Eddie flicked open a knife that he’d drawn out of nowhere. “Here’s the deal. You have one hour to bring the journal to my home.” He gave the address. “At the sixty-minute mark, at every sixty-minute mark, I’m cutting off a piece of your fiancée.” His smile was chilling. “Don’t worry. I’ll start with the pinkie fingers; it will take time to get to anything interesting.”

“I’m outside of DC and need to fetch the journal,” Raider countered.

Eddie eyed her, and she tried not to shake. “Fine. You have two hours. But I want to use my knife at least once.”

“I’ll be in touch.” Raider clicked off.

Brigid tried to hide her surprise. He’d just hung up? That was it?

“Cool son of a bitch, isn’t he?” Eddie slipped the phone back into his pocket.

“You should see him with a knife in his hand,” Brigid said softly. Raider would need to get on a plane right now to make it to Boston within two hours, and it would still be close. “Not an ounce of emotion, and yet . . .” She forced a shiver.

Eddie’s upper lip curled. “Nice try, sweetheart. Your boy might be dangerous, but no way does he let a sweet thing like you get near the action. Don’t try to play me.” He stood and grasped a blanket off the back of his seat to toss at her. “Your lips are turning blue. Warm up, and I’ll have dinner brought in soon.” He pointed to a remote control. “Feel free to watch television while you wait.”

She tucked the blanket around herself as if settling in and reached for the remote control. A large flat-screen television had been mounted on the wall between two sets of double doors that led outside to the wide lawn.

Eddie strode for the door to the rest of the house. “I have guards outside, and you won’t make it two feet. Be a good girl and stay inside.” He paused. “I don’t want to kill you, but I will. You should know that.” He opened the door. “I don’t enjoy the killing, but there’s something about releasing a soul that has always done it for me. I feel I capture a part of it somehow.” The door shut quietly behind him.

She shuddered. What kind of insanity lived in the well-dressed mobster? There was time to figure out that later. For now, she flipped on the television to a rerun of Parks and Rec and then set the remote to the side. There was no reason to try to go outside. Quietly sliding the blanket out of her way, she padded across the office to his desk and computer. Everything she needed was right there. Biting her lip, she got to work.

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen