9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

-Jared-

The place lay deserted. I had assisted the few girls who couldn't find the exit, while swiftly killing the cowards lurking in dark corners. It was more than they deserved, but I was determined to erase all trace of my presence there.

I started by destroying bottles of alcohol, spreading the liquid around, before seeking out my chosen companion for the night. He had been knocked out and brought to one of the locked rooms, revealing its sinister purpose. It was a torture chamber, with a table in the center. However, I opted to suspend him from the ceiling, restrained in cuffs. Stripped of his clothes, he hung limply as I approached, a pathetic sight.

Taking a swig from the bottle in my hand, I surveyed the scene before me. When I was ready to begin, I retrieved a whip from the wall, relishing the sound of its whooshing motion as I swung it back and forth. With a growing momentum, I delivered a forceful strike to his back.

His body convulsed, and a scream erupted from his lips, the pain registering in his consciousness. I couldn't help but chuckle at the sight, circling around him as I took another drink. Setting the bottle and whip aside, I turned to face him. Noah, fully awake and seething with fury, spat out blood that stained the ground.

"Hello, Noah," I greeted, my tone calm and composed.

"Fucking hell, Jared," he snarled in response.

Placing myself squarely in front of him, I casually slipped my hands into my pockets.

"Do you have any idea what you've done?" he demanded, his voice thick with anger.

"I killed Michael, dispatched a few troublesome customers, and freed those poor girls—our original goal," I replied evenly.

"But when our uncle—"

"When your uncle what?" I interjected sharply. "Vince left me his damned empire. I married your cousin. Do you honestly think that old bastard poses a threat to me? No, like I told Astrid, either you work with me or suffer the consequences."

Noah blinked, clearly taken aback by my assertion.

"You see, I made it abundantly clear to Astrid that if she didn't assist me in finding Alison, I would make her life a living hell. By taking Alison, you all thought you could impose your rules and commands on me. But in reality, you granted me unfettered freedom. I had nothing to lose, and I informed Astrid that I would torture her with my power, my control, and my body. Your plan was flawed. The best way to control me was to give me Alison, but you chose to punish me instead."

"That woman was Shane's—"

"I know she was his daughter, but she was also mine ," I asserted firmly.

"Yours?" he scoffed incredulously. "Didn't she torment you when you were younger?"

"She did. I can't explain it. I've spent months, even years, trying to understand it. But Alison and I, for some inexplicable reason, can't seem to function properly without each other. Which brings me to my next question: where the hell is Alison?" I demanded.

Noah shook his head defiantly.

"Noah, I've already severed your ear and killed your brother. Finn will suffer a similar fate, so don't toy with me," I warned, my tone steely.

He swallowed hard, realizing the gravity of his situation, yet remained quiet. Sighing deeply, I shook my head in disappointment. But if he wished to play this game, I was more than willing to indulge him. Drawing out my knife, I allowed the blade to catch the light, instilling fear in Noah once again.

"Shall I target a vulnerable spot first, or prolong your agony?" I pondered aloud, shrugging indifferently. "You know, I think I'll let inspiration strike in the moment."

As I moved closer, Noah recoiled, but before I even laid a hand on him, he blurted out, "I don't know!"

"Sorry?" I replied, raising an eyebrow.

"I-I don't know where Alison is. Vince took her," he explained haltingly.

"I know he took her, but where to?"

"I-I don't know. We didn't ask," he emphasized. "We took out her loved ones, everyone at the party, but Vince took Alison."

I took a step back, pondering the situation. It didn't surprise me that Vince was tight-lipped about Alison's location. He preferred to handle her himself, and the fewer people who knew, the better.

"What about your uncle?" I probed. "Does he have any idea?"

"M-Maybe, but Vince made it clear he's vanishing," Noah said.

"Yes, that much I gathered. Any guesses on where he might go?" I pressed.

Noah shook his head.

"Noah, come on."

"I don't know, Jared. He's your father. How can you not know?" he shot back, irritatingly making a valid point. But I knew Vince too well. When he wanted to disappear, no one could find him.

I paced in front of Noah, contemplating it all, wondering if tonight would yield any clue about Alison's whereabouts.

"Are you keeping Astrid hostage?" he suddenly inquired, genuine concern flickering in his eyes.

