“What?”
“I know where your family lives—and every move they make,” she answered slowly as if I were short a brain. “And I intend to kill them if you do not complete the task.”
“The task? Killing a man is not a task and my family has nothing to do with this.” I wanted to argue that neither did I, but I was already in too deep.
“Yes, but every war has casualties and sadly, I did not start this war. Your friend did.”
“He’s not my friend.”
“Then you shouldn’t have a problem.”
“I can’t kill him.”
The older woman pushed away from the table and approached me with slow but sure steps. “You can, Little Tree. And, darling, you will because, if I have to kill him myself, I won’t stop there. I’ll kill the little gem-eyed bitch he betrayed my husband for and I’ll kill his family—including the adorable little darling. I’ll even kill that handsome hunk of meat I stole you from. I’ll kill everyone, my dear. Make no mistake about that.”
I shook my head and gritted my teeth as if it could stop my tears from flowing. “It’s impossible.”
“Nonsense. I’m only asking for one life. His life for all the rest.”
“I’m not a murderer.”
“But you are. If you don’t kill him, you will be responsible for many more deaths rather than just one.”
“Fine. I’ll do it.”
“You said that last time. I want proof as reassurance before your family is safe again.”
“Proof?”
“Yes, bring me something of his.” She smiled.
My nervousness raced alongside confusion. “Like a piece of jewelry?” Did Keiran even wear jewelry?
“No, something better than that. Bring me a piece of him.” She snapped her fingers at the men as if they were dogs, and a man with a deep and ragged scar across his chin stepped forward with the sack. “Oh, one more thing.”
“W—what?”
“When you kill Keiran… should you kill Keiran… you might do yourself a favor and take care of your boyfriend, too.”
I sucked in air and prayed she wouldn’t order me to kill Dash for my family, too. “Why would I do that?”
“Do you really think he will ever forgive you after you’ve murdered his best friend? Men rarely admit to loving one another, but chances are, he loved him long before he made his way between your thighs. One guess where his loyalty lies?”
Her parting advice haunted me during the entire ride. I couldn’t see where we were going, or even move being sandwiched in between two overly large bodies, so there was nothing I could do but replay it in my head.
“Here. This is a good spot,” one of the henchmen grunted. Sweat formed above my top lip despite the frigid air in the van. The van stopped abruptly, and I would have fallen forward if rough fingers hadn’t grabbed me just in time. The sound of the van door sliding open greeted me, and then the even colder air blasted me just as the sack was taken off my head. I was pushed out of the van and hit the ground.
“Complete the job and keep your mouth shut,” he ordered. The door slid closed and tires screeched as they sped away.
I watched the van disappear, leaving me abandoned on the side of the road. Truthfully, I would have rather taken my chances with the dark streets and cold air. I looked up at the abundance of streetlights and tall buildings and realized I was back in the city.
With no shoes.
No coat.
No wallet.
And no phone.