Theirs, page 7
When we dug around and found out what’s been happening to Megan and how she knows Bill, I wished like hell I’d checked her out sooner. Especially when we all sensed she must have been working at the club because she was in trouble.
There’s not a damn thing I can’t dig up on a person, so I would have easily been able to confirm she was in deep shit. Deeper, I know, than she even realized.
Knox left me a few hours ago to come here while I did a bit more digging around.
I make my way to the living room and find Megan sitting in the armchair. Knox is on her left, stroking her neck while Cristiano hands her a cup of coffee.
Her eyes are red and swollen like little slits on her face. She tries to smile when she sees me, but it looks like it hurts.
“Baby,” I mutter, moving over to her. I crouch down and plant a kiss on her forehead. “Are you okay?”
“I’m okay.” Her voice is barely audible and shaky.
Cristiano looks at me and I nod, silently confirming I’ve done all I can for the moment.
He knows Megan was married to Hunter Reid, a motherfucker who we’re sure was killed by someone in the mob. He also knows the money he gave her went to Bill and everything else I found out is not good by any means.
Hunter was a sort of middle man—and spy—for a number of organizations, from the Bratva to the Cartel. Some of which were enemies to each other. So no fucking wonder his ass is dead. When things go wrong, men like Hunter are always the first to have a target on their backs.
We found out a lot, but we’d still like her to talk to us just to be sure we haven’t missed anything.
“I’m going to make breakfast in a few minutes,” Cristiano says to her. “Do you need anything else before I start?”
“No. Um… I know you’re waiting for me to talk and I should. It’s just difficult.” She looks at each of us, but her gaze settles on me. “I guess by now you probably know some stuff about me.”
The comment doesn’t surprise me. She knows I’m the tech in the group and probably guessed I’m only arriving now because I was checking things out.
“We do,” I confirm, tilting my head to the side. “It would be helpful to hear what you’ve been going through, but only if you can talk about it.”
“I want to. I just don’t know where to start.”
“How about with Hunter?” Cristiano suggests and she looks at him. It’s clear from the weary way she sets the coffee cup down on the table that her dead husband is her least favorite subject. “How did you meet him?”
“High school. I lost touch with him then we reconnected earlier last year. I was so happy to have him back in my life that I never questioned anything. He just wanted to hurt me.”
She takes a quick breath then tells us everything about Hunter, her marriage, the shit he left behind with Bill, and how she ended up at the club. We listen to her pour out her heart, watch her open up and trust us. By the time she’s done talking, I want to erase the pain I can see in her and fix her broken heart.
Most people know me as a killer and would be shocked to hear me voice these types of thoughts. I’m shocked at myself because I’ve never met a woman who could instill this type of feeling in me. A quick look at Knox and Cristiano and I know they feel the same. When you’ve been friends as long as we have, you know things without them being spoken.
So I know we each think of her as ours. Ours to protect, no matter how long we’ve known her.
“I’ve had a rough life and this just feels like another kick to push me down.” Megan dabs away the tears streaming down her cheeks with the heel of her hand.
I pass her some tissues and give her hand a gentle squeeze. I’m aware of the difficult life she’s referring to. In my checks, I found out about her mother’s death and her quest to find her stepfather. I haven’t told Knox or Cristiano about that part yet, but I will because I think I might be able to help her.
I know Gibbs, the PI she worked with. I contacted him earlier this morning and got the files he had on her stepfather. The fact that Gibbs has searched for him and failed to find him says a lot. Gibbs is industry best and widely used by a number of crime families in the Chicago alliance. However, I like to think of myself as a little bit more above board than Gibbs because I wouldn’t think twice about killing a man to get what I need.
“Let’s eat breakfast now,” Cristiano says. “Then Knox will go with you to sort out this thing with Bill.”
“Sort out?” Megan’s brows shoot up as she tries to process what he means.
“Yes. We’ll talk some more when you get back. Okay?”
