Page 32 of Ruthless

“Because that way, I’ll be able to determine how long you’ll suffer before I kill you.”

Jerking back at the threat, he shook his head. “Why would you kill me? I’ve done nothing wrong.”

“I think that’s a matter of opinion. And since I have this”—he lifted his hand, revealing the gun—“my opinion trumps yours.”

His legs suddenly weak, Jeremy had no problem sitting down. “Now look…” His voice came out shakier than he’d like. “I was hired to do a job, and I did it. It isn’t my fault things didn’t turn out the way you planned.”

“Is that right? So the fact that your main job was to be an informant—and you failed to inform us—isn’t your fault?”

He swallowed harder. In an effort to promote himself, he had exaggerated his claim of having knowledge of the king’s inner circle. The past few years, he had slunk back into obscurity in hopes no one would retaliate. Now he had to do some fast dancing, or he was in trouble.

“Look, my part wasn’t even that big. I could only get so much information. I couldn’t get to the intel fast enough to let you know.”

“You know the two words I hate more than any others in the whole wide world?”

Jeremy’s eyes darted to the door. Could he make it? Outrunning a bullet never worked out, but how trained could this guy be? Maybe he was just a wimp in a big man’s body.

“Oh, if you’re looking to escape, I have three men outside your door hoping you’ll try.”

He swallowed, realizing his mouth was so dry he had nothing but air. A gulping sound emerged from his mouth, and the man across from him smiled.

“Now, answer my question. What are my most hated words?”

“I don’t know.”

“Ack!” The man released a nasally, obnoxious noise. “Wrong answer. My most hated words are ‘I can’t.’ They piss me off. And believe me, you don’t want to piss me off.”

Searching for something useful to give him, Jeremy said hurriedly, “The princess is back.”

“And you think that’s news to me?”

Of course it wasn’t. The man seemed to know everything. It was obvious he had more than one informant in the castle.

“I thought you were locked up. Were you released early?”

“No.” His mouth tilted in a mocking smile at the abrupt change of subject. “Not released. Someone is locked up. Just not me.”

That wasn’t a surprise—it happened more times than most people knew. People got lost in prisons, forgotten. Others could slip in and take their place. Why someone would agree to do such a thing was beyond his comprehension.

“I can get you access to her.”

Jeremy had spit out the words before he’d considered just how foolish they were. Why couldn’t he keep his mouth shut? Even when he was in good standing at the palace, he didn’t have any access to the royal family. Making that kind of claim to this particular man was a sure way to get himself killed.

“How do you plan to do that when you no longer have a job?”

The man knew that, too? Jeremy hadn’t even been officially let go, although one of his snitches had called to tell him that the princess had sprung Wright out of his jail cell. So yes, he was sure he no longer had a job. However, only a handful of people should be aware of that. And somehow this man was one of them.

Who was his informant? Someone high up? Or could it be a low-level employee who knew how to snoop? Either way, it put Jeremy on shaky ground and significantly undermined what he could offer this man. In his world, if he had nothing of value to offer, then his life had no value. He had to come up with something!

“Her friend…partner… I have intel on him.”

“Mr. Wright?”

So he knew about him, too. “I detained him. I interviewed him. He was abusive and belligerent. My men taught him a lesson he’ll never forget. I locked him up and—”

“I heard it took six men and tasers to take him down. Two of the men were sent to the hospital. Is that correct?”

All strength left his body. If the man knew this, he knew everything. There was no intel he could offer him that he didn’t already have.