“Why the fuck would I do that?” I spat back atLuca. The totality of my information was worth way more than ten grand. That’s not an offer I would ever take.
Lucashook his head, and I already knew I wouldn’t like what he was going to say next. “I’ll haveFrancesco,” he nodded towards the man holding a gun against my head, “call up your friend Ray, and tell him exactly where you are. I wouldn’t mind watching him drag you out of here.”
Lucawas bluffing; he had to be. But how did he know about Ray and thedeadline? The pieces came together.Before Ray had even counted the money last night, it was obvious that it would end in a beating.HadLucapushed Ray’s boss into putting pressure on me, so he could low ball me?
“Luc, I’m fucking warning you,” Sebastian snarled,hisfacedarker than I’d ever seen it.
“Sebastian, you should go.”Lucaturnedback to me.
Before Sebastian could respond I ordered, “Call him, I’m not telling you anything without a better deal.”
Lucastepped closer to me, and brushed a hair out of my face. My entire bodyfroze as if I’d just plunged into a -100 degree lake. I could hear a growl from Sebastian, but Luca didn’t turn away from me. Mymindached to break the tiny hand that touched me, but I couldn’t force my body to move. I was completely helpless.
“Fine, I’ll callRay,” Luca said,“Then he’ll take you away and teach you some manners. I’ll come find you in a week, and while I’m fucking you, you’ll be begging to give me the information so you-”
Sebastian’s fist connected withLuca’s face, and Luca fell to the ground, blood drippingfromhis busted nose. The trance I’d been under seemed to break as my jaw dropped open.
What the fuck? Was this some kind of twisted good cop/bad cop strategy? With a ferocity that surprised me, Sebastian threw himself on top ofLuca. The guard’s grip on me loosened as he stared at the fight betweenhis bosses. Luca’s eyes narrowed, and he threw a punch back at Sebastian. I glanced to my left; the man holding the gun was too busy watching Sebastian dodge his brother’s punch and pull Luca into a guillotine choke to be paying attention to me.
Before anyone could react, I grabbed the wrist of the guard to my left, and twisted. He screamed, and the gun fell out of his limp hand. I caught it and aimed it at Luca’s head.
Another gun was already aimed at my face, but now I finally had some damn leverage.
Without loosening his arm around his brother’s throat, Sebastian looked up at me.
“Put the gun down, Selene,” Sebastian said. No way in hell was I doing that.
Sebastian raised his eyebrows expectantly, but I just stared back at him. In what universe would I put my gun down? I wasn’t going down without a fight.
“Put the gun down Selene, and I’ll have my men get you the ten grand. I promise,” Sebastian said.
Did he think I was insane? After his brother had just threatened me like that, he seriously expected me to believe him? Like I could trust a word out of either of those men’smouths. I clicked the safety off the gun.
“Get me the ten grand now,” Isaid.
Chapter 17
Luca tried to thrash against his brother’s hold, but Sebastian dug his arm deeper into Luca’s throat. Sebastian nodded at someone behind me.
“Get the money,” Sebastian ordered.
A man behind me began whispering into his phone, but I kept my eyes and gun on Luca.
A few minutes later when telltale footsteps sounded behind me, Sebastian raised a hand up.
“Your money is here, Selene. Now just put down the gun,” Sebastian said.
“Count it in front of me.” It wouldn’t surprise me if there was a remote trigger bomb hidden insidethebag of money.
Sebastian nodded at someone behind me. A suited man stepped into my peripheral vision holding a blue duffel bag. He slowly unzipped it and began counting out hundred dollar bills. When he finished counting, I took a step towards the brothers. My gun remained pointed at Luca, and I could sense thereweremultiple guns pointed at me. A plan was becoming cemented in my mind. A very bad plan, but the only plan I could think of thatmightget me out of here alive.
When I was three feet away, Isaid, “Luca, stand up slowly.”
Sebastian released his grip on Luca’s throat. Before Luca could even begin to recover, Sebastian jumped to his feet and stepped towards me. Reflexively, I aimed the gun at his head. Damn it, my plan was already going awry.
“Put down the gun,”he said softly. And asmall part of me was tempted to listen to him. To trust him. To let him handle all of this.
Behind him, Luca gurgled and clutched his throat. And I was reminded why I’d been an idiot to ever trust Sebastian.I shook my head, and Sebastian took another step forward. He was only two feet away from me. I lunged forward, andforced the gun barrelagainst his forehead.
