12 Rounds (26 page)

~Connie~

Teagan Reilly was a mouthy little bitch.

“Do you know how much trouble you’re gonna be in?” Connie made sure Aidan duct taped her to a chair so that she wouldn’t be able to escape. “Do you know what my brother is going to do when he finds out what you’re gonna do to me? He’s gonna cut your—”

WHACK!

Connie shut her up with a palm across her jaw. He half expected her to cry, but when he saw her lift her head, blood trailing down her smooth ivory skin from her pink lips, a mixture of hatred and rage flashing in her eyes, he knew she wouldn’t shed  a single tear. She was strong like her mother was.

And had her temper too.

She squirmed beneath her restraints, moving the chair she was tied to and let out a scream loud enough to shake the whole building. She panted, and continued squirming, but she was starting to wear herself out. Connie nodded at Aidan who stood in the doorway. Aidan then with a furrowed brow came over and placed a piece of silvery duct tape over her mouth. He turned on his heel, shook his head, and gave Teagan one last tortured glance before making his exit.

Connie closed his eyes, let out a calming  breath, straightened out the lapels of his suit jacket, and took a seat on the edge of his desk. He glared at Teagan and his lips quirked in a wicked grin. Picking up a tiny flat circular object, he held it an inch away from Teagan’s face. “Do you know what this is?”

Teagan grunted and shook her head. He picked up his cell phone and took the back off. He demonstrated how to insert the object into the back of the phone. “It’s a phone tap,” he informed her. “Aidan planted one in your phone so that we were able to monitor your phone calls.” Teagan trembled violently, not out of fear, but out of rage. “We found some very incriminating things, Teagan. Very incriminating.” Connie stood and walked around the back side of his desk. He sat down, hands behind his head, and leaned back in his chair. “I think you know that I can’t stand a rat.”

“I’m not the rat!” Teagan screamed, her voice muffled from the tape over her mouth. “I’m not the rat!”

“Your phone conversations say otherwise.” Connie closed his eyes and sighed in frustration. “Teagan, Teagan, Teagan,” he tsked. “You can argue this all you want, but it’s not going to make much of a difference. Let me ask you this, who is Emerson?”

Teagan’s jaw clenched and she lowered her head.

“Oh,” Connie’s eyes widened. “Silent now, aren’t we?”

Teagan’s eyes cut into him flashing pure and utter hatred. She started wiggling again, trying desperately to free herself.

Connie let out a deep, booming laugh. “There’s no use in wearing yourself out, Teagan.” He lowered his voice. “You’re not going anywhere.”

Teagan shrieked.

And shrieked louder.

She continued shrieking.

Even though her voice was muffled it was starting to get on Connie’s nerves. “Enough of this shit,” he grumbled under his breath. He stood, strolled over to Teagan, whipped his gun out from the inside of his suit jacket, flipped it around, and whacked her on the side of the head with the butt of it, hard. Teagan’s head slumped forward and Connie nudged her.

She was out, cold.

Tucking his gun back into the inner pocket of his suit, he sat back down at his desk. He leaned his chair back, and propped his feet on the top of his desk before crossing them. He didn’t doubt what Teagan said earlier about her brother coming for her. Connie knew he would before she even said anything. The truth was her threats involving her brother doing anything were mild. Connie knew just how violent Sean could be when he wanted to be. Especially when people he cared about were involved. And he intended to use that to his advantage.

“Big boy!” Connied shouted.

Seconds later, Murphy O’ Fallon hustled through the door and his eyes immediately centered on Teagan, widening. “Holy shit!” He glanced back at Connie. “Is that Teagan?”

Connie gave him a slight nod then said, “Call together a meeting of the brotherhood. Tell them we’ve found our rat.”

Murphy’s mouth dropped open, but he closed it quickly. He hesitated, glancing in between Teagan and Connie. His hesitation irritated Connie. “Did I stutter, boy?”

“No, Connie.” And just like he entered, Murphy O’Fallon hustled  through the door, the sound of change jingling in his pockets as he made his exit.

You see, Connie knew exactly what he was doing. He knew that the big guy was Sean’s best friend. In a way this was also a test of Murphy’s loyalty to Connie and the brotherhood. He had this gut feeling that the guy would fail, being that he and Sean had been friends for decades, but then again the kingpin had seen stranger things happen. Like people turning against their own just to save their own ass. Cowards. Connie was the type that would rather go down guns hot than rat someone out.

Teagan stirred in her restraints as she slowly regained consciousness. Connie kept his eyes on her. In a way, Teagan reminded him of Helen of Troy, the face that launched a thousand ships. But unlike the Trojans, Connie was prepared for the battle he knew Sean would bring when he saw that he had his kid sister,  and when he found out what his intentions were for her. But Connie was the ultimate strategist. He wouldn’t let any wooden horses sneak past his gates. Yes, Connie loved a good battle. Especially this one.

Because it was one he was certain that he would win.

Author Bio

Lauren Hammond is the Amazon Bestselling author of If I Can’t Have You, A Whisper To A Scream, and He Loves Me…He Loves You Not. She serves as the Executive Literary Manager for ADA Management Group, representing a group of extremely talented writers. When she’s not writing she can be found at any random coffee shop or perusing the YA section at her local bookstore.