CHAPTER TWENTY
“Get out of my way,” sneered Samantha.
“I don’t think so, sunshine,” grinned Piper. Her five-feet-eleven was intimidating on its own but she wore a silk racer-back tank and short skirt, showing all the lean, tanned muscles she’d worked so hard to build.
Beside her, Addie, Mila and Lucia glared at the two women. They could see the panic rising in Abigail’s face and knew she would crack first.
Interesting, thought Addie. She was the worst one to Everest and yet when confronted, she was folding.
“Ladies! I don’t need a bitch fight,” said the bartender. “If you’re fighting over a damn man, take it outside.”
“They’re not going anywhere,” said gray t-shirt. Rory stood, towering above the bar and the bartender. He practically growled with a low rumble as Bron, O’Hara and Magnus walked in.
“I’m calling the cops,” said the bartender.
Bron leaped over the bar, reaching for the man’s hand, squeezing his wrist until he dropped the cell phone. The look of hope on the women’s faces was suddenly dashed away. Bron leaned forward and whispered to the man. His eyes grew huge and he nodded.
“Sorry. I didn’t know,” he said calmly. Bron let go of him and he stepped away, talking to the people at the other end of the bar.
“Let’s go ladies,” said Addie. “We’ve got some questions for you and then we’re going to turn you over to NOPD for the deaths of Colt and Jordan. I’m sure you understand.”
“You’re not cops?” frowned Samantha.
“Oh, no honey, we’re much worse,” said Lucia.
Before they could protest, their hands were zip-tied behind their backs and they were tossed into the SUV. Fifteen minutes later they were being dragged into the elevator of their own office building.
“Wh-why are we here?” frowned Abigail.
No one said anything in the crowded space. When they reached the tenth floor, their zip-ties were zip-tied to the silver handle stretching at the back of the elevator.
O’Hara pushed the stop button, holding the elevator doors open. The four men and four women sat in chairs outside the elevator staring at the two women.
“What are you doing? What do you want?” asked Samantha.
“Just consider us a jury of your peers. Or maybe betters is more accurate. Who owns TMCheed?” asked Magnus.
“W-we don’t know. They’re a private equity. The own tons of shit. The strip club, Med-Tech, lots of shit. We only get instructions through e-mails, sometimes on conference calls delivered by assistants.” Abigail was shaking so violently you would have thought she was in a refrigeration car.
Suddenly the elevator jerked and the women gasped.
“Oohh, that must have been scary,” smirked Rory. “Bet that’s what Everest Marshall felt when she was stuck in the elevator.”
“That wasn’t me!” yelled Abigail.
“Shut up!” said Samatha, stretching her leg out, trying to kick the other woman.
“I hate cat fights,” frowned Addie. “I love that we all get along so well. I would never kick you.”
“I would never kick you either, honey,” said Mila. “I think you’re terrific. All of you.”
“Awww, I think you’re terrific too,” said Piper.
“What is wrong with you?” yelled Samantha. “Let us go!”
“No, I don’t think so,” said Rory. The elevator lurched again, just an inch but enough to bottom out your stomach. “You’re going to tell me who really owns this company and where they are located.”
“I can’t tell you when I don’t know!” yelled Abigail. “We just wanted to scare her, that’s all.”
“That’s a fucking lie,” said O’Hara. “You nearly killed her. For what reason? You’d already fired her, illegally I might add. Why would she need to die?”
“The paper, the shipping manifest,” babbled Abigail.
“God, shut up!” screeched Samantha.
“I’m not going to prison for you! This was your idea,” said Abigail.
“You fucking bitch liar! If I could reach your eyes I’d scratch them out of your damn head. You were the one that wanted your fuck buddies at the office.”
“Enough!” yelled Rory rattling the glass doors into the office. “You fucking lied about the paper. You tried to kill her before she ever found the shipping manifest in her packet. What are they doing with the drugs?”
“They’re substituting them for name-brand drugs that have FDA approval. It looks like they’re getting the real drug, but they’re not. On the back-end, we’re changing out the names of the drugs, ordering tests, all of it to prove the drugs work.”
“Except they don’t,” said Piper glaring at Abigail. “They don’t work. They kill people, including your fuck buddy Jordan. Why kill Colt?”
“H-he was only supposed to take her the retirement forms, that’s all. He must have slipped the sheet into the packet. It was in my bag the night before when we were at the club. He was the only one that had access. She knew his fears. His childhood trauma,” said Abigail.
“You’ve just signed our death warrant,” said Samantha glaring at the woman. “All for a couple of big dicks that could be replaced. That’s your problem, Abigail. The sex was always first for you. You didn’t see the big picture of how much money we could make.”
Addie stepped closer, staring down at the woman, her cold, vicious eyes staring back at her, daring her to touch her.
Addie didn’t give her a girly slap across the face.
She doubled her fist and punched her in the gut, the woman immediately doubling over.
She thought that was the end, then Addie brought her knee to her jaw, forcing her head backward as blood dripped from her mouth and nose.
“That’s for Colt,” said Addie. She stepped back, nodding at Magnus who held a small switch. “And this is for Everest.”
Magnus pressed the button and the elevator jerked and then dropped several feet as the women screamed.
“Please! Please, I’ll tell you everything!” yelled Abigail.
“Too late,” said Piper. “Keep your hands and feet inside the car until you’ve reached a full stop. Enjoy the ride ladies.”
With another press of the button, the elevator plummeted to the garage level below. They all peeked over the edge, staring at the crumpled metal.
“Remind me not to piss you ladies off,” smirked Magnus.
“We try to remind you every day,” smirked Addie. “Let’s see what we can find in the office.”