“No clue, boss. It was Charlie who snuck up on her. There was a shit ton of blood, so I assumed he hit her pretty hard.”
“Mm, head wounds always bleed a lot,” Lloyd mutters. “Wake her up.”
“Yes, sir.” Samson moves out of sight, and I hear a bucket clank on the bottom of a sink, followed by the sound of water running.
Shit. This is going to suck. When I said the Cursed Skulls trained me for every eventuality, I meant they literally did. I was subjected to it all: sleep deprivation, waterboarding, electrocution. Everything they could think of from their vastrepertoire of torture. Or they made me watch so I knew what to expect.
Still, being doused with a bucket of icy water has me gasping for breath.
“There she is.” Lloyd smirks. “Welcome, lovely Bee.”
“Not sure I’m a fan of your welcome,” I say dryly, blinking water from my eyes. I plant my feet on the floor to relieve the weight from my shoulders and wrists. “Do you mind telling me why you had your goons attack me?”
Lloyd chuckles darkly. “Still pretending you don’t know anything, eh? You took my guys out without batting an eyelid, so do you really expect me to believe you aren’t working for a government task force?”
A bark of laughter escapes me, and surprise flits across their faces as I shake my head, injecting truth into my voice when I say, “I don’t work for a government task force. As for taking out your guys, if you’ve checked me out, which I assume you did, I’m sure you know I have a military background.” I raise a brow at them as if I can’t believe they haven’t done their homework.
It’s bullshit. I’ve never been in the military, but Ramzi is skilled at what he does, and a quick search would lend credibility to my words.
“Mmm.” Lloyd walks closer and runs his finger down my cheek. “We did uncover that information but figured you’d been recruited.”
Throwing my head back, I let out another bark of laughter. “Why would I work for an organisation that hangs its soldiers out to dry when they leave?”
Lloyd’s gaze narrows on me for several seconds before he moves back to Samson’s side. “You know, I almost believe you. Everything you are telling me checks out, but there’s something about you, Bee. I think you’re lying to me.”
Shrugging as if I don’t have a care in the world, I say in a bored tone, “I can’t do anything about what you believe. I know what’s true.”
“We’ll see,” Lloyd murmurs.
He nods at Samson, who steps closer and slams his fist into my ribs.
I wheeze, gasping for breath. “What the fuck was that for?”
“Who do you work for?”
“I work for Carter Accounting.”
“See,” Lloyd moves closer again and lifts my chin with his index finger. “I don’t think you do. Too many of my shipments havebeen intercepted in the last few months, and I think you have something to do with it.”
He nods at Samson again, who lets fly with a volley of hits. I have to give it to the man; he knows precisely where to land a punch for pain value without causing too much harm.
When he finally stops, I sway on my feet, blood pooling in my mouth from a hit to the jaw. I spit the blood from my mouth, smiling as it lands on Lloyd’s shoe.
Locking my knees, I stand and look him in the eye. “I don’t know how you put two and two together and got five. I don’t work on your accounts.” And because I’m feeling bitchy and he’s pissed me off, my next words hit him where it hurts: his ego. “I work on accounts far more important than yours. I graduated from small-fry clients a long time ago—because I’m that good at what I do.”
Anger flashes across his face, and he growls, backhanding me hard across my face. His ring catches my cheek, tearing it open.
Throwing my head back, I laugh in his face. “Aw, did I hit a nerve?” I taunt. “Did you really think you were that important? Did it ever occur to you that maybe you have a mole in your organisation?”
Lloyd and Samson exchange a look that tells me they hadn’t considered that.
I smirk. “Tut-tut. First rule of business, gentlemen—if something is going to shit, chances are the leak is coming from inside your organisation. Seriously, it blows my mind how the fuck you’ve stayed in business this long. I’m baffled.”
Lloyd loses it again and punches me in the kidney. I gasp but don’t give him the satisfaction of crying out.
I really should shut up and stop poking at the beast, but I’m so fucking done with cocksucking wankers who profit from selling people.
I pray that the guys are nearly here; I don’t want this wanker slipping away. I need to keep him here, and if that means taking his punishment, I’ll keep pushing.