“Okay… thank you. Thank you all.”
Cristiano looks over at me. “While they’re out, fill me in on everything else.”
“Of course.”
There’s a lot to tell him and more to sort out because it wasn’t Bill who killed Hunter. He just took advantage of the situation to cash in on Megan.
We have worse people to worry about.
11
CRISTIANO
“What else did you find out?” I keep my gaze fixed on Levi. We’re sitting on the terrace and I have the crisp morning air surrounding me, but I’m burning up with rage. I feel like an idiot for not doing my checks on Megan.
I don’t want to think about what could have happened last night if I hadn’t saved her. I was only on that side of the building because I’d run into Salvatore Giordano, Mimi’s husband. We had a brief exchange where we arranged to meet up and it was when he left that I heard Megan scream.
“It’s not good, Cristiano.” Levi bites the inside of his lip. “First of all, Bill was working with Sergei Baranov from the Korolev Bratva.”
“Fuck.” There are only certain Bratva brotherhoods we work with and the Korolev is not one of them. Mainly because they’re into the flesh trade and are a bunch of savages, who would kill their own mothers just to prove a point.
“Bill had no intention of releasing her from her debt. He had big plans for her.”
“Like what?” I ball my hand into a tight fist.
“He and Sergei planned to sell her. Sell her for sex until she’s all used up, then kill her and sell her organs.”
My chest tightens like a large hand is clamped around my lungs squeezing the air out of them.
“Last night happened because she paid all that money,” he adds. “He wanted her for himself, but he also knew that she could only get the sort of money she was paying from someone powerful.”
Fucking hell. “I’m going to have to make a few calls.” Because Sergei won’t speak to anyone in La Cosa Nostra, I’ll have to liaise with some of the Pakhans—Bratva leaders—I know in the alliance. Mikhail Dmitriyev is the Pakhan of the New York Brotherhood, so he’d be the best option, but I’m closer to Aiden Romanov, who leads the Voirik in L.A. Lucca Dyshekov is also in L.A. and another good option because of the work he’s done across the Bratva as a whole.
I’ll speak to all three of them and see who can help me the quickest. One or all of them will be close enough to Sergei to reason with him so I can get Megan off his radar.
“What about Hunter? Do you know who killed him?”
“No, but I have a few ideas. The week before his death, I found emails between him and a dealer from the Perez Cartel. He seemed to be arranging a drug drop, but he was going to steal a box of heroin from Xio Tanaka of the Yakuza.”
What a fucking idiot Hunter was. Chances are, someone found out about that drug drop. Did he seriously think he could steal from people like that? “So it could be the Yakuza?”
“It would make sense of the mystery around his death. If it were anyone in the Sicilian mafia, I would have known by now. Probably the same with the Bratva. But, I also saw messages mentioning people like Emilio Vittorio, Judas Kane, and Barabbas Ponteix. It seems Hunter stole from them too or fucked with their clients.”
My eyes go wide. Aside from Emilio, who is one of the leaders of the Camorra, the others work with terrorist organizations and motherfuckers who deal with anything black market-related. Essentially, people no one wants to fuck with. This could officially be above me, but I won’t allow it.
“This is fucking bullshit.”
“Yes, and you know how this works when serious money is owed to certain people.”
Yes, I know all too well how things work. There are those like Bill and Sergei who will strike at the first opportunity to recoup their debt. Even if the debt is a fucking dollar, they’ll take everything. Then there are others who feel like they’ve been wronged so severely that they’ll lie in wait until you have something they think will fully compensate them. They’re the ones to worry about because they do shit like kill your firstborn or massacre an entire family, or kidnap and torture you and the most vulnerable people you know.
“I’ll speak to Emilio,” I say, formulating a plan. Emilio Vittorio hates my guts, but he did business with my father many years ago. Hopefully, that will count for something. He also loves selling on the black market, so maybe I could kill two birds with one stone if he knows how to reach Judas and Barabbas. “You find a contact for the Perez Cartel and the Yakuza. Tell them Megan Porter is under my care and the protection of the alliance. She is not to be harmed in any way.”
