Chapter 13
“Iknow you’re awake,” I hear Monte say before he takes a long pull of his cigarette.
From the moment I came to over five minutes ago, all I’ve wanted to do is go back to sleep. I just want to go back to the time before I made the biggest mistake of my life—a mistake that’s going to cost me everything. It’s going to hurt more than I ever thought possible because now I know what all I’m losing.
I open my eyes. Maybe I can try and get myself out of here since I have a knack for giving people the slip. But I always get caught, so I guess it doesn’t matter how good I am at getting away.
I keep my mind on my breathing as Cooper’s words play on a loop in my head. Breathe in and out, one breath at a time. It’s easier said than done, but Cooper isn’t here and that’s probably why. He fills my lungs so easily and reassures me that it’s all going to be okay.
It takes a moment for my eyes to adjust, but I can tell we are back at the warehouse in the same room where they counted all the money in front of me. Monte is sitting in a chair and his cigarette hangs from his mouth as he plays with his phone. His eyes lock with mine and I’m thankful no one else is around.
“Done playing possum?” He lifts one thick gray eyebrow at me and I realize he doesn”t look as mad as I thought he would. In fact, he’s completely laid back right now. Before he hit me in the side of the head with his gun he didn”t looked pissed. He was completely calm and it’s creepy and unpredictable. Warren is unpredictable, too, and that’s where my fear stems from.
“I don’t have your money.” I push myself up from the ground to sit and it takes a moment with my hands cuffed together in front of me. I reach up and touch the side of my head and feel where he hit me. It’s tender, but I don’t feel blood.
“I don’t need that money anymore. Apparently you’re worth more.” He smiles and it sends a chill down my back. “I actually might get to collect off you twice. I know Warren is more than willing to pay what you took, but I wonder what I can get from Cooper.” A lump forms in my throat. I hadn”t gone back to our hotel room. For all Cooper knows, I’m with Monte and have been playing him the whole time. Tears sting my eyes, but I refuse to let myself believe that. Not after what we shared and what I felt between us. There was no hiding what happened last night and I know it changed him like it did me.
“You brought Warren here.” Who else would have told him? “You don’t know who you’re dealing with.”
“I’m dealing with an extremely wealthy man who’s willing to pay triple what you stole from me to get his hands on you.”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell him I didn”t steal anything from him but I don’t. I may not be part of Cooper’s band of brothers, but I’ve got loyalty to them. I’m on their side and I’m happy they stole Monte’s dirty money. Without that I would have never met Cooper either.
“If I would have known the man you were running from was willing to pay so much for you I would have sold your ass a long time ago.”
His laugh is humorless and I’m sick to my stomach. How could I not have seen he was an asshole the first day I met him? With raising myself most of my life, you’d think I’d be better at reading people or have more street smarts than I do. I somehow just always step right into shit.
“I guess this way I might get paid twice and get my hands on Cooper fucking Ross in the process.” The way he says Cooper”s name gives me a chill. He flicks his cigarette as he stands and walks closer to me. “You’re lucky I like money more than I do revenge. But I think when Cooper finds out I handed you over to another man, he won’t be pleased.”
Being handed over to Warren has another panic attack forming and I hate the idea of Monte using me to hurt Cooper. Anger rushes forward and it helps push the threat of a panic attack down.
“Cooper thinks I’m on your side,” I lie, thinking maybe I can get Cooper out of his line of fire. It’s clear Monte isn’t going to give me back to Cooper even if Cooper pays him the money he took. I know the money is already gone because I watched them divide it up.
“Good old boy Cooper wouldn”t fuck someone he thought was playing it dirty. No, he was all over the poor damsel in distress and wanting to save the day.” I pale. How does he know we slept together? “Unless someone else left that hickey on your neck?”
I involuntarily touch my neck as I try to remember if I saw a hickey. His hands and mouth were everywhere, so it was hard to keep track of everything while I was experiencing the greatest pleasure of my life.
“There’s no hickey, but now I know for sure he was all over you. Why else would he buy you all those clothes?” He pulls out another cigarette and lights it. “Let’s not tell Warren you spread your legs for Cooper. Something tells me he wouldn’t like that. He said you had to come back to him in one piece. I’m thinking that has something to do with your virginity?”
