’ve arrested. They’ve cut deals in exchange for giving information.”
Ronan scoffed. “Criminals will say anything to get a reduced sentence. Besides, I have ways of persuading them to maintain their silence.” His grin was more a baring of his teeth. “As you say, I’m very good at controlling people. Which
Fury boiled up in me, and I glared at Bradley. “You killed Clayton,” I hissed. “He was a federal agent. Did you know that? You’re going to rot in jail for the rest of your pathetic life.”
Bradley’s face darkened to a thunderhead and he took two menacing steps toward me, but Ronan held up a hand, stopping him short. “Don’t let her goad you into hurting her,” he ordered. “Not yet. She has a choice to make first. We’ll see whether or not she submits to my control.” His grin was hard-edged and cruel.
My rage overwhelmed me, making me reckless. Suddenly, I wanted to make him strike me. If it was his plan not to hurt me, then I would force him to do the opposite. “You murdered my parents, you son of a bitch. And the FBI can prove it. You and Bradley can be prison buddies. You might scare him now, but you’re getting old. I wonder how long it’ll be before he makes you his bitch?”
He just continued to smile down at me, his eyes devoid of warmth. “I killed your parents?” He asked, sounding no more than mildly interested.
“You gunned them down in the street outside New York Methodist Hospital on October 6, 1998,” I hurled the accusation at him, my voice steeped in venom.
Ronan tapped his lips thoughtfully for a moment, his gaze turning inward. Then he shrugged. “I don’t recall. As you say, I’m getting old. My memory’s not what it used to be.” He had the gall to smirk at me.
“You don’t remember?! ” I shrieked. “You ruined my life! And you don’t remember?! ” I jerked against my restraints, my fingernails biting into my palms as my hands curled to tight fists. I wanted nothing more than to beat the shit out of Ronan. In that moment, all compassion, all of my humanitarian urges, left me completely. I wanted him dead. And I wanted to watch him die slowly.
He frowned at me slightly, unaffected by my tirade. “I’ve told you not to struggle,” he reprimanded.
I just twisted harder against the bindings. “And why the fuck would I do anything you tell me to do?” I flung at him defiantly.
“Because if it’s going to look like an accident, then there can’t be any defensive wounds,” Ronan explained as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Bradley’s methods were misguided and unrefined. This is much more elegant. You’re the snitch. If we murder you, then that only incriminates us further. But if you’re dead, you can’t testify against us in court.”
I wanted to tell him that the absence of my testimony didn’t matter; Sean would bring him down even if I was gone. But I couldn’t tell him that. I had to keep Sean out of this. Ronan and Bradley believed that he was still in jail. They didn’t have the slightest inkling of his betrayal. I had to ensure that it stayed that way.
“There are others,” I said desperately. “Some of the men that they’ve arrested. They’ve cut deals in exchange for giving information.”
Ronan scoffed. “Criminals will say anything to get a reduced sentence. Besides, I have ways of persuading them to maintain their silence.” His grin was more a baring of his teeth. “As you say, I’m very good at controlling people. Which
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