“You pissed off the wrong guy.”
Marc narrows his eyes. “What are you talking about? I don’t fucking know you.”
“Not me, jackass.” I glance beside him to see the girl still huddled behind the dumpster. I’m glad she hasn’t tried to run. There’s nowhere safe for her around here. “Ivan Pretova.”
Now Marc’s eyes go wide, and he struggles in my grip. “Oh, fuck no. You got it all wrong. I didn’t take the money. I just borrowed it, and I’m getting it back in the next couple of days. Swear. I just need a couple more days, man.”
“Not my decision.” I squeeze his neck until he coughs. “I’m just the messenger.” Raising my gun, I press the muzzle to his temple. “Normally, I wouldn’t take such joy in this, but watching you kidnap a child for fuck only knows what makes this a lot sweeter.”
“I wasn’t gonna hurt her.”
“Hurt comes in many forms.” I move my hand up to grip his chin harshly. “How old is she, you piece of shit?”
“Old enough to have hair on her snatch,” he snarls. As if that wouldn’t set me off.
I pull back and slam him against the wall, hard enough to make sure he knows he’s not walking away from this.
“I can give you the money,” he says, desperation bleeding into his gaze as he tries to catch his breath. “I still have some, and you can have it all.”
“I’ve been paid well for my services. Thanks, though. I’ll be sure to let Ivan know you offered.”
He starts kicking, which I expected. Even as his feet make contact with my thighs and shins, I hold steady, gazing into his terrified eyes. Generally I don’t pass judgment on my marks. I don’t really care what they did or didn’t do. I was paid for a job and I get my job done, but this guy? This guy deserves to die.
I could have fun and let him run, but I’d rather get this girl some help and get back to Cashmere, so I whisper “Night, night” and pull the trigger. The girl gasps, but when I look over at her, her head is bowed. Blood and brain matter splatter the bricks behind us, and I lift the target’s head to make sure he’s dead. His blank stare and gaping mouth make it very clear he’s no longer with us.
“Stay here,” I say to the girl as I drag the target’s body back to his car and leave him slumped in the front seat.
In this neighborhood, no one will dig too deeply into what happened. He’s in front of a known drug house, and apparently a sex trafficking spot. Did a lot of the heavy lifting for me.
I walk back to the girl to find her still shivering behind the dumpster. Peeling out of my trench, I wrap it around her.
“Come on.”
“Where?” she asks, gazing up at me with wide eyes.
“Safety. Do you have family or anything?”
She shakes her head. “Not here. My mom lives in Colorado.”
My jaw ticks as I lead her to my car. “How did you get here?”
She shakes her head again, clutching my coat around her shoulders. She’s barefoot and her blonde hair is a tangled mess. She’s wearing a tank top style dress and nothing else.
“I was invited to a party with some friends and this guy wasgiving us drinks and stuff. The next thing I know I wake up in the back of a van.”
“Alone?”
“No.” Her voice cracks. “There were two other girls, but I haven’t seen them again.”
“Do you know how long you’ve been here?”
She sniffs. “No, but it’s been more than two weeks. I was counting the moon, but I lost track.”
“Fuck,” I mumble. “Okay. I’m gonna take you somewhere you can get help. They can call your mom and get you some food and clothes. And you’ll be safe.”
She sobs, bowing her head. “Thank you.”
“Yeah.”