Levi nods. Anyone who goes against that will officially start a war. I don’t know anyone who wants that because the threat of a war will fuck with business and allies alike, not just in the US but internationally.
“There’s one last thing.”
My interest piques. “What is it?”
“She’s been looking for her stepfather because she thinks he killed her mother.”
“What the hell?”
“I know. Her mother died of a heart attack when Megan was eighteen. Her mother was an actress and made quite a lot under her name. Megan’s stepfather took everything that belonged to his wife and Megan’s inheritance then disappeared.”
I grit my teeth when I think of what she must have gone through.
Levi pulls in a breath. “A friend of hers hired Gibbs to find her stepfather.”
“Gibbs?” I raise my brows. That’s a big name to know in our world.
“Megan’s friend is married to James Marchesi.”
That’s interesting. His family isn’t part of the alliance but is no less influential.
“I’m surprised they didn’t step in to help her if Megan is friends with them.”
“They don’t know what happened to Hunter and are currently in Italy. I went through Megan’s phone records from an old phone and looked over her text messages. It seems she fell out with her friend over Hunter. Her friend tried to warn her about him, but Megan didn’t listen.”
I understand now.
“Gibbs wasn’t able to find Megan’s stepfather, but I think I can.”
“Really?”
“I have a few things I know Gibbs wouldn’t try and I have my ways.”
“Okay. Let’s get this done.” Everything else will have to wait.
Including me.
12
MEGAN
My nerves spike as Knox and I pull up outside Bill’s shop.
I’m terrified of this confrontation and don’t know what to expect.
“Hey.” Knox brushes his hand over mine. The gentle touch soothes me and I’m reminded that I’m safe. “Don’t be afraid.”
“I’m trying not to be.” I keep replaying last night over and over in my mind. Each time I do, it drains me.
“I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”
“Thank you.” I can’t stop saying those words.
“Come, let’s get this done.” Knox's smile brightens and I summon courage.
We get out of his car and people look as we proceed up the path. When a man does a U-turn at the sight of Knox with the fear of God on his face, I feel safer.
As we walk into Bill’s shop, the men inside look like they’re going to shit themselves. One of them reaches for the phone but freezes when Knox takes out his gun and aims it at him.
“Don’t even fucking think about picking up that phone.” Knox’s voice echoes around the room. “Is Bill in his office?”
“Yes.” The guy nods.
“Perfect.”
Taking my arm, Knox keeps me close and shields me with his body while we make our way to Bill’s office.
When we get there, Knox doesn’t bother to knock. He just kicks the door in, startling Bill, who is sitting behind his desk, counting out his money.
Terror fills every inch of his face when he sees Knox. Then his terror is replaced with regret, which deepens when his eyes dart to me.
“Bill Rodriguez, look at you. How you been?” Knox’s voice is silky smooth and casual as if he’s greeting someone in passing on a leisurely Sunday walk in the park.
“Knox, I… um. Well… I’ve just been here.” Bill is stuttering.
My God in heaven, I never thought I’d live to see the day when Big Bad Bill looks like he’s ready to shit himself.
“I heard my girl here was nearly kidnapped last night by your guys.”
Bill’s dark brows fly into his hairline. “Your girl?”
His girl?
Even I have to look at Knox as raw surprise wracks my brain.
“My girl.” He doesn’t look at me as he gives the confirmation, but I notice how easily he speaks. The gesture touches my heart with that warmth of comfort I haven’t felt in a long time.
“I didn’t know she was yours.” Bill rests a trembling hand on his desk.
“That’s no excuse.” Knox waves his gun toward Bill. “So I’m not sure you should get to live.”
“What do you want?” Bill stutters, his gaze unwavering.
