Chapter 90Joe's POV
"You want answers? Fine. You'll be dead before you reach them. He's already here."
My blood turned to ice. "What does that mean?" I demanded, my voice razor-sharp.
The intruder gave a broken laugh, the kind that crawled under my skin. "You think you survived because you're lucky? You're alive because he wants you alive. For now."
My hand tightened around his throat. "Who is he?"
The man's voice dropped to a rasp, like a final confession. "You will get to know him soon. And he's closer than you think."
I slammed him once more, then let him drop to the floor like discarded trash. He wheezed, coughing up blood, but I didn't care. I turned to Lily, who stood wide-eyed, her face pale, her body trembling.
"Lily," I said, my voice low, almost urgent. "Stay behind me. Don't move until I say."
She swallowed hard, her hands shaking. "Joe… what if he's telling the truth?"
My eyes stayed locked on the bastard bleeding at my feet. "Then we make sure he regrets it.
