CHAPTERONE
Pure dumb luck can kiss my lily-white ass. A couple of times. Right after I’ve had a bad bout of diarrhea. Then possibly lick the toilet bowl I shit in. Without flushing would be best.
Yeah. I hate luck. It’s for pussies.
And luck is the only way I would get caught. Their luck, not mine.
Fucking hell…
“Ms. Megan Marshall?” A man repeated his words for the third time behind me. “I know it’s you. You can quit ignoring me. Also, I’d like to commend you on your ability to disappear without a trace. If my alcohol-happy friend, just outside the door there arguing with his general foreman, hadn’t wanted a drink—in the middle of the day, I might add—then I still wouldn’t have found you.”
And that was an affirmative. I hadn’t lost my touch for disappearing.
Excuse me, Luck? You can go fuck yourself.
A puff of air rushed between my teeth in annoyance. I pinched the bridge of my nose as I reluctantly turned around. Only the bar I worked behind separated two men from my annoyed glare. I attempted to keep the surprise from my features seeing who was across from me—it wasn’t hard. I was that annoyed…but I was a little hopeful now. They weren’t my father’s henchmen. In fact, the two men staring me down were the exact opposite in every way from the idiots my father would have sent.
I stopped squeezing my nose to place my hands on my hips and leaned forward in aggravation. My voice was pitched low as I growled, “I don’t go by Megan here… so keep it down.”
Mr. Wolfe Cooper of Cooper Corporation smirked. “What do we call you then?”
“Nothing.” I pointed at the front door with a sharp finger—to where there were, indeed, two men standing outside arguing. “You guys can leave. I already answered all of Mr. Baker’s questions to the best of my ability after I was kidnapped.” I tipped my head to the man in question sitting next to Mr. Cooper. Mr. Baker’s white military styled hair gleamed in the sunlight, making him no less menacing. “He even recorded it. I have nothing else to say to your fancy, little group.”
Fancywas a polite term for these men.
Typically, I would use: Conceited, Greedy, Dangerous, Rich.
Maybe even: All-Powerful. Their entire group of corporation heads was most definitely that.
They ruled the world. Classifying them was simple.
Even if Mr. Godric King of King Corporation had disappeared for the last month. If the gossip rags were correct, he was on vacation. But I called bullshit. No one in his position of power goes on vacation for that long—with only his corporate besties to back up his business. No way, no how.
That man was in some type of trouble. And these two across from me were covering for him.
But I didn’t give a shit either way. I wanted nothing to do with these men.
When they didn’t move from the bar stools, I wiggled my finger at the door. “Now who is ignoring whom? I’m done talking with you.” I grimaced and dropped my arms and hugged my chest. “And please forget you ever saw me here.”
This new job actually paid decently—all direct credits from the tips. Other than the construction of new buildings occurring outside the area on the outskirts of New City, it was an easy, entertaining job. My spirits had even started to lift when I was able to rent a small apartment directly in New City—instead of living in an alley two blocks away from work.
Mr. Baker didn’t smile. He only stared with cold eyes. “Are you sure you didn’t forget any pertinent information about your kidnapper? Anything at all that could help us catch him?”
Lowering my arms from around my chest, I leaned on the bar toward them. There was something in his voice. It was a little off. If I had to guess, it waspainpushing through his solid, frigid defenses. With a glimmer of curiosity leading my actions, I questioned, “Did something else happen?”
Mr. Cooper shook his head of gray hair. “No, nothing else.”
But Mr. Baker kept his eyes on mine. “Yes.”
His friend’s attention snapped to him. He grumbled in warning, “Finn—”
Mr. Baker lifted his hand to cut off his friend, not peering away from my person. “I answered you, Megan. Now answer my question.”
My lips pinched, and I shook my head softly. Sorrow actually squeezed my chest, making my shoulders hunch, since he was this hard up for information. Whatever else had happened must have been awful—and I had seen firsthand how demented my kidnapper was. “I’m sorry. I don’t have any other information to give you. I did tell you everything that day.”
He lowered his hand and nodded, his white brows furrowing. “I do appreciate that. And I am sorry if I frightened you. I’m sure that wasn’t pleasant after dealing withhim.”
I straightened and chuckled, shaking my head. “Yeah, you were an asshole.”