“You’re going to give back every motherfucking cent that you took from her.”
My eyes bulge so wide I fear they might pop out of my head. This was what sorting Bill out meant. Giving me back all the money that I paid. My breathing slows as retribution fills me and I reflect on the injustice I’ve suffered at the hands of this man.
Bill shakes his head and the tremor in his hands infects the rest of his body. “I have other people tied up in that money.”
Knox issues him with a ruthless grin. “You mean like Sergei?”
Bill’s dark skin pales at the mention of that name.
I have no idea who Sergei is, but if hearing his name can produce such an effect in Bill, I can only assume he must be someone more dangerous. Another man I shouldn’t know about.
“Who is that?” I ask, finding my voice.
“Sergei is the Russian mafia leader Bill works for.” Knox switches his gaze from Bill to me and the hardness in his eyes fades momentarily, revealing a glimpse of the compassionate side of him I’ve grown used to. “They were going to sell you on the human market as a sex slave then sell your organs when there was no more use for you.”
Sheer black fright races over my body and I turn back to Bill. Last night made it clear my debt would never be repaid but hearing this…
Jesus. What a fucking asshole. Bill was going to sell me. Sell me and my organs. My God. How evil can one person be?
But this is my fault again. My fault for getting mixed up with Hunter.
“You fucking bastard.” The words fly out of my mouth as if they have a life of their own. “I hope you rot in hell.”
“Oh, he will. Rest assured.” Knox’s voice takes on a singsong edge. “Bill, I suggest you do as I say. Pay her the money, or you’re dead. You and I both know Hunter forged Megan’s signature. You personally oversee all contracts. So you would have known she didn’t sign anything because you were with Hunter when he set everything up.”
What a despicable man. I remember how I begged him not to involve me in this. I pleaded with him, telling him there had been a terrible mistake, but he wouldn’t listen. Of course not, because he saw me as a means to getting his repayment.
Bill’s gaze flicks to mine for a moment, but then he returns his focus to Knox, probably thinking it’s not wise to look away from him.
“Pay the fuck up. Now. Or this will be your last moment on earth.” Knox cocks the hammer on his gun.
“I’ll pay.” Bill nods quickly, his head bobbing like it’s attached to a bouncy spring.
Knox walks over to Bill as he starts tapping away at the keyboard of his computer.
Within two minutes, Bill announces he’s repaid me all the money he took and didn’t cash the check from yesterday.
“You forgot the interest.” Knox taps the end of his gun to Bill’s head.
I’m shocked enough as it is, getting my money back, but having interest as well makes me feel more redeemed.
“I think thirty percent interest sounds reasonable.” A low chuckle rumbles in Knox’s chest.
Bill clicks on the keyboard without argument, but the beads of sweat running down his horrid face shows his inner turmoil. “It’s done. She has her money with interest.”
Knox lowers his gun and dips his head. “Wonderful, now don’t you ever fuck with me and mine again. Do it and you’re dead. From this day onwards, you will forget you know Megan Porter. You will erase her name and details from your system and you will never see her again. Cross me and I’ll shoot your dick off, then feed it to you before I kill your ass. Capisce?”
“Capisce.”
“Good.”
Knox returns to me, slips an arm around my trembling shoulders and shepherds me back to the car. The realization of my freedom hits as we get in and tears stream down my cheeks.
Knox brushes his finger over my cheek and cups my face. The warmth and comfort of his touch moves me into his arms and tears flow from my eyes like a river that’s just broken through a dam.
“Thank you so much. You have no idea what I’ve been through and how scared I’ve been.”
Knox pulls away a little so he can stare at me. “You are more than welcome.”
“He was going to sell me, Knox.” I sound raspy, choked with my tears. “Me.”
He nods.
After what happened last night, I knew they would do their checks on me, but I never expected that type of shit to be unearthed. I was in way over my head and I didn’t even know. I feel so foolish to have thought I had a handle on things. God knows what other dirty shit Knox and the others must have found on Hunter. I could see on their faces there was more.
