Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 69993 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 350(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69993 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 350(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
“I know it was you who stole my money because I’m the one who sent Frank Braden to your mother’s bed.”
His smile is more of a pleased sneer.
“Frank? No way,” I say, feigning innocence. I might be a terrible liar, but I can be a pretty good actress when I need to be.
“Oh, yes,” he laughs, full of amusement now. “I know all about your cheap hacking jobs, sifting small amounts of cash from gambling and cam girl sites. Hijacking them for a ransom when you could have sold them off for even more money.”
Shit, he does know a lot. “Easier not to get caught if you don’t go too big,” I say.
“But you’re taking the same risk for pennies, might as well go for it all.”
He’s not wrong, but it’s not my style.
“Look, man, I’m just trying to get by. That’s all. I didn’t steal anything from you.”
“Oh, but you did. See, I know Frank had you steal money and siphon it to his own offshore bank account.”
I shrug because that’s exactly what happened, but I don’t think Frank would admit to that and still live to breathe another day.
“All I did was take some of his church money and put it into another account.”
Hector laughs. “That was my money.”
“Then you should take it up with Frank if, as you say, you sent him to my mother’s bed.”
“I did. You didn’t think it weird that a pastor had access to drugs and money, the two things you needed most in this world?”
I shrug. “Nope. He asked for my help, and I gave it to him. He paid me. Big deal.”
“Not a big deal to me,” he shrugs casually as if it doesn’t matter one way or the other to him, but his eyes tell me it does matter. “You can do all the fucking drugs you want, but what you can’t do,” he pauses for effect, I guess. “Is steal from me and my MC and live.”
“Good.” I swallow and try for another smile, and I’m sure I fail miserably. “Because I didn’t steal from you. Sounds like Frank did.”
“Don’t fucking lie to me!” His voice is a loud roar that echoes, and I turn my head to the side, away from his anger, and I really wish I hadn’t done that. “Don’t look away,” he says to me when I gasp.
I try to look away from the sight just beside me that I had, somehow, been oblivious to until now.
“I said don’t fucking look away, bitch.” He grabs my jaws with one hand, squeezing so hard that it feels like his fingertips are going to crack my jaw.
“Look at her. Another dumb bitch who thought she was smarter than me. She’s not so smart anymore, is she?”
I literally can’t take my eyes off the woman with the cold, dead eyes because her eyes are wide open and staring at nothing. She’s naked and bruised everywhere, with open gashes all over her body.
And she’s kind of blue.
My stomach contents rise up in my throat, and my hands are still tied, so I can’t contain it. Vomit barrels out of me right between Hector and me.
“Fuck, man! What the fuck was that?” he yells and jumps back a few feet.
I squeeze my eyes shut. Tears are falling down my face, and I just want to get out of here. They’re going to kill me.
Hector moves away from the puke but closer to the dead girl. And then he’s back at me.
“What’s going to happen is this. You’re going to get my money back, all of it, and then I’m going to kill you. If you behave like a good little girl and do what I say, I’ll make sure your death is quick. But if you don’t, you’ll wind up like that stupid bitch.”
He nods toward the dead body as if his words weren’t clear enough.
“What makes you think Frank hasn’t spent that money already?”
“You know that’s not the money I’m talking about, don’t you?”
I shake my head.
Rage flashes, and Hector gives me a backhand that knocks me off my feet. “Last night, you stole money from me. A lot of fucking money, and you’re going to give back every single cent.”
I’m already dead, but I’d rather have a bullet to my brain than the trauma the dead chick beside me had to endure.
“All right, I guess I’m doing it. One small problem, though.”
“Don’t try to be cute with me, bitch. You will get me my money.”
Gross. “I’m talking about equipment. I dropped mine when your men kidnapped me.”
“Fuck!” He fists his hands at his sides and starts to pace in front of me in three small steps before he turns and takes three steps in the other direction. He’s desperate, I realize.
“Someone get me a goddamn laptop!”
Three dudes move quickly, leaving the empty room without a word.