82. CHAPTER SEVENTY-EIGHT
I’m on my knees before Lazaro Scava.
The man my brother is trying to prosecute.
Run…
I jump up and spin around to open the door, victory flaring in my lungs as I turn the knob and get a whiff of the spearmint-smelling hallway.
Only, the door snaps shut, and I’m pinned with my face pressed against it.
“Surprise.” Lazaro yanks me around to face him.
My eyes scan his broad shoulders and height that match Johnny’s.
“You knew who I was all along, and you still slept with me?” I ask.
Which has my brain twitching, why didn’t he kill me that first night? Unless he planned to but decided to wait and have some fun because I was such a good lay.
But my eyes stop at his signature open shirt that reveals a thick carpet of dark chest hair.
Wait…
Johnny didn’t have chest hair. Lazaro could have had it waxed. To throw me off since this Vegas player is known for these half-buttoned shirts and matted body hair.
His pungent cologne is legendary. Perhaps why he never wore anyway.
He tricked me. He knows my dirty secrets. And plans to use them against me.
“What do you want?” I ask, playing dumb.
“You.”
“You had me. I told you, I’m with…” I can’t say Eoghan’s name, it’s too risky. “I’m with someone else.”
Someone who will blow your fucking head off for touching me.
“I don’t care who you think is in love with you.” He grabs my ass. “With all this.”
I roll my eyes. I had Italian men pegged for loving big girls.
I guess not when all he sees are gorgeous, skinny naked women on stage every night.
“You can do whatever you want with me. It won’t change our case against you.” I don’t mention the dead witnesses. “Daniel Vance, my boss—”
“You mean your brother…”
I’m not shocked he knows of our family tie. I’d be disappointed if he didn’t. These families have hackers and investigators to always stay one step ahead.
The Scava firewall… Shit.
“Yes, my brother,” I say, shoulders back. “Who will go at you even harder if you lay a finger on me.”
“Your brother is a stupid corrupt asshole who doesn’t even know his office is bugged,” Scava says with a grin.
If his office is bugged then they know…
They know we figured out they’re killing witnesses.
But was I set up?
It all flashes at me. Why Daniel let them throw sand in the gears, accepting these delays. Then made Eoghan look into the case.
Was that insurance? If someone got to Daniel about how to beat them? He’d give up Eoghan?
Ignite a war between the two families?
Am I supposed to give him up?
No. I can’t do that.
But is my life worth putting this creep in jail?
“Then what do you want?” I throw the ball back in his court.
“I told you, you.”
“Me… For what?”
With my bag clutched in my hand, I’m hauled off my feet and thrown down with a hard thud on a leather couch. Face down.
Oh shit…
“You’re my messenger.” He lowers his mouth to my ear and presses a metal barrel against the back of my skull. “The memory of you will send a message. No one fucks with us.”
“Why me?” I shiver, guessing this is a more personal way to get even with Daniel.
“Your brother just filed an indictment against me for first degree murder. And assigned the caseto you.”
“What?”
Did I get a promotion or a death sentence?
“An hour ago? Why did you stalk me on the app for a month?”
“Enough of your questions!” he yells. “I’m going to fuck you. Then my guards will have a turn with you. You like playing sex games? I’m sure you won’t mind two dicks in your pussy, one in your ass, and one in your mouth? Or maybe two in your ass and two in your mouth.”
Oh dear God, he’s going to rape me. Then let me be gang-raped by guards!
“Yeah, and then what?” I attempt to sound brave despite the fear pumping through my blood.
“Then I hand you over to my traffic manager.” Scava sits behind me, keeping a meaty hand on my head, squishing my face into the sofa. “But I get the first taste.”
What does he mean, first taste? He’s had me.
I struggle out of pure survival instinct, screaming and fighting him off until I’m a ravaged mess.
“Stop!” he pulls my hair so hard, I cry out. “Don’t make me whack you with my piece. You’re going to take my cock deep inside your ass.”
Hot tears sting my eyes.
He won’t kill me.
He won’t kill me.
He won’t kill me.
I’ll be handed off a few times. That will give me a chance to escape. Talk my way out.
I steel myself, feeling my skirt being lifted and cringe at the sexy red thong I chose for Eoghan, because I know he likes it. Then I got sidetracked from Johnny’s messages. I wasn’t about to walk into a high-end strip club in jeans and a T-shirt.
“You’ve got a hot ass, Jillian.” Lazaro’s fingers slip underneath the lacy thong.
Oh my God, Eoghan is going to fucking flip out.
Eoghan O’Rourke…
Using his name will give this animal pause. I don’t want to involve him, but if it saves my life, I must.
Lazaro presses the barrel of his gun against my head as I hear his belt jingling.
“Stay still. Or I won’t use any lube.”
Shit. This is happening.
Taking a breath, something sharp needles my chest. The hard steel of my Ruger inside my purse presses against my breast. They never searched me.
I imagine reaching for my gun, but if I’m not quick enough, Lazaro will figure out what I’m doing, and he’ll pull his trigger first. Maybe if I can bear him being inside me for a moment or two, he’ll be distracted, and I can get his gun away from him. Or grab mine …
A loud crash twists my head as the door is kicked in.
“What the fuck?” Lazaro swings his gun away from my head.
I look up through watery eyes and see…
Eoghan.
Pointing a gun right back at Lazaro.
“Get your grimy hands the fuck off my woman.”