“– I will be forced to fire you.”
“I won’t, Captain.”
“Sure, sure,” he says hesitantly. “Find out where that ruby came from, and you’ll have something more we can work with.”
Basically, find the victims. I have every intention of doing so.
Chapter Nineteen
Feenix Blaylock
“This is them?” I ask with my arms crossed over my chest.
In the condo, there are two crying people sitting on the couch. One scrawny younger man and one bony young woman. They’re naked, ready to record, and I’d bet my last dollar right now that they wish they were a couple of the ones who sold at the last auction. Death is probably better than what they’ll endure for the foreseeable future.
At least, they’ve been bathed. How? I don’t ask. Definitely not willingly once they learned why they were bathing in the first place.
By the entrance are two men who make sure they perform. If they don’t, well . . . someone from their families back home will die. It becomes their problem and not mine. It’s their choice in the end because I make them choose who dies. Their sister. Their brother. Their aunt.Their mother. It’s up to me to make damn sure that they put on a good show, and I’ll do it at any cost. I have someone to impress, after all. Someone I sure as shit better meet, eventually.
That someone is currently texting with Andre, who stands in front of the couch, snapping pictures of them. It’s Andre’s ticket for more money, a transfer of bodies because these two didn’t sell, and then it becomes my problem to make sure they’re worth keeping alive.
“This is them,” Andre says gleefully as I step up beside him. I don’t need to stand beside him to show that I’m in charge here, but I want to see the texting thread. Andre never has been good at hiding his screen.
I sneakily peek sideways, but there’s nothing to see when the screen sends the images. The images take up the entire text box.
The instant he closes out of the app, his phone rings, and nothing pisses me off more. I know exactly who is calling. I never get those calls. I get emails and texts, but that will all change soon. I still fully plan to take Andre’s job, be it by force.
Charlie.Her smile floats into my mind at the thought of the new position I plan to take.
What will happen with Charlie if I become head of that operation? I’ll have to leave her behind. Or . . .
Or, she could be the queen throned next to the king. Because I could . . . I could get her there. I could corrupt her enough to be by my side. It’ll take time and patience, but I’m a patient man when I want something bad enough. And this? Swaying her sweet heart to something darker and cold? Well, it happened to me. It can happen to her too.
Could I do that? Could I make her like me? Would I?
That thought swirls in my head as I absentmindedlylisten to Andre’s hums of confirmation. I’d love nothing more than to slit his throat and listen to gurgles instead.
Andre hangs up the phone and turns to me. “They’re all yours. Make it good.” As if we’re old friends, he pats me on the shoulder in congratulations.
I glare at his hand. “Don’t touch me.”
He drops it back to his side and smiles at me. “So spicy tonight. Is this job finally getting to you? I could take it off your hands. I do like myself some extra cash.”
“Do you like your balls where they’re at?”
“Yes, yes I do.” He cups them through his suit. “Did you plan to lick one?”
“I thought I’d save that for you when I cut them off and shove them down your throat.”
He tips his head back and laughs. “So many threats, but you have yet to deliver.”
My voice is deadly when I say, “The day I deliver is the day you’ll never see me coming. You’ll never know when your tailor might just” – I reach for him and make a motion with my fingers across his throat – “cut a little too deep.”
His eyes widen a little bit, but he gently shoves my finger away. “I’m starting to think you’re serious about having me killed.”
A slow smile spreads across my face, and I watch as his throat bobs a little. He has no idea just how serious I am.
When the air between us becomes charged with promises I plan to keep, he clears his throat and circles on a heel to face the two on the couch. They don’t speak English, so they probably had no idea what we were talking about, but I can certainly see the curiosity in the male’s expression.
