Chapter 416:
Rylie pondered and said, “Does Jaxon know about your dealings?” She met his stare without blinking. “With this many kids missing, the police would’ve launched a full investigation — unless someone at the top told them to look the other way.”
Ronan’s eyes narrowed. “You’re overthinking again.”
He scoffed, shaking his head as if the idea bored him. “Jaxon? That guy only follows orders. He’s not important enough to know anything real. I only used him because someone else told me to. Someone much higher. But you’ll never figure out who that is. You won’t live long enough to find out.”
He raised his voice, trying to sound fearless, but the shift in his tone hinted at something uneasy.
“Oh?” A smirk formed on Rylie’s lips. It was sharp and unkind. “Is that right? What a shame. I was hoping I’d get the truth out of you before I died.”
He stopped wasting time then. Whatever game she was playing, he believed he’d already seen through it. “You think you can delay me? Expecting someone to come save you?” He barked out a bitter laugh. “If you’re waiting for Brad, forget it. If he made one move, I’d know. But he hasn’t.”
“So it isn’t Jaxon giving you orders,” Rylie said, her voice calm. “Someone even higher than him, then.”
Ronan’s jaw tightened. That line struck too close. For a second, he nearly answered her. He caught himself just in time. He pivoted fast. “You’re letting the fog mess with your head. The radios barely work tonight. Even my crew is grounded. No one’s coming. You think some rescue team could find you in this mess?”
Then he turned toward the children. “Lock them back up. Tonight, we harvest their organs. Toss what’s left into the sea.”
Ronan took a shotgun from his subordinate, loaded it in front of her, and cocked it. He aimed at Rylie, his finger on the trigger, squinting one eye. Finally, he asked, “As for you, Rylie. Do you have any last words?”
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Rylie’s gaze twitched as she stared past him into the fog. Something dark was moving closer.
Her tone stayed calm, almost too calm. “No. And what about you? Got any questions for me?”
Ronan didn’t want to waste a second, but the doubt had been eating at him. After a moment, he asked carefully, “You’ve been coming at me since day one. You stirred up that mess at the bar, destroyed the Wilde family, and shut down one of my best income streams. Then you tried to ruin my deal with the military. Now you’ve teamed up with Marsha to sneak on board and kill me. What did I ever do to you?”
He let out a bitter scoff. “This isn’t about money, is it? You’re already rich. You’ve got more than I ever will. Don’t tell me you did all this for Brad.”
Rylie’s smile was faint, but sharp. “Black Tiger. Remember him?”
That name made Ronan flinch. “You knew him?”
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