There’s not a damn thing I can’t dig up on a person, so I would have easily been able to confirm she was in deep shit. Deeper, I know, than she even realized.
Knox left me a few hours ago to come here while I did a bit more digging around.
I make my way to the living room and find Megan sitting in the armchair. Knox is on her left, stroking her neck while Cristiano hands her a cup of coffee.
Her eyes are red and swollen like little slits on her face. She tries to smile when she sees me, but it looks like it hurts.
“Baby,” I mutter, moving over to her. I crouch down and plant a kiss on her forehead. “Are you okay?”
“I’m okay.” Her voice is barely audible and shaky.
Cristiano looks at me and I nod, silently confirming I’ve done all I can for the moment.
He knows Megan was married to Hunter Reid, a motherfucker who we’re sure was killed by someone in the mob. He also knows the money he gave her went to Bill and everything else I found out is not good by any means.
Hunter was a sort of middle man—and spy—for a number of organizations, from the Bratva to the Cartel. Some of which were enemies to each other. So no fucking wonder his ass is dead. When things go wrong, men like Hunter are always the first to have a target on their backs.
We found out a lot, but we’d still like her to talk to us just to be sure we haven’t missed anything.
“I’m going to make breakfast in a few minutes,” Cristiano says to her. “Do you need anything else before I start?”
“No. Um… I know you’re waiting for me to talk and I should. It’s just difficult.” She looks at each of us, but her gaze settles on me. “I guess by now you probably know some stuff about me.”
The comment doesn’t surprise me. She knows I’m the tech in the group and probably guessed I’m only arriving now because I was checking things out.
“We do,” I confirm, tilting my head to the side. “It would be helpful to hear what you’ve been going through, but only if you can talk about it.”
“I want to. I just don’t know where to start.”
“How about with Hunter?” Cristiano suggests and she looks at him. It’s clear from the weary way she sets the coffee cup down on the table that her dead husband is her least favorite subject. “How did you meet him?”
“High school. I lost touch with him then we reconnected earlier last year. I was so happy to have him back in my life that I never questioned anything. He just wanted to hurt me.”
She takes a quick breath then tells us everything about Hunter, her marriage, the shit he left behind with Bill, and how she ended up at the club. We listen to her pour out her heart, watch her open up and trust us. By the time she’s done talking, I want to erase the pain I can see in her and fix her broken heart.
Most people know me as a killer and would be shocked to hear me voice these types of thoughts. I’m shocked at myself because I’ve never met a woman who could instill this type of feeling in me. A quick look at Knox and Cristiano and I know they feel the same. When you’ve been friends as long as we have, you know things without them being spoken.
So I know we each think of her as ours. Ours to protect, no matter how long we’ve known her.
“I’ve had a rough life and this just feels like another kick to push me down.” Megan dabs away the tears streaming down her cheeks with the heel of her hand.
I pass her some tissues and give her hand a gentle squeeze. I’m aware of the difficult life she’s referring to. In my checks, I found out about her mother’s death and her quest to find her stepfather. I haven’t told Knox or Cristiano about that part yet, but I will because I think I might be able to help her.
I know Gibbs, the PI she worked with. I contacted him earlier this morning and got the files he had on her stepfather. The fact that Gibbs has searched for him and failed to find him says a lot. Gibbs is industry best and widely used by a number of crime families in the Chicago alliance. However, I like to think of myself as a little bit more above board than Gibbs because I wouldn’t think twice about killing a man to get what I need.
“Let’s eat breakfast now,” Cristiano says. “Then Knox will go with you to sort out this thing with Bill.”
“Sort out?” Megan’s brows shoot up as she tries to process what he means.
“Yes. We’ll talk some more when you get back. Okay?”
“Okay… thank you. Thank you all.”
Cristiano looks over at me. “While they’re out, fill me in on everything else.”
