“Samuel, Samuel, Samuel,” Cash chimes as he steps toward him. “I gave you a get out of jail free card.”
The man edges back and bumps against the hot blond guy standing there. Disgusted, he pushes him back towardCash and rolls his eyes. I move to step out from behind Erick to get a better view, but he stops me.
“The plan was already in motion, sir,” Samuel, the thug, whimpers. “Please, I was leaving town like you told me to.”
“It’s too late for that, Samuel.” Cash’s face contorts in rage as he pulls his fist back and punches Samuel in the face. I grip onto Erick as he pushes me further into the corner and watch in terror. Samuel screams out and drops to his knees holding his mouth. “I warned you about him, did I not?”
“Yes, sir,” Samuel says, blood dribbling down his trembling chin.
“And yet you continued on with it,” Cash spits. “Because of you, Phil took two things very precious to me.”
Samuel registers Cash’s words and shakes his head. “He was only supposed to get the formula and leave.”
“Fuck the formula,” Cash shouts, and punches him harder than the first time. The sound of his fist meeting Samuel’s face has me shrieking. They don’t even look in our direction as Erick tries to calm me down. “He took Joseph instead,” he grits through his clenched jaw. “And my woman.”
Samuel jerks his head up, his eye already swelling. “I-I’m sorry.”
“You’re gonna fucking be by the time I’m done with you,” Cash snarls, grabbing thefront of his shirt and yanking him closer to his face. “How do you contact him?”
“He always contacted me,” he stammers. “The last couple of times he called me from the same number. Maybe he’s still using it.”
“Give me your phone,” Cash tells him, and Samuel hesitates. “Now!”
Samuel fumbles around as he pulls his phone out of his pocket. Cash rips it from his hand, and lets go of him, shoving Samuel to the floor in the process. He punches some buttons, and the sound of ringing fills the room. Erick puts his finger to his lips. Like I’m stupid enough to say anything right now. Cash resembles a wild man. I do not want to get on his bad side, not when his sexy enforcer is here to help him. Jesus, I’d hate to see what he would’ve done to him if Erick and I weren’t here.
“Samuel,” Phil’s voice comes through the speaker none too friendly. “What can I help you with?”
Cash grips the phone to the point of crushing it. “You can start with giving me back what’s mine.”
Laughter erupts on the other end of the line. It’s the most disturbing thing I’ve ever heard, and it sends chills through my body. It takes everything I have to keep my mouth shut and not scream at him to let me talk to Hazel. I bite my tongue and say a silent prayer for my best friend and Joseph.
“Ah, Cash,” Phil chuckles. “That was real funny. I’ve only taken back what you stole from me. Don’t think Ididn’t see your little love bites. As for Joseph, he seems to be enjoying his little shtick. Your precious Snap will be a bit different, though. Guess we will find out whose the public will like best, huh?”
“I want to meet,” Cash growls into the phone.
“I bet you do,” Phil growls back. “I’ll be in touch.”
“Wait,” Cash shouts, but the line goes dead. “Fuck!”
His furious bellow makes my body shake in fright. Cash grabs Samuel by the arm and drags him to the bathroom, where he shoves him inside and slams the door shut. The door knob squeaks under the force with which he grips it. After a few seconds, he releases it and runs his shaking, bleeding hand down his face. I’m not sure if it’s his blood or Samuel’s. He sits down on the couch and finally looks over at where Erick and I are wedged in the corner of the room, staring at him in shock.
“Sit down you two. I’m sorry you had to see that,” he states tiredly.
Erick doesn’t move, just watches the two men in the living room. I don’t blame him. The entire situation is fucked up. There’s a drug dealer sitting in Hazel’s apartment, and we don’t know what he plans on doing with us. I’m fucking petrified and assume Erick is too.
“Where’s the beer?”
I tear my gaze away from Cash and stare at the otherman, perplexed. He has nothing to say after all that except, “Where’s the beer?” Who the fuck is this guy, and does he have a heart at all?
“It’s in the fridge, Dale.”
Dale? Not a name I was expecting. Dale strolls into the kitchen and pulls one out of the fridge, twisting the cap open. Tilting his head back, he takes several pulls off the bottle, drinking half of it. I’m so sickened and intrigued by him that I can’t look away. When he brings his arm down, he catches me staring at him from behind Erick and winks at me. My eyes widen, and his lips spread over his face in a cocky grin before turning away. Bastard.
“Please, sit down,” Cash says again.
Erick edges away from the couch toward the door, pulling me with him. His attention never leaves Dale, who leans against the counter playing with his phone. Cash stares up at the ceiling in deep thought. It’s as though his world is crumbling around him, and he’s suffocating on the destruction.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea to stay here.”
