The Scotch Series: The Complete Series (Scotch #1-3) - Penelope Sky Page 0,1

proportions. “You aren’t a child, Joseph. You understood what you were doing when you did it. Your only mistake was the idiotic belief that you could get away with it.”

He bowed his head, his chest moving at a quicker pace.

“I don’t accept your money. However, I’m going to let you go.”

Joseph raised his head slowly, his eyes meeting mine with incredulity.

I had the perfect compensation for what he had done, something you couldn’t put a price on. I had no remorse for what I had done. It was my responsibility to make an example of my enemies—and I did it well. “I’ve stolen something from you worth more than money. I’ve taken something innocent—something pure. And you’ll never get it back.”

Now Joseph began to shake for entirely different reasons.

“I’ve taken your lovely sister, London. Now she’s mine.” I tilted my head and watched his expression, knowing his reaction would be utterly priceless. “She’s on her way here now—to become my prisoner.”

Joseph’s jaw clenched before his eyes widened to the size of baseballs. He burst out of his seat like an angry bronco coming out of the chute. His forehead bulged with a thick vein and his face reddened to the color of a beet. “You motherfucker—”

Dunbar slugged him in the gut and slammed him back down into the chair. He punched him in the mouth for the insult he’d just unleashed my way. “Watch what you say to Mr. Donoghue. Might be your last words.” He stood behind Joseph ominously, his arms crossed over his chest.

Joseph clenched his jaw again, frustrated. He was completely helpless to do anything, and that made his rage burn more brightly. His only family member in the world had been taken from him, and he had to sit there and play nice.

I almost felt bad for him—almost. “Would you rather me kill you?”

For an instant, his anger vanished as he considered the question. “Absolutely.”

I cocked my head to the side, intrigued by the selfless response. Men like us used others as bulletproof vests, allowing a pile of victims to form around us so we remained untouched. But Joseph didn’t hesitate before he gave me his answer. “Then I made the right decision.”

The vein in his forehead bulged once more. His arms shook as he tried to break the chain of his handcuffs with only his strength. “She has nothing to do with this. Please, leave her alone.”

When I got the detailed report about London, I was impressed. At a young age, she was already a medical student at NYU. At the top of her class, she was expected to go far. The guys told me she was a looker, with deep brown hair and hazel eyes. So, she had brains and beauty. It really was a shame she would live out the rest of her life in chains. “You should have thought this through before you crossed me, Joseph.” I adjusted my watch on my wrist, feeling the smooth platinum with my fingertips.

“Cut off my hand, alright?” Spit flew from his mouth because he was talking so fast. “Just spare her.”

“Sorry. I have to make an example of the people who cross me. Every time they see London chained to the wall during a business meeting, they’ll think twice. When they witness her cruel treatment, her rags for clothes, they’ll know deception isn’t worth it.”

Joseph yanked on the chains again. “This isn’t right.”

“No, it’s not,” I said simply. Most things in life weren’t right. And it certainly wasn’t fair. Like everyone else, I’d suffered once upon a time. But I changed my future rather than accepting it. Everyone had the choice—whether they realized it or not. “I will take her when I wish. My men will take her if they so choose. Every night, when you’re sleeping in your warm bed, just know London is wishing for death.”

His face turned pale as the blood drained from it. Instead of being livid, he looked terrified. Knowing his sister was facing a lifetime of cruel punishment because of his mishap must have been the heaviest form of guilt a man could experience.

“I’m gonna let you go, Joseph,” I continued. “Your punishment will be to live. To live and know your sister’s life was taken because of your stupidity. If you try to save her, I’ll kill you. It’s as simple as that.” I snapped my fingers, cuing Dunbar into action.

Dunbar unlocked their handcuffs, letting their arms go free. Joseph massaged his wrists, which were red and sliced