Chapter 9
Maren stared at the man standing in a light-green designer dress shirt, designer slacks, neatly pressed, and pointed boots that looked like the skin of a reptile.
“Would he recognize you?” she asked in a whisper.
“I don’t think so.” Arthur took her hand, helping her up. “I met him once when I was a kid visiting Sarah at the restaurant. I was scrawny with a face full of pimples. Not to mention I was two inches shorter. I was a late bloomer.”
“Well, you’ve certainly bloomed real nice.”
He laughed while she squeezed his hand so hard she thought it might hurt.
“What do you think he wants?”
“Put Shasta in the house and let’s find out.”
“Don’t you think we need a watch dog?”
“Because licking a man to death is always the way to deal with criminals.” He opened the door, letting the dog race inside. “Besides, I don’t want to be distracted or worried about Shasta while talking to Ferro.”
She sucked in a deep breath as she followed Arthur down the porch steps, trying desperately to calm her racing heart. She’d met her fair share of corrupt businessmen who were willing to sell out their own mother in order to make a buck.
But none of them would have ever killed anyone, at least not intentionally.
“Sorry to disturb you,” Ferro said as he sauntered across the broken parking lot. “Is Mrs. Gretchen Cordelia available?”
“I’m her daughter, Maren. How can we help you?”
“Maren Cordelia.” Ferro reached out and took her hand in his. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“Excuse me? From who?” Maren’s heart pumped harder as her stomach rolled.
“That’s not important.” He raised her hand, pressing his slimy lips against her skin.
She shivered, eyeing the five men stepping from the limo, all carrying weapons.
“Arthur, Arthur, Arthur.” Ferro shook his head. “What am I going to do with you?”
Arthur reached out in front of her, pushing her behind him. “I could wager a guess as to what you think you’re going to do to me, but that’s not going to happen because you’re going to leave. Now.”
“I’m not going anywhere.” Ferro puffed out his chest, nodding his head to one of his men. “Let’s go find the old lady.”
“You leave my mother alone.” Maren tried to charge forward, but Arthur grabbed her by the shoulders as one of Ferro’s men shoved a gun in her face.
“Tell your buddies to stand down, or we will kill you right here.” A tall man with a sinister smile stepped to within two feet of Arthur and pressed a gun to his temple.
“I need to signal them.” Arthur didn’t flinch.
Maren swallowed a sob. Her insides rattled like an asteroid crashing into the earth’s surface.
“Go right ahead, then let’s go find the lovely Mrs. Cordelia.”
Maren watched as Arthur raised his arm in the air, making a whirlybird motion, then pursed his lips, making three different whistling noises.
Two men emerged from different places, all holding their hands up in the air.
“Everyone to the marina office,” Ferro said.
Maren leaned into Arthur as he wrapped a protective arm around her middle, almost acting as if no one had pointed a gun at her or him. She wanted to feel safe in his arms, but that was hard to do when almost a half dozen men, heavily armed, walked next to them.
“Mom,” she whispered as her mother stepped from the office door.
Arthur’s body tensed. “Go inside, Gretchen.”
“What’s going on? Who are these… Oh, my.”
“This isn’t going to end the way you think,” Arthur said with a dark tone.
Ferro laughed. “I might have walked away from pushing this deal had I not known you were hanging around. You’ve been a little thorn in my side for years with you and your buddies trying to stir up trouble for me.”
Maren moved her legs faster, wanting to get to her mother. Her face had grown pale, and she gripped the doorknob, frozen in place with her mouth gaping open.
Arthur continued to hold on to her until they reached the office, where she bolted to her mom. “Are you okay?”
“No, dear, I’m not. Those men have guns,” Gretchen said.
“I know.” Maren hugged her mother, drawing her back into the office. She glanced over her shoulder. Only Arthur, Ferro, and two men entered the building. The other men must be doing something with Arthur’s men.
She shuddered. Her skin grew cold.
Those men had nothing to do with this situation and didn’t have to be here.
The bell over the entryway chimed.
Jefferson stepped through the door.
Her mother raced over to him. “Jefferson!” She flung her arms around him.
He, on the other hand, coolly held her at a distance.
“Nice of you to finally join the party,” Ferro said.
“Fuck,” Arthur muttered.
Maren reached for her mother as she stepped back, her face white as porcelain.
“Jefferson?” her mother questioned.
Maren narrowed her eyes, mentally stabbing Jefferson in the heart. “You told him everything we told you last night.”
“Your mother should have just signed the papers. Had she, none of this would be happening now,” Jefferson said.
“How could you be part of this?” her mother asked as she held on tight to Maren. “Why?”
“Money. Why else.” Jefferson shrugged.
“But we gave you an excellent retirement package,” her mother said, her words laced with shock.
Jefferson laughed. “Your husband pushed me to retire long before I was ready.”
“You set me up,” her mother’s tone infused with rage. “You bastard.”
“Mrs. Cordelia, please sit down.” Ferro pulled out the chair behind the desk. “Let’s sign the bill of sale.”
“I’m not signing anything,” Gretchen said.
One of Ferro’s men lifted his rifle, pressing it against Maren’s temple, the metal hot against her skin. Tears pooled in the corners of her eyes.
“You won’t get away with any of this,” Maren said.
“Oh, we will. And you’re going to help us.” Ferro leaned against the desk, setting a stack of papers in front of her mother along with a pen. “These make me a fifty-one-percent partner of the marina. We’re going to make great business associates.”
“And then what? You let us walk out of here?” Arthur asked as he moved closer, his hand gripping hers in a tender but protective touch.
“Oh, the two ladies do.” Ferro tapped the papers.
“With everything we know, you’re going to let us live, just like that?” Maren’s pulse raged. Her body shook. She shouldn’t have asked such a stupid question.
Ferro waved his hand in the air. “If either of you lovely ladies utter a single word to anyone about what is going on, one of you will die a very slow and painful death while the other watches.” Ferro pushed himself from the desk, waltzing over toward Maren. He snagged a fistful of hair and yanked her head back.
“Let her go,” Arthur said with a menacing growl.
One of Ferro’s men jabbed Arthur in the gut with the butt of his weapon.
Maren tried to swallow, but her head had been pulled back so far she couldn’t.
Ferro kissed her neck. “I think Mother should watch me fuck her?—”
“Get your hands off her.” Arthur lunged forward.
Crack!
The man with the gun used it to smash the side of Arthur’s face. He dropped to the floor, blood spurting from the side of his mouth. He groaned as he got to his knees.
Ferro released her, and she raced around the desk to stand by her mother, who sobbed uncontrollably.
One of Ferro’s men hoisted Arthur to his feet, cuffing his hands behind his back with some wiry thing that reminded her of a twist tie used to close the turkey cooking bag.
“Take him out to the boat and get rid of him and his two friends.”
“Two friends? There were four here last night,” Jefferson said.
Ferro grabbed Maren again, taking out a knife, pressing the blade against her neck. Gripping his forearm, she tried not to move as the jagged edge tore at her skin. “Where are the other two men?”
“On the roof,” Arthur said behind a tight jaw, staring at her, his eyes glowing with a combination of rage and sadness.
Ferro pointed to one of his men. “Find them and bring them down to the boat.”
The blade twisted against her skin and warm liquid drizzled down her neck.
“Stop hurting her. I’ll tell my men to surrender.” His eyes swirled into an array of darkness. He looked at her as if he were apologizing.
She closed her eyes. She might not have known Arthur very well, but she knew him well enough to know if he’d given up, then there was no hope at all.