Truth and Humility by J. A. Dennam

he barked out a derisive laugh.  “Well, that answers so many questions.”
    “Good.  Then I won’t have to explain how this works.”
    “If you lay a hand on my sister, Cahill, I will tear you apart.”
    Austin’s mouth twitched.  If only the bastard could see where his hand was now.  “I invite you to try.  You didn’t tell me Danny was a girl when we were friends, Derek.  And such a pretty little thing, too.”
    “She isn’t a part of our problem.  I don’t know how the hell you can justify holding a woman against her will in order to carry out your sick revenge!”
    “Your sister came to me [er ming, Bennett.  She owes me a fairly large sum of money and until she pays her debt, she’s mine.”
    Trying to keep up, Derek’s brain tried to sort through the mess.  Somehow, Danny had involved herself with the Cahills in her quest to pay for her college degree.  The little nut was so damned determined when she left.  He just never thought she’d take it that far.  “I’ll pay whatever she owes.”
    “I’m not taking a cent of your money, she has to earn it herself.  It’s in the contract.”
    Shit!   How could she be so stupid!  “She signed a contract? ”
    “Yep.”
    Derek laughed again, the sound completely devoid of amusement.  “I don’t know how you did it, but I smell foul play on your part.”
    “That’s an interesting concept, isn’t it?”
    “Dammit, Austin!” Derek exploded, running a hand through his hair as he paced the grounds at the edge of the woods by the main house.  “If you want me, you got me.  Alright?  But in exchange I want my sister back.”
    “The only thing I want from you is a written description of how you pushed Rena into the river.”
    Sheer panic sliced through Derek, spurring him to make a drastic decision.  “Sure.  I’ll admit I was with her that night.  I’m the mysterious man in black.  I made the moves on her and I killed her, just like you thought.  It was my chance to exact my revenge on you for fucking my high school sweetheart.  I sincerely apologize.”
    Austin smirked at Danny as if he were looking into her brother’s face.  “I knew you’d finally muster some truth and humility once I had your balls to the wall.”
    “As long as Danny comes home now , I’ll tell you anything you want.”
    When Austin realized Derek was only placating him for the moment, a fresh surge of rage engulfed him.  His captive recognized the danger and tensed even more beneath his restraining hand.
    “She’s mine, Bennett.  Until she pays, she’s mine.”
    “You mean until I pay!  You can’t just take an innocent woman and force her into our issues!”
    “I’ll take what I want, when I want it.”  Danny went flaccid and gaped at him.  He continued, baring his teeth with menace.  “Just taking a page out of your book, brother .”
    “Derek, he’s bluffing!” Danny yelled, attempting to pry his hand from her chest.  That hold was beginning to crush her lungs.  “He won’t touch me, you know he won’t!”
    “Why don’t we let your brother decide that?  Do you think I’m bluffing, Derek?”
    “Derek knows I can take care of myself, Cahill,” she shouted so her brother was sure to hear.
    “That’s not quite how things played out last night, is it, Danny?”
    When she failed to find the words, Austin laughed suggestively and disconnected the line.
    “You bastard,” she breathed, finally able to do so now that his hand was gone, but she stood paralyzed against the wall as he threw her phone on the dresser.  “How could you do that?  Make him think…”
    “What makes you think I’m bluffing, Danny?”  He was out of control, he knew it, but Austin couldn’t come down from the rage fast enough.  He took her wrists, slammed them against the wall next to her head and leaned in real close until his sneering mouth hovered over hers.  “Eye-for-an-eye.  That’s how this feud has worked for so many years, isn’t