The Sharpest Lies [Bucky x ReaderxSteve]

Forty-three

"You ready for this?" Steve asks as the two of them wait for the usual scan before entering Odinson's.

"How'd you know it was Rumlow?"

Steve sighs. "Remember how he lost Garrett more than once when you'd asked him to watch him?"

"Yeah, I didn't expect the kid to be wily enough to recognize he was being tailed let alone being able to skip out on it."

"Yeah," Steve draws the word out as he edges into the garage. "He wasn't. Rumlow tipped him off."

Bucky twists around in the seat and glares at him. "Excuse me?"

"Rumlow tipped Garrett off about the tail. Let him slip."

"Why am I just hearing about this now?"

"Because I only confirmed it an hour ago. Before that point it was just suspicions." Steve looks over to see the slitted eyes and winces a little. "Look, you know full well I never liked Rumlow, never trusted him. But you did. I figured since I trusted you, I'd go with your gut instead of my own."

He can't deal with this right now. Bucky closes his eyes briefly before stepping out of the car and watching as both Loki and Thor materialize from the gloom. "Is everything good to go?"

"It is," Loki confirms, his hands tucking into his pockets. "Your guest is set up in our finest room. And all accommodations have been set up."

"Perfect," Bucky says, moving past the brothers.

Steve follows close behind. Before Bucky opens the door to the room though, Steve rests a hand on his arm. "Buck."

"What?"

"What's the plan if he gives up the information we want?"

"The same as if he hadn't. No mercy, Steve." Bucky stares into Steve's eyes.

"No mercy," Steve echoes with a nod.

They enter the room together, eyes landing on the man restrained in the middle of the space with his chin slumping against his chest. He's in relatively good condition considering, just a split lip and the beginnings of a shiner.

Good. Bucky thinks, rolling his sleeves up before stepping into the pool of light. Steve wanders over to the metal table to inspect the various tools laid out in neat lines, while Bucky stops in front of Rumlow.

"Time to wake up asshole," Bucky says, tapping his fingers against the man's cheek.

Rumlow's eyes blink open, forehead wrinkling in confusion as he focuses on Bucky's face. "Barnes?"

The backhanded strike Bucky delivers is almost casual, but strong enough to have the man's head snapping to the side. He watches as Rumlow shakes his head a little before glaring back up at him. "Now, you're gonna shut up and listen for once Rumlow."

"What the fu–" This time it is a full fist that connects, snapping Rumlow's jaw shut so hard Bucky could hear his teeth clack.

"I said. Shut. The. Fuck. Up." Bucky punctuates each word with a blow before grabbing his hair and yanking his head up. "Are you listening now?"

Rumlow responds by spitting globules of blood at Bucky, which he ignores. But he doesn't say anything. Bucky nods and lets his head go. "You're gonna tell us where Garrett and John Walker are."

"Why would I know where they are?" Rumlow actually sneers.

"Wrong answer," Steve says, seconds before the knife plunges into the man's thigh and withdraws.