Spirit Bound - Christine Feehan [103]
Stefan yanked the broken wrist hard in instant retaliation. The scream was explosive, but muffled as Lev clamped his hand over the man’s mouth. Stefan stared down into the intruder’s eyes.
“You need to know something about me. I know more ways to inflict pain than any other man you will ever meet. We can do this hard or easy, but we’re going to do it. I was very gentle with you. Your name.”
“Mike,” the man mumbled. “Mike Shariton.”
Stefan tossed the camera to Lev. “Take a look.” He glanced down at the intruder. “See how polite I can be? I’m not giving you the opportunity to lie.”
Lev studied the images. “All the pictures are of Judith. The first ones were taken with you and Judith outside the gallery. He didn’t get a shot of your face, but they look . . . compromising.” He passed the camera to Stefan.
The photograph was taken when he was locking the gallery door, Judith’s body imprisoned between his body and the door. He handed the camera back to Lev.
“You work for La Roux.” He made it a statement.
Shariton didn’t respond, but the truth was in his eyes and his swiftly drawn breath.
“You sent those pictures to someone already, didn’t you?”
Shariton was a little slow in responding and Stefan went for his wrist, this time slower, giving the man time to think about how it would feel all over again.
“Yes. Yes. Last night. I sent them last night,” Shariton blurted out. “I was hired to take the photographs and send them to a man by the name of Badeaux, a guard at a prison in Paris. I send the pictures to him and he takes them to a prisoner.”
“Which prisoner?”
“Jean-Claude La Roux.”
Stefan hadn’t wanted to hear it, but he’d known the moment he saw the camera. “Maybe you should go on home,” Stefan said to his brother. “I’ll take it from here.”
Lev shook his head. “We have to turn him over to Jonas. I’ll have Rikki call him. They’ll get him on felony charges and . . .”
“He’ll be out of jail before the night’s over,” Stefan said. Go home, Lev. I can’t let this man threaten Judith.
If you’re serious about her, this is no way to start a new life. We’ll let Jonas handle it.
Shariton remained absolutely still as if he knew his life hung in the balance and it probably did. He was a petty criminal, but he’d been around men who were lethal long enough to recognize them.
“If we call the sheriff, you know he’s going to make bail.”
Lev nodded. “Exactly. And off the property. We can go hunting then.”
Stefan understood what Lev was doing immediately. Shariton was listening attentively. Fear had a smell and the man was perspiring profusely. Shariton knew nothing really. They couldn’t get much more out of him. He carried a gun, but he wasn’t very adept at using it. He was too scared to come back and retaliate against Judith.
“His gun’s over there,” Stefan indicated with a small nod of his head. “Let’s just get comfortable and wait for the law.” He nudged Shariton. “You can make bail, can’t you?”
Shariton stayed frozen, obviously too scared to move.
“What he’s saying to you, Shariton, is,” Lev added, looking right into his eyes, “own up to what you did here, and who you’re doing it for. Take a plea and you’re safe. If it goes any other way, nothing will stop us from hunting you down. Do we understand each other?”
Shariton nodded his head vigorously.
Jonas is a good man, but a hard-ass. He’ll come in by the book, red lights, guns, and he’ll take us down and check us for weapons. Walk away and stash whatever you need to, but make it far from here, because he’ll do a thorough search. We won’t have much time, Lev advised.
Stefan nodded. I was careful because I knew I’d be with Judith. Not much to find.
He left his brother with Mike Shariton while he slipped away from the area to rid himself of the knife concealed in his boot. The garrote sewn into his jeans wouldn’t be detected. He was much more reluctant to part with his favorite gun, but he wasn’t about to get caught with it on him and try to find a plausible explanation. Being armed would simply complicate matters.
Sirens in the distance told him it wouldn