Chapter 47 #2
“I can get each of you a gun like that.”
Creed’s offer had all the men’s eyes on him.
From his expression, Link wasn’t taking the bait. Chris, however, looked excited, and Tripp was too busy examining the gun he had claimed as his. He didn’t care if the other two got one.
“Do I look stupid?”
Sage really wanted to answer that question but wanted to live more. Creed must not have felt the same hesitation.
“Show me how smart you are, Link. How much money are you getting paid to kill Sage?”
“Like I’ll tell you,” Link snarled.
“Why not? Afraid of letting your buddies know you made a bad deal?”
“Fifty grand! Does that sound stupid to you?”
Creed seemed to mull the price over. “Just for hit on Sage, or both of us?”
“You weren’t supposed to be here, but he said if anyone else had to be taken out, he’d jack the price up to fifty each.”
“I guess you’re not as stupid as I thought. That’s a fair price … for an amateur.”
“I’m no amateur. I’ve taken plenty of people out.”
“Then you got short-changed. Professionals charge at least a hundred grand, if they’re good. I can make up the difference.”
Link’s dull eyes grew interested.
“I can give each of you three hundred grand. You can pack your bags and leave Kansas City.”
“I like that deal, Link,” Chris spoke up.
“We aren’t taking his deal.” Link smirked. “I can come up with a better deal. You and Tripp take big talker here to the ATM at the bank down the block, and he can bring us that three hundred grand. I’ll stay here and keep Sage company.”
“I’m afraid that doesn’t work for me. Since you probably have never had enough money to have an account, ATMs don’t give out amounts above five hundred dollars.”
Tripp shoved Chris when he tried to take the gun out of his hand. “Shit, five hundred isn’t worth me walking down the steps.”
Link shrugged. “I’m good at making the hundred grand, and I can stay home.”
“Link, where is Tayla?” Sage asked, fear for her friend overriding her fear of Link.
“She’s in the bathroom, like she told you. The bitch didn’t want to lie to you, so I made it where she didn’t have to.”
“I want to go check on her … is that okay?”
“Sure.” Link used his gun to motion where he wanted Creed to go. “Go sit on the couch.”
“I could use a glass of water, if you don’t mind.”
“Chris, go get him a glass of water. It’ll give him something to do while I go fuck his bitch.”
Chris went into the kitchen at the same time Creed took her arm, leading her to the couch, turning his back on the men still standing in the doorway.
If she hadn’t turned to look over her shoulder to see the men’s reaction of Creed taking her with him, she would have missed Creed pulling out another gun from his side waistband.
In one sharp move, he pushed her toward the couch as he spun around and pulled the trigger.
Turning her face on the couch cushion, she saw Link holding his bloody hand up, the hand that had been holding the gun, and Tripp lying on the ground, unmoving.
“Shit.” Chris came running from the kitchen, waving his gun shakingly. “What …?”
Creed fired his gun again, sending Chris falling back against wall. His lifeless eyes stared at her as he slid down the wall with a bullet hole in the middle of his forehead.
Another shot went off. Sage looked back to Creed to see who he was shooting at and saw Link holding his bloody knee.
“You try to touch that gun again, I’ll aim higher,” Creed coldly threatened as he went to gather Chris’ gun before moving to pick up the two guns Tripp had.
Squatting down next to Link, he removed the gun lying next to him. Then he stood up and laid the guns on the coffee table, leaving the one he had taken from his waistband still in his hand.
“You okay, Sage?”
“Yes.” Sitting up, she stared at the carnage in the room.
“The security detail should be here any minute.”
“How do they know to come?”
“I told them I would text them if everything was okay. I never texted.”
“Can I go check on Tayla?”
“Sorry, baby, you’re going to stay where I can see you until they get here.”
Creed walked back over to Link, who was whimpering while clutching his hand to his chest. Sage couldn’t blame him, as much as she hated him. A couple of his fingers were lying on the bloody carpet.
Creed placed the barrel of his gun under his chin. “Who paid you for the hit?”
“I don’t know his fucking name!” Link wailed.
“How did he contact you?”
“He came up to me when Tripp, Chris, and I were hanging out at Scotty’s Bar.”
Distastefully, Creed used the tip of his gun to prod Link’s mangled hand. “You agreed to kill someone without knowing who hired you?”
“Dude was flashing around a lot of green. That’s all I gave a fuck about. I can describe him to you.”
“I don’t need you to describe him. I know who he is. Is Tayla still breathing?”
Sage placed a hand over her mouth, waiting for Link’s answer.
“When I left her, she was,” he mumbled.
“You know she works for me?”
“Fucker, I don’t even know who you are.”
Creed shook his head at him pityingly. “You made the same mistakes amateurs always make. You think because you get away with some easy shit no one gives a fuck about that it makes you a professional? Would you like me to tell you where you made your mistake?”
“I don’t need you to tell me shit!”
Creed continued to talk as if Link hadn’t spoken. “You didn’t do your due diligence. You didn’t research your mark.”
“I didn’t have to. I’ve known Sage for over a year. My bitch’s always going over there.”
“You’ve known Sage for over a year, yet you were going to kill her for someone you have never met?
See what I mean? You didn’t do you due diligence.
