Bad Seed

I saw nothing in his eyes. He couldn't care less about any of this, or anyone there. If anything, he seemed bored and uninterested. No, not even that, really. It was hard to fully explain, but his eyes and face were devoid of everything. There was no trace of humanity to be seen anywhere in him – and that scared me even more than Rory for some reason.

Speaking of the devil, Rory came back in and handed me a cup of lukewarm water. It would at least help wash down the bile taste in my mouth, and it would rehydrate me. I mean, if they cared enough to give me water, they must not want me dead, right? That had to bode well for me surviving this. At least, I hoped it did.

Declan stayed by my side, but his attention was back on the others.

“We can't just keep her here,” he growled. “She's likely got a concussion and needs medical help.”

“You've dealt with concussions before, right?” Killian said, his voice remaining calm and neutral.

“I have, a few times, yeah,” Declan said.

“Did you ever go to the hospital for any of them?”

Declan grimaced. “No, but that was my choice.”

Killian shrugged. “Then she'll be fine, especially under your care,” he said. “My care?” Declan asked.

“Mmm hmm,” Killian said, his voice bored and distracted. “I'm trusting you to keep an eye on her, to make sure she remains in one piece. I can't trust anyone else with that, can I?”

He cast a very pointed look at Rory who continued staring at me like he wanted to be left alone with me, so I looked at Declan. He seemed as shocked as I felt. “If she's Michael's daughter, he'll come for her,” Killian explained. “And when he does, we'll get our money. There’s no money in dead hostages.”

Declan stood and lunged toward his brother. I still felt utterly hopeless as I struggled with my bonds, still tied to the table. My hands were free, but my legs were tied down and it kept me from getting up. I sat up, my head spun, and I came crashing back down again.

“I'm not going to hold someone hostage for money,” Declan shouted. “I didn't agree to that.”

“But you agreed to help me,” Killian said, his voice was low and dangerous. “And I'm not asking you to kill somebody. So, I expect you to uphold your end of our deal, brother. Unless you'd rather trust her to Rory – ”

“Fuck no,” Declan said, shaking his head. “Rory is not to be trusted to be alone with anyone, much less an attractive girl.”

Killian smirked. “I agree. And we both know I can't bring her home with me,” he says. “Which leaves us with only one viable option.”

I managed to find my voice, for the first time since waking up. My throat was raw and dry, and when I spoke, it sounded harsh and brittle, but at least I was able to get some words out.

“There are two viable options,” I said. “How about instead of holding me here, you guys let me go?”

Killian's dead eyes turned toward me for a brief second – just enough time for a dark and ominous feeling to slide over my skin, leaving me feeling like I'd just been coated in grease. Then he turned back to Declan. Just having the man's eyes on me sent me straight to the edge of a panic attack.

“We can't let her go,” he says, speaking as if I wasn't even there. “Others are looking for her father as well. And if they don't find him – well, let's just say, she's safer with us than with the Italians.”

My heart raced. My father was a drunk and enjoyed his drugs, but was he really in this much trouble? I had a hard time believing it, honestly. He was harmless for the most part. What had he done to incur the wrath of so many people?

As the silence stretched out between them, Killian looked certain, and Declan looked conflicted.

“I can handle myself,” I said. “If you let me go, I'll get out of town and – ”

“And what, little girl?” Killian asked, turning toward me, his lips pulling back in a snarl. “You really think you'll be able to escape the Italian mafia? Or some of the many others your dad owes money to? Because if so, you're not as smart as you look. Though quite frankly, I assumed you were more beauty than brains in the first place, so I suppose I'm not entirely surprised.”

Declan's eyes grew wide and he stared at his brother as if shocked by the cruelty of his words. I wasn't. I'd been around scumbags my entire life and knew what they were like. I'd been raised around people who assumed I was nothing more than a nice pair of tits or just another blonde bimbo. I was used to it and it stopped fazing me years ago.

His opinion didn't matter to me – in fact, him assuming I was stupid might play in my favor somewhere in the long run. It meant he underestimated me, which meant he might be more likely let his guard down and give me a chance.

“Besides, we need you,” Killian said. “Your father owes us way too much money for us to just forget about it because he blew town. We'll hold you ransom until he pays. Surely, he'd do anything or pay any amount for his little girl, don't you think?”

I slumped back against the table, and my eyes filled with tears. Don't cry, Kara,

I urged myself. Don't do it. I can't show these pricks any sign of weakness or they'll use it against me.

“To be honest,” I said, biting my lip. “I really don't think he would. He did up and run out on me, after all.”