Page 16 of Savage Little Lies

“You’ve been dodging my calls for two weeks, Rafael. You know that I don’t like being ignored.” I adjust my cuffs as I close the distance.

Sweat shines on Rafael’s round face, his white t-shirt and black leather jacket stretching around his stout body. He swallows hard as I approach, his muscles growing tense.

“I’ve been…busy,” Rafael replies.

I motion for Cara to stay behind while I walk closer to Rafael, frustration already burning beneath my skin. This son of a bitch doesn’t have my money.

“We’ve done business together half a dozen times now. I came to trust you. I trusted you so much that I gave you an entire shipment of the finest product in this city without demanding full payment upfront for once. I believed you when you said that you would pay me the rest in the next two weeks,” I tell him firmly. “That was four fucking weeks ago.”

Rafael stiffens. “Business has been slow. Tourism is way down. My guys haven’t been able to sell it all yet!”

“I trusted you. That was my mistake.”

“I have almost half of what I owe you right here. I can get the rest soon,” Rafael assures me as he tosses the duffel bag toward me.

I look down as the bag lands at my feet. It appears far too light. “And wait another month for the last bit? No, you’ll get me the rest tonight or our business together is done.”

“Please, Dmitri,” Rafael begs me as he puts his hands together. “Just give me more time! A week! That’s all I need!”

I draw in a sharp breath through my nose, my fingers curling tight and firm. “Cara, Mr. Navaro has owed me two hundred thousand dollars for a month now. Should I give him more time?”

Rafael’s wide eyes dart to Cara, desperation written all over his face.

I look over my shoulder at my beautiful assistant to see her staring back at Rafael, an unreadable expression on her face.

She finally shakes her head before turning to me. “No, you shouldn’t. You’ve given him ample time to pay you back or at least come up with a payment plan.”

“I agree,” I tell her.

“Wait! Take my car!” Rafael blurts out as he digs his car keys out of his pocket and holds them out to me with a shaky hand. “It’s worth at least fifteen thousand! With the cash that’s ninety-five K!”

I glance at the emblem on the keys and scoff. “A Nissan? Really?”

Rafael looks at Cara. “Tell him it’s worth it! Please! You have to talk some sense into him!”

My temper snaps. I step toward Rafael so quickly and so aggressively that he stumbles back and falls on his ass. “What did you say?”

Rafael tries to scramble away, but I grab him by the front of his shirt and jerk him toward me. “Just give me some more time! You know that I’m good for it!”

“No, I don’t,” I snap at him. “I’m done waiting for my money. I’m not doing it anymore.”

Mercy is not something I’m capable of giving him or anyone ever. In this line of work, examples must be made, or else you’ll look weak. That’s when people think they can walk all over you.

Failures have severe consequences in my world. The men who do business with me know that from the start. Most are smart enough to honor our agreements.

Rafael grabs at my hand, trying to pry it off, but it doesn’t budge. “I’ll try for the end of this week! I’ll sell something! I’ll figure it out!”

I laugh and shake my head. “No. You’ll get me my money tonight, and if you don’t show up where I tell you to at the time that I tell you to, I’ll send my men after you. You know how that’ll end.”

Rafael grunts in pain as I tug on his shirt harder, making the fabric dig into his neck. “Tonight? That’s insane!”

“Cara, what do you think Rafael can get done in eight hours?” I ask her as my narrowed eyes burn into Rafael’s scared gaze.

“He could sell his car. If he finds the right buyer, they’ll give him cash the same day after inspecting it, which will barely be a drop in the bucket if there’s only eighty thousand in the bag,” Cara states. “Or he can stop being lazy and move the product you sold him or return it before you decide to add on interest.”

I look back at Rafael as a smirk crosses my face. She’s full of surprises. “You’ll get me the rest of my money or give me back my product by midnight.”

“That’s a lot of work to do in a limited amount of time,” he complains.