Chapter 198.

The room smelled like blood.

Not enough to fill the air, but just enough to tell a man who knew what he was looking at that someone had already suffered.

Noah sat in the middle of the room, with his wrists secured behind the wooden chair. His ankles were bound too.

Two of Adrian’s men stood behind him.

Noah had spent the last twenty minutes testing the restraints, insulting them, laughing at them, and threatening them.

He had been waterboarded repeatedly for days now.

The heavy metal door opened.

Noah lifted his head.

His smile disappeared for half a second, then returned almost immediately.

Christian walked inside, with just a black shirt with the sleeves rolled to his forearms. His hair was slightly disheveled, but his face was calm.

Almost too calm.

Noah stared at him, then chuckled. "Well, well."

Christian shut the door behind himself.

The sound of the click echoed through the room.

Noah tilted his head. "I was wondering when the pretty one would show up."

Christian said nothing.

He walked toward him. His shoes made quiet sounds against the concrete floor.

"Came to make a joke?" Noah’s smile widened. "What happened?" he asked. "You finally ran out of jokes? I studied you. You’re funny."

Christian stopped a few feet away. He looked at Noah for several seconds. There was no anger on his face. No visible rage.

His expression remained still.

That was what made the room colder.

Christian had always been charming. The man who laughed too easily. The man who could turn an insult into a joke.

The man who walked into a room and made people comfortable before they realized he had already read them.

His grandfather had once called him impossible to hate.

Christian reached for the chair beside him. He dragged it across the floor.

The screech made Noah wince.

Christian placed it directly in front of him. Then he sat.

Noah stared.

Christian rested his forearms on his thighs. "Why did you do that to Kylie?" he asked calmly. As if talking about the weather.

Noah’s mouth twitched. "That what this is about?"

Christian watched him. "Yes."

Noah laughed. "You dragged me into some underground room because of a woman? A frat girl?"

Christian’s eyes remained on him. "Why did you do that to Kylie?" He asked again.

Noah leaned back as much as the restraints allowed. "You really care about her."

Christian said nothing.

Noah smiled. "I thought you both were just playing around." His sunken eyes lifted mockingly. "How was Brazil?"

Christian’s jaw tightened. "Why did you do that to Kylie?" He asked for the third time.

Noah looked at him. Then he deliberately looked away.

Christian waited. He gave him a second, and added five more seconds.

Noah chuckled. "You’re not as intimidating as you think."

Christian stood.

Noah’s eyes followed him.

Christian stepped closer.

Noah’s smile remained.

Then Christian reached down. His hand closed around Noah’s jaw, hard.

Noah’s head jerked upward.

Christian forced his chin higher. "Look at me."

Noah’s smile faltered.

"Don’t play with me." Christian’s fingers tightened. "I asked you a question."

Noah stared into his eyes.

Christian’s voice remained quiet. "Why did you do that to Kylie?"

Noah swallowed, then scoffed.

"You think you’re going to scare me?"

Christian stared at him. "No." His thumb pressed against Noah’s cheek. "I think you’re going to answer me."

Noah laughed again.

Christian released him.

For a moment, Noah thought he had won.

However, Christian turned toward the metal table. There were several instruments laid across it.

Noah’s expression changed.

Christian picked one up.

Noah stared in shock. "What’s that?" He couldn’t help the uncontroable terror in his voice.

Christian didn’t answer. He walked back.

Noah shifted in the chair. "Christian."

Chrustain said nothing.

"Hey." Noah half yelled.

Christian stopped in front of him.

Noah’s breathing changed. "Let’s talk."

Christian looked at him. "You had a chance to talk." He reminded him calmly.

Noah’s eyes darted toward the men behind him.

Neither moved, or even looked his way.

Christian reached down.

Noah tried to jerk away, but the restraints held him.

"Wait."

Christian’s hand caught his jaw again.

Noah’s eyes widened. "Mr. Sinclair—"

Christain lifted Noah’s jaw up, cutting him off. He forced his mouth open, and shoved the tool into Noah’s mouth.

In the next second, the room filled with Noah’s scream.

It was sudden, and raw.

His entire body strained against the restraints. Veins bulged on his forehead, and his eyes almost popped out from pain.

The men behind him didn’t react.

Christian didn’t either.

He simply twisted the tool, and forcefully pulled it out. When the screaming finally broke into ragged breathing, Christian calmly straightened.

He wiped the instrument clean with a cloth, and then placed it back on the table with the bloody tooth he just pulled out of Noah’s mouth.

Noah’s face was wet with tears. His chest rose and fell violently.

Christian stood before him, composed, and almost bored. He looked at Noah’s face.

Then said quietly, "I’ll ask you one last time." He took a step closer. "Why did you do that to Kylie?"

Noah’s lips trembled.

For several seconds, he said nothing. Then something ugly returned to his expression.

