Free Vengeance by Shara Azod Page A

damage. “I am not a patient man.” Another cut across the abdomen made him scream. “And I do so enjoy carving … things. It calms me. ”
    “M-my cousin! Rico—Rico Cruz!” Munoz screeched out. He began to babble as much as he bled. “Rico was pissed because Seth refused a contract—”
    “So?”Pierre was puzzled enough to stop and listen. Seth was known for turning down contracts, mostly without explanation. It was all part of the man’s mystique. The other part of his legend was that he never failed to make a hit. Ever.
    “The contract was on someone … someone in this family. But I don ’ t know who I swear. I am just supposed to give my cousin information. ” That was a lie. Why did they always try to lie near the end? It never saved their worthless lives. “ Rico, he is really mad about not getting your sister … ”
    “Not getting my who?” No. There was no way Pierre had heard that right.
    “Michelene. Your mother, she sold her to Rico—”
    The words were cut off as Pierre cleaved Munoz’s head from his neck. Really he hadn’t meant to so soon. He had wanted to play with the man for a while. But his words were …
    His mother had tried to sell Michelene? Before now he’d had no idea why his sister had tried to slice May’s neck open. Now that he knew, he wanted to kill the bitch himself. But this death wasn’t his to give. One thing was for damn sure, after all the things his little sister had gone through in her life, she deserved ultimate retribution. And Pierre would move heaven and earth to make sure she got it. Madam May Brown was a dead woman; she just didn’t know it yet.
    ***
    Two weeks! That filthy animal’d had his precious Michelene for two whole weeks! Why hadn’t Seth brought her back to the beach house? No one knew where any of his other places were. Rico had sworn to him this was the place Seth was most likely to be found when he wasn’t on a job. Where the hell could he be?
    Head pounding mercilessly, he paced the hot, dry sand, trying to put his thoughts in coherent order. How could he find her? God, what was that vile man doing to his angel? Surely by now Seth had touched her, caressed her soft skin, seen her without clothes, kissed those full supple lips—
    No, no, no, no! He couldn’t allow himself to think about those things. It didn’t matter anyway. He’d cleanse her, just like he used to. Purge her of the evil inside so she could be pure again, those sparkling brown eyes shining with unshed tears as she felt the forgiveness he had given her, felt the love. Then, then she could be his. His long-dormant cock stirred remembering how she’d looked at him, how she looked as she trudged to and from work, living a life of repentance. Her soul was pure; it always had been.
    The apartment! He would start there. Sooner or later she would come back for her things, especially the box under her bed where she treasured his gifts. She loved him, only him. She knew only he could offer her a life lived in the light. Besides, once he was there he could scour the city for any trace the hitman had left. There were always traces. Men were never as clever as they thought themselves to be. He was superior. He had intellect where Seth only had weapons.
    They hadn’t left the state; he knew that because Rico was monitoring that. All he needed to do was stay calm, and he could find them—he could find her. Then everything would be okay. She could save him, and he would save her.

Chapter Twelve
     
    “I’m going to need clothes.” Honestly, Michelene wasn’t overly concerned about clothing. The last two weeks wearing nothing more than one of Azriel’s shirts had been just fine with her. Made the deliverymen, who brought food and bath and beauty products, do a double take a time or two. Frankly she loved seeing the possessive side of Azriel. A couple of times he actually growled at the delivery guys if their gazes kingeed in her direction a little too long. But she was starting