24. Isaac

24

ISAAC

F linching, Isaac cursed under his breath as another burst of heat hit his skin.

"Oh, come on. Don't be a pansy. Let's hear what you really think of me?"

Seething, Isaac glared up at his brother as the asshole threw another lit match at his shirtless body.

"Come on. Let's hear ya," his brother taunted, giving him that terrifying grin that often appeared only in children's horror tales. It was the kind of grin that Isaac always imagined the old witch would have given Hansel and Gretel while she attempted to gain their trust.

Isaac spat at his brother. He wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of reacting to the pain inflicted by each searing match that struck his exposed skin. He was tougher than that.

They had been at this little game for the better part of an hour now. Declan swiveling in his rackety desk chair, sipping on his whiskey as he randomly flung lit matches at Isaac's skin.

At first, the pain was nothing. But after being hit over and over in the same area by tiny balls of fire, your skin eventually becomes raw, and the pain becomes excruciating. His brother knew this and reveled in watching Isaac fight against the pain.

"You're still ugly as sin. I pity the guy who had to stick his dick in your mouth while you were in prison. Guess he had a thing for decrepit mongrels with bad teeth and underdeveloped brains." Isaac smiled as he watched his brother try and figure out what mongrel meant.

Another lit match. Another flash of pain.

Isaac adjusted his arms, trying to get the blood to circulate through them once again. His brother had tied him to a metal latch a few feet from his desk.

"So, tell me, little bro, who was that fancy man you were working for? He married? Have kids?"

Staring at his brother, he tried to figure out why the Neanderthal was asking such questions.

Tossing another match, Declan flipped his hand at his brother and leaned back in his chair.

"I may have to pay the man another visit. See how much he's willin' to pay to get back his wife and kids. If he has any, that is. If not, I'll find someone else dear to take."

Isaac remained silent, hating every fiber of his brother's being. He refused to give his brother any information on Matteo or any of the other guys he worked with. All Declan knew was that Isaac and some guy with a buzz cut had come looking for him in Ireland. He had no idea that Matteo was actually the one who had sent Isaac to see his uncle. The less his brother knew about Matteo and the gang, the safer they were.

Eventually, he would figure a way out of these ropes, then sneak into his brother's room while he slept and slit his throat. Then, they would be safe. All of them.

Isaac smiled.

Yes, the bastard deserved to die.

The thought of his brother's blood sliding down his throat and coating Isaac's hands brought a warm and fuzzy feeling to his gut.

When did his fantasies become so dark?

Probably around the time you found out that your brother was a monstrous psychopath.

"What are you smilin' about, ya freak?" his brother snarled, tossing another lit match at Isaac's face.

This one connected with the corner of his eye.

Ow! Fuck .

Yes, the man would suffer a most excruciating death. Preferably one lasting several days, involving several torture techniques. Perhaps Matteo would lend him access to one of the old dungeons buried deep beneath the chateau. This way, he would have privacy and uninterrupted access to his brother's dying body. Hell, maybe Matteo would even let him borrow Raj for a few hours. He was pretty sure that tigers enjoyed the taste of toes.

"Nothing. Just thinking about all the ways I'm going to make you cry like a bitch before you die." An evil grin stretched across Isaac's face. He liked the feeling of this dark demon growing inside him.

Declan gave a snort. "Yeah, like to see you try."

Both men's fantasies were interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Yeah?" Declan called, tossing another match at his brother.

The door opened, and an angry-looking Haitian man filled the doorway.

"He's here," was all the man said.

"Good. Bring him in," Declan ordered, tossing the half-full box of matches onto his desk, then propping his legs up onto the surface.

A second later, a pudgy, bearded man with salt and pepper hair popped into the room.

The man looked cagey.

Eyes landing on Isaac, the confused man turned to Declan and asked, "Who's this guy?"

"Never mind him. He's my new pet. Just teaching the bitch some manners."

The man shook his head like he didn't have time to deal with the tied-up man sporting multiple burn marks.

"We gotta start harvesting the merchandise. I got word that some people are askin' questions and starting to sniff around."

Declan's eyes narrowed on the man standing in his office doorway.

"What sorta questions?"

"Mostly about you. Where to find you? That sort of thing," the man rushed, glancing back over at Isaac, looking nervous as hell.

"Psh. Don't worry about it. I got the little shit right here," Declan responded, looking every last bit the confident ass he was.

Eyes locked on Isaac, the pudgy man shook his head. "Nah. This was someone much more powerful. Someone with far reach and scary friends."

Isaac tried not to smile. Matteo was searching for him.

"Don't be a pussy. Whoever it is, I can handle them," Declan said, reaching into his desk and pulling out a gun. He placed it on his desk next to his legs and smirked.

The man shook his head again. "Nah. If this guy is who I think it is, he controls most of the gun trafficking across Europe and the Americas. I ain't getting involved with that shit."

Shifting his gaze back to Isaac, the man looked terrified.

"Look, we got at least ten girls that are ready to pop in the next week or so. Let's just induce their labor, then dump the rest. We can move our operation, then start again in a few months," the terrified man suggested.

Declan's nostrils flared. He jumped out of his chair and stomped toward the door.

"I ain't running away from any shit stain. No matter how big this cunt thinks he is," Declan snarled, grabbing the man by the shirt and pinning him to the wall.

"I… I…" the man stuttered.

"You… You… what?" Declan barked, mocking the man's cowardice. "Speak, Sawyer. You what?"

Sawyer. As in Benjamin Sawyer? The lawyer from Matteo's Book of Sin? Was this the man Matteo had been looking for?

Isaac watched the two closely, trying to figure out how he could get himself free and then contact Matteo.

"I just want to cash in and cut our losses. If this guy is who I think it is, then we need to get the fuck out of here. The man is brutal and doesn't leave witnesses."

The man Sawyer was describing didn't exactly sound like Matteo. It kind of sounded like… Ares? But why would he be involved? Did Matteo call him asking for help? Isaac was confused and wondered what was going on.

Declan snorted. "Don't be a fuckin' bitch," Declan shouted, shoving Sawyer out of his office. "Go the fuck home, and I'll call you when those bitches pop."

Isaac watched as the angry Haitian grabbed Sawyer by the arm and began tugging him down the hallway.

Shit. If Matteo really was on his way, then Isaac didn't want the lawyer escaping. He had to think quickly.

"He's going to rip you off!" Isaac shouted. It was the only thing he could think of that might get Sawyer to stay.

There was the sound of struggling before Sawyer's beady little face appeared in the doorway once again.

"What?" he asked, eyes darting between Isaac and his brother.

"He's going to rip you off. Once you leave, he's going to deliver those babies, sell them, and then make off with the cash," Isaac blurted. He was lying through his teeth, but this idiot didn't know that.

Sawyer glared at Declan. "So, you think you can cut me out of my own deal? Fuck that shit! I'm staying here till those babies are born, and I get my cash!" The man's face was red and angry.

It's funny how the threat of losing one's money can make a man forget all about the immediate danger of death and murder at the hands of someone so sinister that you refuse to use their own name.

Like Candyman and the mirror, you never speak his name.

"Suit yourself. Stay if you want to. Just keep out of my fucking way," Declan barked back before shoving past the stout lawyer with a hard smash of his shoulder.

The greedy lawyer bounced off Declan's massive shoulder before bracing himself against the wall.

A sigh of relief escaped Isaac's lips. He had found a way to get Sawyer to stay. Now he just needed to figure out how he was going to escape these damn restraints.