And they’re all dead.
“Would you fuckingstopthat humming?”
A fist cracks across my cheekbone, the pain making me temporarily see stars but not the ones I prefer. Good arm on him, that Frank Clancy. Though I think Aiden’s is better.
“Take his gag out. Maybe now he’s ready to talk,” says another voice, the one that’s been keeping its distance, although how far exactly I can’t really tell with the blindfold.
Blindfolded. Gagged. Hands and ankles tied. Almost as if they’re scared of me. Good.
“He’sbeentalking. He’s just not saying anything useful. That’swhywe gagged him, remember?”
“I don’t have time for this. What he had on him isn’t enough. I need him to tell us where the rest is.”
Blessedly, the rag gets pulled from my mouth, and I work my jaw to ease the strain as I tilt my head against the wall at my back. “Thanks so much,” I mutter, then I go back to humming as I wait.
“Fuck’ssake,” Frank says, applying a hard pressure to the side of my head, cold and unforgiving in the way only a gun can be. “Stophumming.”
“Donotshoot him. He hasn’t told us where the money is,” says the other one, and I’m almost positive I know that voice. That Aiden was right. He usually is, although not always about the things he thinks.
The other one comes closer this time, almost within spitting distance, and the thought does occur to me. But considering I haven’t had water in at least a day or two, I’m not sure that’s wise.
“Where is the money?” he asks again. “Tell us, and we won’t kill you.”
“I already told you where it is,” I remind him. “It’s in the ground.”
“Wherein the ground? Where did you bury it?”
“Who says I buried it?”
“You said it’s inthe ground. Tell mewhere.”
He sounds like he’s so close to losing his mind. Soveryclose. “Could be anywhere by now.” I shrug. “Depending on the wind.”
I receive another crack against my head, but this fist aims too high, and I’m pretty sure I hear the sound of bone crunching as well as a slight whimper of pain when it connects with my skull. I sigh, rolling my head left then right to abate the dull throb. “Not used to beating people yourself, are you, Deputy?” I ask. “Prefer to hire that out typically?”
There’s a moment of silence and then he rips my blindfold off, bright light flooding in as I open my eyes to see that I’m on the dirty floor of an old mining shack. Practically the lap of luxury compared to the last place I was held in. At least this one has a window.
“Where is my money?” Zeke is asking again, and I turn my head to look at him. Smiling when I see his disheveled blondhair, his sunken eyes, and his several days’ worth of stubble. Not nearly as shined up as the last time I saw him, but then, I’m likely not either. Pretty sure I’m still prettier though.
“Been a rough few months, has it?” I ask.
He turns to look at Frank where he stands in the corner, a table with my rifle and my pistols to his left. “Dosomething.”
“What do you want me to do?” Frank asks. “I’ve already offered to kill him.”
“If we kill him, then we can’t use him as leverage, and whatever they bring tomorrow won’t be all of it. I need to know whereall of itis. I need him to tell us where it is and have them confirm it, so we know he’s telling the truth. Do something. That’s why I hired you.”
“You seem to have quite a few needs, Zeke,” I tell him, swallowing to try to get the stale taste of the rag out of my mouth. “Happen to make more than one bet you couldn’t afford recently?”
“Shut up,” he snaps, eyes looking marvelously unhinged. Must be difficult. Suddenly not getting your way when you have all your life. Too bad he won’t have time to adjust. “You’re going to give me back the money you stole—”
“Technically,” I interrupt, “youlostit.”
“I did notlose,” he argues, holding a finger in my face likeIam the petulant child. “You cheated on that last hand.”
“No, not on the last hand,” I say, giving him a sympathetic frown. “Now, Imaynot have played my best on the earlier hands so that you could win. Which you don’t seem to be complaining about. Hard to recall since you keep striking me in the head.”
Zeke leans closer in a fruitless attempt to be intimidating. “I’m going to do a lot worse to you if you don’t tell me where my money is.”