“Of course.”
There’s a lot to tell him and more to sort out because it wasn’t Bill who killed Hunter. He just took advantage of the situation to cash in on Megan.
We have worse people to worry about.
11
CRISTIANO
“What else did you find out?” I keep my gaze fixed on Levi. We’re sitting on the terrace and I have the crisp morning air surrounding me, but I’m burning up with rage. I feel like an idiot for not doing my checks on Megan.
I don’t want to think about what could have happened last night if I hadn’t saved her. I was only on that side of the building because I’d run into Salvatore Giordano, Mimi’s husband. We had a brief exchange where we arranged to meet up and it was when he left that I heard Megan scream.
“It’s not good, Cristiano.” Levi bites the inside of his lip. “First of all, Bill was working with Sergei Baranov from the Korolev Bratva.”
“Fuck.” There are only certain Bratva brotherhoods we work with and the Korolev is not one of them. Mainly because they’re into the flesh trade and are a bunch of savages, who would kill their own mothers just to prove a point.
“Bill had no intention of releasing her from her debt. He had big plans for her.”
“Like what?” I ball my hand into a tight fist.
“He and Sergei planned to sell her. Sell her for sex until she’s all used up, then kill her and sell her organs.”
My chest tightens like a large hand is clamped around my lungs squeezing the air out of them.
“Last night happened because she paid all that money,” he adds. “He wanted her for himself, but he also knew that she could only get the sort of money she was paying from someone powerful.”
Fucking hell. “I’m going to have to make a few calls.” Because Sergei won’t speak to anyone in La Cosa Nostra, I’ll have to liaise with some of the Pakhans—Bratva leaders—I know in the alliance. Mikhail Dmitriyev is the Pakhan of the New York Brotherhood, so he’d be the best option, but I’m closer to Aiden Romanov, who leads the Voirik in L.A. Lucca Dyshekov is also in L.A. and another good option because of the work he’s done across the Bratva as a whole.
I’ll speak to all three of them and see who can help me the quickest. One or all of them will be close enough to Sergei to reason with him so I can get Megan off his radar.
“What about Hunter? Do you know who killed him?”
“No, but I have a few ideas. The week before his death, I found emails between him and a dealer from the Perez Cartel. He seemed to be arranging a drug drop, but he was going to steal a box of heroin from Xio Tanaka of the Yakuza.”
What a fucking idiot Hunter was. Chances are, someone found out about that drug drop. Did he seriously think he could steal from people like that? “So it could be the Yakuza?”
“It would make sense of the mystery around his death. If it were anyone in the Sicilian mafia, I would have known by now. Probably the same with the Bratva. But, I also saw messages mentioning people like Emilio Vittorio, Judas Kane, and Barabbas Ponteix. It seems Hunter stole from them too or fucked with their clients.”
My eyes go wide. Aside from Emilio, who is one of the leaders of the Camorra, the others work with terrorist organizations and motherfuckers who deal with anything black market-related. Essentially, people no one wants to fuck with. This could officially be above me, but I won’t allow it.
“This is fucking bullshit.”
“Yes, and you know how this works when serious money is owed to certain people.”
Yes, I know all too well how things work. There are those like Bill and Sergei who will strike at the first opportunity to recoup their debt. Even if the debt is a fucking dollar, they’ll take everything. Then there are others who feel like they’ve been wronged so severely that they’ll lie in wait until you have something they think will fully compensate them. They’re the ones to worry about because they do shit like kill your firstborn or massacre an entire family, or kidnap and torture you and the most vulnerable people you know.
“I’ll speak to Emilio,” I say, formulating a plan. Emilio Vittorio hates my guts, but he did business with my father many years ago. Hopefully, that will count for something. He also loves selling on the black market, so maybe I could kill two birds with one stone if he knows how to reach Judas and Barabbas. “You find a contact for the Perez Cartel and the Yakuza. Tell them Megan Porter is under my care and the protection of the alliance. She is not to be harmed in any way.”
