Page 73 of Hateful Prince

“So what are we going to do about Taylor? Since y’all won’t let me obliterate him here and now, I need to know.”

“It’s not like we can trust a word out of his mouth. He’ll lie outright if he is the Ripper,” Kai said.

“We can torture the truth out of him. Nothing a few broken bones can’t fix.” Tor’s voice held such delight even my stomach turned.

Dahlia paled. “Maybe there’s a less bloody way to do this.”

“What are you thinking, baby doll?”

“Oz can read minds. He could let us know if Taylor is being honest.”

“Sure, we could do that if you want to take all the fun out of it,” Tor grumbled.

Dahlia rested her palm on his chest, staring up into his eyes. “Are you feeling okay? You seem a lot more beastly than usual.”

“We were apart for too long.”

Her brows lifted. “It’s only been?—”

“Too long,” he repeated.

“Oookay. Noted.”

“So where are we holding this little inquisition?” I asked, glancing back at the estate.

“My tower. No one will hear the screams if we need to utilize Plan Beast.”

Hook gave Kai an approving once-over. “You’re funnier than I remember.”

“I have my moments. Now, we need to draw Taylor out, get him to come to us of his own free will.”

“You leave that to me. I know exactly how to get him.” Hook took off, heading up the hill toward Blackwood.

“I guess I’ll go get Oz?” Dahlia said.

“I’ll go with you,” I offered.

Tor growled like he was going to protest, but Kai intervened. “You and I should get the tower ready. Make sure you have everything you need prepped for his arrival.”

Tor cracked his knuckles and then his neck. “I don’t need props.”

“I was thinking more about chains and a chair.”

“Oh. Right, that would be useful.”

If we had to torture him, it wouldn’t be too pretty. For Dahlia’s sake, I hoped Oz did what she wanted.

Hook

I did love a good plot to catch someone in their own game. But I especially loved being able to take part in said plot. As I stood outside Swiftie’s door, I was positively giddy with anticipation. A few grains of pixie dust danced on my fingers, ready for release.

Tick

Tick

Tick

Hoping the others were ready for us in the tower, I knocked on the door, eager to get on with the show. I needed to get back to Dahlia before the whispers joined in with the near-constant ticking.