"Cause she’s a bitch!" He spat out.

The room went still.

Christian stared at him. "If I were you," he said softly, "I would mind my next words."

Noah breathed harshly through his nose, then laughed. It started quietly. It started from a broken little sound.

Then the cruel laugh grew. Soon he was laughing so hard his shoulders shook.

Christian watched him, and waited patiently.

Noah wiped beneath one eye against his shoulder. "You know what?" He looked up. "I should have just planned this properly."

Christian’s expression hardened.

Noah kept going. "I should’ve come with other men."

One of Adrian’s men shifted.

Christian didn’t.

Noah smiled through his tears. "I should’ve made sure she couldn’t fight back."

Christian’s fingers curled slowly into fists.

Noah’s smile became more vicious. "I could’ve had them rape her properly. Over and over again. Watch her scream, and beg, unalive her, and then..."

Silence. Anger burned through Christian so hard that he went still.

Noah leaned forward as far as the restraints allowed. "Then dumped her somewhere."

Christian’s breathing stopped.

Noah saw it, and smiled.

"That way—"

The chair scraped violently against the floor.

Christian moved. The back of his palm struck Noah across the face.

The crack echoed.

Noah’s head snapped sideways, and the chair tipped with him. He crashed onto the floor, still tied to it.

For a moment, there was silence.

Then Noah laughed again. He was bleeding at the corner of his mouth. His cheek reddened beneath the impact, but he smiled.

Christian stood over him.

His chest rose and fell. His eyes had changed. There was no charm left in them. No patience, and nothing soft.

Noah looked up. He went on. "A good rape trauma would stop her from being so insane and wild."

Christain’s hand instantly went to his waistband.

The gun appeared in his grip.

One of Adrian’s men looked at him. "Christian—"

It was too late.

Bang.

Noah screamed.

The bullet struck his knee.

His entire body convulsed. The scream that came out of him was nothing like the laughter from seconds earlier.

Christian didn’t blink.

Noah sobbed. "Fuck!"

Christian stared down at him.

Noah’s breathing became frantic. "Please—"

Bang.

The second shot echoed through the room.

Noah’s scream tore through the silence.

His head fell back, and tears streamed down his face.

Christian lowered the gun. For several seconds, he simply looked at him.

Noah shook violently.

Christian’s voice was quiet when he spoke again. "You wanted to know what would happen if you crossed the wrong woman."

Noah squeezed his eyes shut.

Christian crouched beside him. "You found out."

Noah opened his eyes.

Christian leaned closer. "But don’t confuse this with revenge."

Noah stared at him.

"This is a message." Christian’s voice dropped. "You don’t get to touch Kylie again. Or anyone she cares about."

Noah’s lips trembled.

Christian stood. "And you don’t get to speak about her like that again."

Noah coughed. "You’re... fucking insane."

Christian looked at him. A faint smile appeared. It wasn’t the smile everyone knew.

It was colder.

"You should have started with that."

He turned away.

Noah stared at his back.

Then Christian stopped. He glanced over his shoulder. "It’s either you never walk again..."

His eyes settled on Noah.

"...or die."

Noah’s face went pale.

Christian slipped the gun back into his waistband, then walked toward the door.

The men moved aside.

"Wait." Noah pleaded. Both of knee caps were bleeding now. The pain and blood made him dizzy.

Christian stopped.

Noah’s voice cracked. "You’re just going to leave me here?"

Christian looked back. "Yes."

"You’re not calling a doctor?"

Christian’s expression didn’t change. "You’re not dying."

Noah stared at him.

Christian opened the door. "But I didn’t promise you’ll stay conscious."

The door slammed shut behind him.

Noah was left with the two men. For the first time since they had brought him there, he didn’t have anything to say.

.......

Christian walked down the corridor.

His footsteps were steady. He didn’t rush, but his hands were slightly shaking.

He stopped at the end of the hallway, and closed his eyes. He knew he had a dark side but he had spent years trying to tame himself.

Christian pushed himself away from the wall.

Adrian was waiting at the other end of the corridor. He had heard the gunshots.

He looked at Christian.

Adrian’s gaze dropped briefly to the gun. Then returned to Christian’s face. "Are you finished?"

Christian nodded. "Yes."

Adrian studied him. "Did he talk?"

Christian’s eyes hardened. "He told me enough."

Adrian didn’t ask for details. He didn’t need them. "What happens now?"

Christian looked toward the closed door behind him. "He lives. Let him go in five days."

Adrian raised an eyebrow.

Christian continued. "But he’ll remember tonight every time he tries to stand."

Adrian was silent.

Christian walked past him, then stopped.

"There is one more thing."

Adrian looked at him.

Christian’s voice was low. "If he ever gets near Kylie again..." He turned.

The darkness in his expression was unmistakable.

"I won’t stop at his knees."

Adrian held his gaze, then nodded once.