Levi nods. Anyone who goes against that will officially start a war. I don’t know anyone who wants that because the threat of a war will fuck with business and allies alike, not just in the US but internationally.
“There’s one last thing.”
My interest piques. “What is it?”
“She’s been looking for her stepfather because she thinks he killed her mother.”
“What the hell?”
“I know. Her mother died of a heart attack when Megan was eighteen. Her mother was an actress and made quite a lot under her name. Megan’s stepfather took everything that belonged to his wife and Megan’s inheritance then disappeared.”
I grit my teeth when I think of what she must have gone through.
Levi pulls in a breath. “A friend of hers hired Gibbs to find her stepfather.”
“Gibbs?” I raise my brows. That’s a big name to know in our world.
“Megan’s friend is married to James Marchesi.”
That’s interesting. His family isn’t part of the alliance but is no less influential.
“I’m surprised they didn’t step in to help her if Megan is friends with them.”
“They don’t know what happened to Hunter and are currently in Italy. I went through Megan’s phone records from an old phone and looked over her text messages. It seems she fell out with her friend over Hunter. Her friend tried to warn her about him, but Megan didn’t listen.”
I understand now.
“Gibbs wasn’t able to find Megan’s stepfather, but I think I can.”
“Really?”
“I have a few things I know Gibbs wouldn’t try and I have my ways.”
“Okay. Let’s get this done.” Everything else will have to wait.
Including me.
12
MEGAN
My nerves spike as Knox and I pull up outside Bill’s shop.
I’m terrified of this confrontation and don’t know what to expect.
“Hey.” Knox brushes his hand over mine. The gentle touch soothes me and I’m reminded that I’m safe. “Don’t be afraid.”
“I’m trying not to be.” I keep replaying last night over and over in my mind. Each time I do, it drains me.
“I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”
“Thank you.” I can’t stop saying those words.
“Come, let’s get this done.” Knox's smile brightens and I summon courage.
We get out of his car and people look as we proceed up the path. When a man does a U-turn at the sight of Knox with the fear of God on his face, I feel safer.
As we walk into Bill’s shop, the men inside look like they’re going to shit themselves. One of them reaches for the phone but freezes when Knox takes out his gun and aims it at him.
“Don’t even fucking think about picking up that phone.” Knox’s voice echoes around the room. “Is Bill in his office?”
“Yes.” The guy nods.
“Perfect.”
Taking my arm, Knox keeps me close and shields me with his body while we make our way to Bill’s office.
When we get there, Knox doesn’t bother to knock. He just kicks the door in, startling Bill, who is sitting behind his desk, counting out his money.
Terror fills every inch of his face when he sees Knox. Then his terror is replaced with regret, which deepens when his eyes dart to me.
“Bill Rodriguez, look at you. How you been?” Knox’s voice is silky smooth and casual as if he’s greeting someone in passing on a leisurely Sunday walk in the park.
“Knox, I… um. Well… I’ve just been here.” Bill is stuttering.
My God in heaven, I never thought I’d live to see the day when Big Bad Bill looks like he’s ready to shit himself.
“I heard my girl here was nearly kidnapped last night by your guys.”
Bill’s dark brows fly into his hairline. “Your girl?”
His girl?
Even I have to look at Knox as raw surprise wracks my brain.
“My girl.” He doesn’t look at me as he gives the confirmation, but I notice how easily he speaks. The gesture touches my heart with that warmth of comfort I haven’t felt in a long time.
“I didn’t know she was yours.” Bill rests a trembling hand on his desk.
“That’s no excuse.” Knox waves his gun toward Bill. “So I’m not sure you should get to live.”
“What do you want?” Bill stutters, his gaze unwavering.
“You’re going to give back every motherfucking cent that you took from her.”