"Hostage? No need for that. Astrid's got more backbone than all of you combined. She just wants respect for once, not just for her ability to bear children, which, unfortunately, we're about to test," I growled.

"Astrid's pregnant?" Noah asked, surprised.

"You didn't know?"

He shook his head. "She hasn't told us yet, and she cut off all contact after Alison was taken."

"Yes, and I'll proudly admit, it's because of me she's turned against you all."

"Why would she do that?" he growled.

"Because I promised her an empire."

Noah pondered it, then a smile tugged at his lips. "You mean with her in charge?"

I shrugged, and he chuckled, confusing me.

"So, you're going to serve your wife after all?" he taunted, and I stepped closer, not amused.

I raised my knife, slicing it down his cheek. He hissed in pain before glaring at me.

"Is this really all you've got, Noah?" I snarled.

He conveyed his discontent with me through his eyes, saying nothing.

"Because I don't mind killing you slowly, even if you've got nothing to tell me. But I'll hold off on castrating you tonight if you give me a clue about Alison's whereabouts or Vince's."

I knew his manhood was dear to him, and he didn't fancy becoming a eunuch, but the choice was his.

"Very well," I said, trailing the knife down his body, and he trembled.

"Wait, wait!" he yelled as the tip hovered just above his groin.

"Yes?"

"Maybe… Maybe Finn knows something."

"Finn?"

"When Astrid cut us off, he became next in line," Noah said.

"Is that why he's not here tonight?" I inquired.

"He rarely shows up. Our uncle keeps him occupied."

"And where is he tonight?" I demanded.

"Clearly, he's working with our uncle."

"Yes, that much is obvious. But I'm asking about his exact location," I snarled.

Noah shook his head. "I'm not entirely sure where he is."

"Why not?"

"They might be out on business, but Michael and I weren't kept in the loop," he explained. "So, we amuse ourselves in this playground."

"Which will now serve as your final resting place," I declared.

"Or," he began.

"Or?"

"You could spare me, and I could align myself with you and Astrid?" he suggested, a smug grin on his lips. "I never laid a hand on Alison, after all."

"That's true," I mused, taking a step back.

"And I could prove to be a valuable ally."

"You might be," I conceded, crossing my arms and stepping back again.

"So?" he prodded.

"Hmm, yes, perhaps that's worth considering," I said, then approached him again, as if to release him from his restraints. A serene smile appeared on his face until his gaze met mine, cold and unyielding. "But the problem is, Noah, I don't collaborate with predators."

I withdrew my hand, then, just as with my previous target, I began etching letters into Noah's chest, listening to his cries echo in the room before grabbing the bottle of alcohol and taking a swig, observing the bleeding and poorly formed letters. He breathed heavily, locking eyes with me once more.

"Besides, I can't place my trust in you. You've shown you're willing to betray me, even though I'm the one calling the shots," I snarled.

"You were never truly in charge."

"But I was, Noah, and I always will be. You all forgot that this dog has a mind of his own, and I'm damn tired of people deciding where I can go, what I can say, and who I can screw."

"And yet, you work for my cousin," he snarled, puzzled by my grin. "What's so funny?" he demanded.

"Oh, nothing," I replied casually, though Noah appeared unsettled by it. He should be, because I was dead serious. If I had to burn down every house, every living being, to find Alison, I would. I wasn't kidding when I claimed her as mine. Now, I was ready to show just how committed I was.

"Any final words, or shall we proceed with the games?" I asked.

"This will come back to haunt you, Jared. You can't do this alone," he warned.

"I'm not alone."

"Oh, so you trust my cousin?" he taunted.

"Not one bit."

"Then what the hell are you doing?" he pressed.

"Since we both know you're not leaving here alive, I'll humor you," I said, approaching him.

He seemed both frightened and intrigued as I leaned in, whispering my plans. As I pulled back, his eyes widened in shock and disbelief.

"You're insane," he muttered.

"I love that you're just realizing it now. Think about how easy it could have been for you and your brothers if you hadn't crossed me. Now, you all have to pay," I declared.

Noah began struggling against his restraints as I set aside the flask. Then, I surveyed the room filled with instruments meant for darker pleasures. Where to begin? I pondered, eyeing a rather sizable dildo. This was going to be interesting.