You failed to take into account that while you may know some particulars about Sage, you don’t know shit about me.
Like,” Creed spoke to Link as if he was actually mentoring him, “just say for shits and giggles that I have made a lucrative career of dealing with punks like you. You didn’t take an x-factor into account.
Link, you really should have taken my offer. ”
A sharp knock had Sage jumping in surprise. Listening to the way Creed was speaking to Link, she didn’t know which man she was more afraid of.
“Mr. Bryant? Travas Jackson. Sir, is everything all right?”
“Sage, open the door for Travas.”
Shakely, she got up from the couch to rush to the door. When she opened it, two men came in wearing security uniforms.
Creed didn’t remove the gun from under Link’s chin, his eyes still filled with deadly intent as they drilled into Link’s terrified ones.
“Miles, can you give me your cuffs? Then please take my wife outside of the building and call the police and ask for two ambulances. Travas, would you please check the bathroom and bedroom?” he ordered.
“There is an injured woman who needs some help. Be careful. I don’t know if he has someone watching her. ”
“Yes, sir.”
“Go with Miles, Sage.”
“I want to find out about Tayla.”
“I’ll tell you when I come down. Go.”
Sage left with the security guard after he gave Creed his cuffs, despite wanting to stay.
Miles was already on the phone with the dispatcher. As they walked out of the apartment door, she heard a shot fired.
Quickly, Miles slung an arm around her waist before he dragged her to a black SUV. Sliding the door open, he practically threw her inside. “Stay there.” Miles slammed the door closed and pulled out his gun, remaining protectively in front of the door.
Terrified for Creed, she banged on the window with her fists. “I want to know if Kent is okay!” she screamed.
Miles, holding his phone to his ear, turned to give her a thumbs-up sign. Taking it to mean Creed wasn’t the one who had been shot, she quit hitting the window.
It wasn’t long before Miles was sliding the door open.
“Sorry, Mrs. Bryant. I wanted to make sure you were safe while I was talking to the police. They are on route; so are the ambulances. Travas texted me that when Mr. Bryant tried to take the man’s gun away when he was trying to restrain him, Mr. Bryant’s gun accidently discharged. Mr. Bryant wasn’t hurt.”
“How is Link?”
“The man Mr. Bryant was trying to restrain?”
“Yes.”
“He was killed.”
“Tayla?”
“Travas is with her. She’s in bad shape. She’s taken a severe beating.”
“Thank you for letting me know.”
“You’re welcome. Please, stay in my vehicle. You’ll be more comfortable here while the police speak with you. There are bottled waters in the mini fridge in the console. If you’d like one, help yourself.”
She didn’t feel as if the whole ordeal would be over until the police arrived. Thankfully, they didn’t take long to arrive, as well as the ambulances. Relief flooded through her that Tayla would finally receive the medical care she needed.
It wasn’t long before one police officer came over to the SUV to begin questioning her. She was explaining how Creed had shot Tripp and Chris when EMTs wheeled Tayla out of the building.
“Excuse me,” Sage broke off what she was saying. “I need to check on my friend.”
Jumping out of the SUV, she ran toward the gurney.
Somehow, Sage managed to keep her appalled expression from showing when she saw the extent of the damage Link had done to Tayla to get her to make the call.
Her face was covered in bruises, her lips were three times the size they normally were, and one of her eyes was swollen shut, while she could barely open the other one.
“Tayla, I’m so glad you’re alive. I thought he killed you.”
“I didn’t want to call you. Link made me,” Tayla rasped out between swollen lips.
“You don’t have to explain,” Sage soothed her, stroking her hair away from her eyes. “I know he gave you no choice. It’s all over. I’ll come to the hospital to be with you as soon as I can,” she promised.
The EMTs wheeled Tayla away before either of them could say another word.
It was a little later before Creed came outside.
“We can leave. I told them if they have any other questions, we can come to the police station tomorrow.”
“I need to go to the hospital to be with Tayla.”
“I’ll drive you and drop you off. I’ll also call Allie and ask her to stay late until one of us gets home. I’d go myself, but I have court in an hour.”
“What about my car?”
“You’re driving with me. I’ll have someone bring your car home.” Taking her by the hand, he led her to his car, then opened the door and watched her get inside, buckling her in before he shut the door.
In the car, Creed took her hand again, holding it as he drove to the hospital. Dry-eyed, she stared out the windshield, seeing the image of Tayla lying on the gurney.
“If you hadn’t come to check on me, I would be dead.
Why did he have to hurt Tayla so badly? She was so good to him.
She didn’t care if he worked or not. He didn’t even care if she was alive or dead.
What if I had called back, or I hadn’t come?
He couldn’t have known I wouldn’t call again before coming. ”
“Baby”—Creed lifted her hand to his mouth—“he knew you would come. You’ve gone through hell to take care of your sister, to make sure she’s able to keep the girls.
There was no way you wouldn’t have come to help Tayla.
That’s your thing. If I knew that within a few weeks of knowing you, there’s no way Link didn’t. ”
“My thing?”
“Putting everyone else first before yourself.”
Sage rested her head back on the seat. “Was shooting Link really an accident?”
Creed’s gaze swung to her. “No.”
Her head turned to meet his. “Good.”