Cross My Tigress Face the Wrath (Stella)

Barnaby was scared out.

Hull was usually the kind of guy who treated everyone around him with genuine kindness. Brotherhood was valued, and there was no doubt about it. But when he decided to go tough, he went damn tough.

Spooked out of his mind, Barnaby blurted everything out in a rush. After rambling, he pleaded repeatedly, "Boss, I swear I didn't mean to. I swear. I was just curious."

Silas was in shock. Was that supposed to be begging for mercy? It seemed more like he had a death wish.

Lucky for him, Barnaby hadn't dragged Silas into the mess, or he would've been toast too. As it stood, Silas was powerless to help. He finally understood the saying, "Loose lips sink ships."

Hull chuckled darkly, "Curious, huh?"

The word "curious," rolling off Hull's tongue, sounded all the more menacing.

Barnaby instinctively wanted to nod but caught himself in time, shaking his head vigorously, "No, no. I'm not curious. Not at all."noveldrama

Oh man, what had he just said wrong now? Why did Hull's tone feel even more dangerous than before? Never mind, he'd just keep quiet from now on. His mouth was trouble; speaking was a risky business.

"Boss, I'm not curious. I was just wondering if I could handle it myself."

Silas was aghast. He wanted out-out of that room, out of that situation. He couldn't stand listening to another word.

"Boss, I remembered some unfinished business with that guy. I need to go wrap it up." Not waiting for a response, Silas made a hasty exit.

He vowed that anytime Barnaby and the boss were in the same place, he'd steer clear. The risk of collateral damage was just too high.

Hull cast a sidelong glance at Barnaby, who quickly offered, "Boss, should I go help with the questioning too?"

He was desperate to escape! The tension in the room was suffocating, and his heart couldn't take much more.

Hull lit a cigarette from a pack, puffing thoughtfully. "What's your deal with Finley?" "Huh? We've got no deal, no ties at all."

Why did Hull suddenly ask about Finley? There was absolutely nothing between him and Finley. What was the boss getting at?

Hull smirked, "I think you two would make good brothers."

"But we aren't."

"You could be."

Barnaby was puzzled. What did Hull mean by "could be"? Either they were brothers or they weren't!

Hull continued, "Finley's heading to Muliba Desert in a few days. You should tag along. I think you'll get along just fine."

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Barnaby froze. His world had just shattered. He and Silas had been chatting about how terrifying the Desert was, and then Hull wanted to send him there.

Silas really had a knack for predicting these things, didn't he?

"I'm all for brotherhood but not keen on the Maliba Desert," Barnaby replied without a second thought. That intolerable place was not somewhere he wanted to be

His mention of brotherhood showed Barnaby hadn't grasped Hull's intention. He seemed to think Hull wasonly talking about becoming pals with Finley.

Hull eyed him silently.

Barnaby's voice faltered, "Boss."

Hull asked, "Why did I keep you around in the first place?"

What had made Hull decide to keep this nitwit close at hand?

Barnaby replied, "My shooting skills."

Hull nodded. "Right, that's it."

He remembered. Without that genuine talent, there's no way he'd have kept Barnaby nearby.

Meanwhile, Susanna rolled over in her sleep upstairs. Only to tumble right off the bed with a thud that left her dazed and confused.

She was known for being quite a restless sleeper. Every morning, the household staff had a guaranteed task: tidying Susanna's bed.

Every night, she'd climb into a perfectly made bed. By morning, her bedding looked like a tornado had hit it, with sheets strewn all over the floor.