“How did you persuade James?” Winter spoke carefully.
“A pile of guilt about family loyalty and our rivalry with the Cavendishes. A well-timed black eye when that didn’t work.”
I looked at him closely, noting the shifty look in his eyes. He was holding something back, I could tell. Z must’ve noticed, too, because he stepped forwards, brandishing the knife. Joseph shrank back. “Okay, okay! I’ll tell you the rest.” He took a deep breath. “The black eye didn’t work, either, so I had to get creative, and he realised he’d have to give in. The threat of me using my TA position to alter the records for the class you had with me so you’d fail was enough to persuade him. Oh, and fail your friend Drummond, too.”
Winter gasped, and I stared at him. “You—you’re a despicable person. Who abuses their position like that?” Her voice shook slightly, and I tightened my arm around her, pulling her against my chest.
“It’s nothing personal. We’re just on different sides.”
“That’s the weakest excuse I ever heard.” Her voice was flat.
He stared at her unrepentantly. Next to me, Zayde cleared his throat, and I decided to move it along. We were running out of time, and we needed our answers before it was too late. “Next question. Why were you and your dad meeting with Christine tonight?”
“I can’t answer that.”
“Can’t, or won’t?”
He shook his head, and Z stepped forwards. The shallow cut on Hyde’s arm, barely even a graze, had stopped bleeding. Zayde touched the tip of his blade to the cut, and a small drop of blood appeared on Hyde’s skin. He flinched, mumbling a stream of expletives under his breath, but no answer was forthcoming. Z applied light pressure, and a thin trickle of blood made its way down his arm.
A hiss of pain escaped from between his gritted teeth. “Fine! I’ll tell you. And you’d better make sure this doesn’t get back to anyone. Not to Christine, and especially not my father, because my life won’t be worth living.” Raw fear was rolling off him in waves, and Z suddenly straightened up with a muttered curse, throwing the knife down with a clatter.
What the fuck? Pretty much shocked into silence, Winter and I watched as he used the torn sleeve of Hyde’s hoodie, pressing it down on the cut to stem the bleeding.
“What’s going on?” Winter ventured.
“His dad isn’t a nice person” was all Z said, and I frowned but continued on with my line of questioning, aware that time was moving on. Over in the corner of the room, I could hear Allan’s struggles as he fought against his own bonds.
“Tell us what you know.”
He took a deep, shaky breath. “She’s been working with my father for a long time. They’ve been plotting to take over Alstone Holdings. I’ve never been privy to the ins and outs, but I know that there’s the deal going down tomorrow with the De Witts, and she was going to make a move after that.” Glaring at us, he added, “I probably would have found out more, if you hadn’t interrupted the meeting tonight and fucking kidnapped me.”
Fuck. Working together for a long time? I shouldn’t have been surprised. That woman was a snake, pure and simple.
“What move was she going to make?” Winter asked softly.
“I honestly don’t know. My father keeps all his cards close to his chest.”
I let out a growl of frustration. “Is there anything else you can tell us?”
He shook his head. “Nothing, except those guys at the meeting tonight? I know she’s paying them a lot of money, and I know they don’t like her very much. I picked up that much from the short time I was there.”
Fucking great. Information we already knew. “Why were you at the meeting, anyway?”
“I don’t know exactly, but my father wants to bring me into the business. Not that I’d have anything to do with it if I had any choice in the matter.” His words were bitter, but he stared at me defiantly, his lip curled. “I’m sure you can appreciate being groomed for the family business, being the son of the almighty Arlo Cavendish.”
“Fuck you.” I moved Winter off me, standing up and glancing at Z. “Tape?”
Zayde handed me the roll, and I had the immense satisfaction of slapping it over his mouth, silencing him.
“You’ve said enough tonight.” Together, Z and I lifted him, chair and all, and carried him the short distance to the side of the room, where we arranged his chair facing the wall. I smirked, watching his eyes bulging and his cheeks puffing as he tried to speak. “Something you wanna say, Hyde?”
He glared up at me, defiant to the end. I could almost admire him for that, if I didn’t loathe him so much.
“You ready to do this?” Zayde
brought my attention to the next task at hand. I swallowed hard, staring over at the familiar figure slumped in the chair against the far wall. Clenching and unclenching my fists, I made my way towards his chair. This was going to be fucking tough.
“Let me try. Please?”