My face heats, but Monte keeps on going.
“He kept talking about you being pure.” He cocks his head to the side to study me. “You really a virgin? I didn’t think those were still a thing.” He makes a face like he ate something bad. “Who wants a fucking virgin? I want a woman on my dick who knows what she’s doing.”
Monte reaches down and openly adjusts himself. I do not want to think about him having sex. His phone beeps and pulls his attention from me. I look around while he’s distracted to see if there’s anywhere for me to escape to.
“Let him in,” Monte says before ending the call.
“Warren’s here.” He puts his cigarette out in the ashtray on the table and my heart starts to pound.
I try and focus on my breathing again as the thick metal door flies open. There stands Warren and my blood runs cold.
“Where’s my money?” Monte snaps, and I see Warren’s hands are empty. I guess he was supposed to bring it, but if it was three times what had been taken from Monte there’s no way Warren could carry that by himself.
Suddenly there are two men behind Warren but neither of them have bags. I swallow when I watch them pull out their guns.
“I paid already,” Warren says, stepping into the room.
He’s talking to Monte, but his eyes are trained on me. Warren is clean cut with short blond hair and baby blue eyes. I used to watch women throw themselves at him and I thought something was wrong with me because I was never attracted to him. I played with the idea of us being something, but it never felt right. I think on some level I always knew something was wrong with him. Monte’s talk about Warren calling me pure made me remember Warren talking about wanting a pure wife. A few more of the odd things Warren would rattle on about click into place.
“Takio, Uzziah. What are you doing here?” For the first time I hear fear in Monte’s voice.
“I invited them,” Warren says as he walks toward me. “Why are you on the floor, darling?” Warren holds his hand out to me and I want to smack it away, but I’m not going to provoke him. I reluctantly take it and he pulls me to my feet.
“You called them?” There’s a hitch in Monte’s voice. Neither of the men say anything, but one raises his gun.
Monte takes a step back and I take one, too. I hate Monte, but it doesn”t mean I want to watch him die. I don’t want to watch anyone die.
“You’ve been doing things you’re not supposed to, Monte. I think you forget who you work for,” one says.
“I called the people who are really in charge,” Warren says, wrapping his arm around me and pulling me into his body. “You’d only come back for more money and I’d forever be tangled up with you. You’re a grunt, Monte, and I know if I pay Uzziah that will be the end of it.” Warren sounds all-knowing when he speaks, but he’s probably right. Monte will always want more money. “Uzziah runs an empire like I do. We hold true to our word.” Warren’s gaze moves from Monte down to me. “Like me saying I would have you.”
There is a warning to his tone that’s telling me I better not fight him. I wasn”t going to, not yet at least. My hands are cuffed and there’s nowhere for me to go. Monte tries to protest, but no one is paying him any attention.
“Thank you for the information, Warren. It was a pleasure doing business with you.” Warren gives Uzziah a nod and the guy simply pulls the trigger.
I think there is going to be a loud bang but the shot is silent. I turn away, not wanting to see, and then I hear Monte’s body hit the floor.
Warren guides me away from the room and pulls me tighter to him.
“My plane is waiting. I’ll have you home before you know it.” He’s smiling happily when I look up at him. You would never think that he just watched someone die. “I paid a lot for you, Jules. Not that you aren”t worth it, but you better be ready to make it up to me. I think the plane will be a nice place to start.”
He digs his fingers into my arm and I yelp out in pain.
“Do you understand me, Jules?” He stops walking and turns me to face him. I nod, having no other choice. “Good, because I wouldn”t want to have to come back here for Cooper Ross.”
I can’t stop the small gasp that leaves me at the mention of Cooper’s name.
“I think I found something that will make you behave.” He reaches for the handcuffs and with a quick movement they fall off my wrists. “I’d kill him for touching what’s mine, but then I wouldn”t have something to hold over you. You’re not going to make me kill him, are you, Jules?” I shake my head, faster this time.
I can’t speak because I can barely get the air into my lungs. Black spots dance around my eyes as Cooper’s face flashes in my mind. He’s telling me to breathe and to be calm, just before the blackness takes me.