Page 44 of Luca

“Sobered up now, I see,” I said, stepping in as Vlad moved in front of him, yanking him back down onto the sofa. The coward was in no state to fight. He might have been employed as a bodyguard and had a penchant for hitting on women, but I knew his type—brave when surrounded by others, but weak when faced with true power.

“Good, because I have questions, and you’re going to answer them,” I stated, feeling the weight of the moment settle in my gut, my resolve hardening. I had to know everything about Julie’s death—who was responsible and why. The anger coiling within me craved release.

“Why did you kill Julie? Did the MP put you up to it, or was it your suggestion?” Anger boiled within as I confronted the male who’d murdered her.

“I’m saying nothing, you fucking bastard,” he spat.

“Answer the questions. Otherwise, you’re not going to like what happens,” I told him, my voice low and dangerous. I wanted the truth, and I was prepared to extract it by any means necessary.

He laughed, a hollow sound. “I’m not scared of you.” His eyes darted around the room, but I saw the flicker of fear behind his bravado—a coward trying to mask his terror.

The smile never reached my eyes. “It’s going to get rough if you don’t start talking.”

“Fuck you!” he sneered, but I could sense his confidence wavering.

I nodded to Ash, and he brought an old wooden chair into the centre of the room. Vlad and Trigger seized McDougall, forcing him into the seat and binding him with rope. Normally, we’d take the bastard to the Crematorium, better known asthe C, where we had a special room built underneath for interrogations. But that was a one-way trip, anyone we took there, didn’t come out. We needed this fucker alive, at least for now, so we would extract the answers here.

“Now, talk. Why did you kill her? Did you do it because the MP asked, or was there more to it?”

He fell silent, but his snigger told me he wasn’t taking me seriously. That would change. I punched him in the gut, and he grunted.

“Is that all you’ve got?” He smirked, his voice full of false bravado.

Another punch landed, and he wheezed.

“Tell me!” I commanded, punching him hard in the face, his head jerking to the side.

“Aargh! You fucking bastard.” He spat blood.

As I prepared to strike him again, Ash restrained me, whispering in my ear. “Luca, calm down. Let’s not mark him up where it can be seen. It won’t help our plan if he looks like he’s taken too much of a beating.” I nodded, taking a deep breath to calm myself. The irony of Ash telling anyone to calm down wasn’t lost on me; it was usually him who needed restraining. He’d come a long way in managing his own anger.

He looked scared now, glancing between us. “What are you guys whispering about?”

“Ash here wants to start burning you, but I prefer other methods myself.” I smirked at him, feeling the darkness within me stir.

“Fuck off! The MP’s going to fucking ruin you guys. You think you’re tough? Wait until you see what he can do.” He laughed, but I grinned back, a predator toying with its prey.

“Are we going to have to do this the hard way, Joey? Please tell me we are?”

“I’m saying nothing, you fucker,” he said, but his eyes showed a slither of fear.

“Oh, you’ll talk. No matter what it takes,” I told him, my voice dripping with menace as I pulled a knife from my pocket. It glinted ominously under the dull strip light overhead.

He gulped, the bravado slipping away.

“I only did what I was told!” The coward practically shouted in fear as his eyes followed the knife.

“You killed her,” I said, my voice low and dangerous. “You tied her up, drugged her, and raped her before you slit her throat and left her to bleed out on my bed. You’re a fucking bastard. And over what? Jealousy? Money? Both?”

I nodded to Ash, and he punched the bastard in the gut, the sound of McDougall’s grunt of pain making me smile.

“She was a fucking whore!” he spat out, the words forced as he tried to hold back his pain.

“That’s no way to talk about a woman,” I chided, shaking my head. The bastard needed a lesson in respect.

“The cheating bitch got what she deserved,” he spat, and Ash punched him in the gut again.

“Well, maybe it’s time you got a little of what you deserve,” I told him, my voice deliberately menacing as I cut open his T-shirt, the fabric yielding to my blade.