CHAPTER 122: A WOMAN!!!

"What!" Howie snapped from behind him after a few seconds of watching Reddrick freeze without moving a muscle, his hands roaming over the unconscious figure on the floor. "Can you get on with it!" he snapped louder this time. As much as he was willing to kill the man, he had no intention of touching him, something Reddrick seemed to have no issues with. "You can touch him later! Just roll him up!" Howie barked, his frustration mounting as Reddrick completely ignored him, continuing to feel around the body sprawled before them.

A few moments later, Reddrick even took it a step further, beginning to unbutton the shirt. That was the final straw for Howie, who strode forward, ready to punch Reddrick back to his senses. But he stopped dead in his tracks when his eyes caught a glimpse of something unexpected. Beneath the unbuttoned shirt, there was a chest—scarless, pale, and unmistakably feminine. A bandage wrapped around it made it clear something was being concealed.

Reddrick froze too, his gaze locked on the bandage. Ignoring Howie’s protests, he began to unravel it. When the bandage fell away, the sight made Howie gasp in shock. The realization hit both men simultaneously.

"Oh, fucking jackpot!" Reddrick exclaimed, a lewd whistle escaping his lips as his gaze lingered on the woman’s chest. His excitement was palpable as he leaned closer, his hand reaching out to touch. But before he could make contact, Howie grabbed his wrist in a firm grip, stopping him.

"We need to report this to Lady Fiona. This changes everything," Howie said urgently, his voice low but insistent. His eyes flickered with unease as he stared at the body lying on the floor, unconscious and vulnerable. The implications were clear.

"She’s not just anyone," Howie continued, his tone now filled with a mix of fear and determination. "She’s a witch. And if the Lord is keeping a witch in his mansion—a place where their existence is banned—it means she’s important to him. Very important."

Reddrick scowled, shaking off Howie’s grip. "So what? Her eyes will fetch a fortune when we kill her," he said, though his tone lacked the conviction it held earlier. He stared down at the woman’s chest again, his lust briefly overriding his common sense.

Howie clenched his fists, trying to maintain his composure. "Listen to me, Reddrick. If Cain’s keeping her here, it’s not for nothing. Everyone knows he’s a pawn for Fiona’s father, but this—this could make her useful to Lady Fiona."

Reddrick raised an eyebrow, considering Howie’s words. "Maybe. But you can’t be sure," he said, his expression skeptical. For a moment, Howie was surprised by the semblance of logic in Reddrick’s response, nodding slightly in agreement.

"That’s why we need to report this to Fiona. Think about the reward we’d get," Howie urged, a grin spreading across his face as he imagined the possibilities. "We can’t kill her now."

Reddrick’s lips curled into a sly smile. "Kill her? Trust me, I’ve got no intention of doing that." His gaze returned to her chest, the predatory gleam in his eyes unmistakable.

Howie bent down, quickly covering the woman and wrapping her in the sheet. "We don’t have much time. We’ll move her to a different location first and figure things out from there," he said, his voice urgent.

But as he spoke, a faint vibrating sound cut through the tense silence. Both men froze, their attention snapping to Howie’s pocket. The phone he wasn’t supposed to have—a forbidden item within the mansion—had just buzzed.

"You can check that later!" Reddrick snapped, impatience lacing his tone. But Howie ignored him, pulling out the phone to read the message. Relief washed over him as he saw the words, though it was short-lived.

{Cain is back. Kill her and destroy the body now.}

The simple words sent a jolt through Howie, his pulse quickening as he reread the message. Reddrick leaned over his shoulder, his own face tightening with dread. Neither man spoke, but the unspoken weight of the order loomed heavy between them, suffocating any stray thought. Cain’s reputation wasn’t just built on strength—it was the ruthlessness he wielded without hesitation. Howie felt a bead of sweat trickle down his temple, his throat tightening as the implication of failure crystallized. The fear was mirrored in Reddrick’s eyes, though he tried to mask it with a grimace. "Shit," Howie muttered, barely audible, as they stared at the glowing screen, their fates now intertwined with the decision ahead.

The air grew thick with tension as both men exchanged a look. Fear flickered in their eyes. As much as they liked to badmouth Cain behind his back, they knew he wasn’t someone to cross lightly. He was dangerous, insane, and relentless. The very thought of disobeying him sent a chill down their spines.

"If we kill her now, we’ll never have enough time to clean up the traces," Howie muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. He glanced at Reddrick, whose expression mirrored his own apprehension. "Her blood... the smell... he’ll pick it up immediately. We’ll be caught."

Reddrick’s jaw tightened, his mind racing. "Then we don’t kill her. Not yet. We’ll clean ourselves up first and find a good time to come back." His voice was firm, though it betrayed a hint of panic.

Without another word, Reddrick turned and began to walk out of the stall. Howie hesitated for a moment before following, shutting the door firmly behind him. The stench of manure lingered, masking any other scent. The two men hurried away, their steps echoing in the quiet stable.

’Even if they notice she’s missing,’ Howie thought, trying to calm his racing heart, ’there’s no evidence she was kidnapped. They might think she just walked out on her own.’

Still, unease gnawed at him. He glanced back briefly at the stall, his mind racing with all the possibilities of what could go wrong. The woman’s unconscious face flickered in his thoughts, her identity now a dangerous secret he carried.

As they left the stable, both men knew they were walking a precarious line—and the consequences of failure would be dire.