My eyes bulge so wide I fear they might pop out of my head. This was what sorting Bill out meant. Giving me back all the money that I paid. My breathing slows as retribution fills me and I reflect on the injustice I’ve suffered at the hands of this man.
Bill shakes his head and the tremor in his hands infects the rest of his body. “I have other people tied up in that money.”
Knox issues him with a ruthless grin. “You mean like Sergei?”
Bill’s dark skin pales at the mention of that name.
I have no idea who Sergei is, but if hearing his name can produce such an effect in Bill, I can only assume he must be someone more dangerous. Another man I shouldn’t know about.
“Who is that?” I ask, finding my voice.
“Sergei is the Russian mafia leader Bill works for.” Knox switches his gaze from Bill to me and the hardness in his eyes fades momentarily, revealing a glimpse of the compassionate side of him I’ve grown used to. “They were going to sell you on the human market as a sex slave then sell your organs when there was no more use for you.”
Sheer black fright races over my body and I turn back to Bill. Last night made it clear my debt would never be repaid but hearing this…
Jesus. What a fucking asshole. Bill was going to sell me. Sell me and my organs. My God. How evil can one person be?
But this is my fault again. My fault for getting mixed up with Hunter.
“You fucking bastard.” The words fly out of my mouth as if they have a life of their own. “I hope you rot in hell.”
“Oh, he will. Rest assured.” Knox’s voice takes on a singsong edge. “Bill, I suggest you do as I say. Pay her the money, or you’re dead. You and I both know Hunter forged Megan’s signature. You personally oversee all contracts. So you would have known she didn’t sign anything because you were with Hunter when he set everything up.”
What a despicable man. I remember how I begged him not to involve me in this. I pleaded with him, telling him there had been a terrible mistake, but he wouldn’t listen. Of course not, because he saw me as a means to getting his repayment.
Bill’s gaze flicks to mine for a moment, but then he returns his focus to Knox, probably thinking it’s not wise to look away from him.
“Pay the fuck up. Now. Or this will be your last moment on earth.” Knox cocks the hammer on his gun.
“I’ll pay.” Bill nods quickly, his head bobbing like it’s attached to a bouncy spring.
Knox walks over to Bill as he starts tapping away at the keyboard of his computer.
Within two minutes, Bill announces he’s repaid me all the money he took and didn’t cash the check from yesterday.
“You forgot the interest.” Knox taps the end of his gun to Bill’s head.
I’m shocked enough as it is, getting my money back, but having interest as well makes me feel more redeemed.
“I think thirty percent interest sounds reasonable.” A low chuckle rumbles in Knox’s chest.
Bill clicks on the keyboard without argument, but the beads of sweat running down his horrid face shows his inner turmoil. “It’s done. She has her money with interest.”
Knox lowers his gun and dips his head. “Wonderful, now don’t you ever fuck with me and mine again. Do it and you’re dead. From this day onwards, you will forget you know Megan Porter. You will erase her name and details from your system and you will never see her again. Cross me and I’ll shoot your dick off, then feed it to you before I kill your ass. Capisce?”
“Capisce.”
“Good.”
Knox returns to me, slips an arm around my trembling shoulders and shepherds me back to the car. The realization of my freedom hits as we get in and tears stream down my cheeks.
Knox brushes his finger over my cheek and cups my face. The warmth and comfort of his touch moves me into his arms and tears flow from my eyes like a river that’s just broken through a dam.
“Thank you so much. You have no idea what I’ve been through and how scared I’ve been.”
Knox pulls away a little so he can stare at me. “You are more than welcome.”
“He was going to sell me, Knox.” I sound raspy, choked with my tears. “Me.”
He nods.
After what happened last night, I knew they would do their checks on me, but I never expected that type of shit to be unearthed. I was in way over my head and I didn’t even know. I feel so foolish to have thought I had a handle on things. God knows what other dirty shit Knox and the others must have found on Hunter. I could see on their faces there was more.
