Page 18 of Nine

“Nine!” Trig warns.

“No. Fuck you and this cupcake and all of these questions. I’m done.”

I attempt to stand up. Trig leans his body forward and quickly reaches out. He hooks his fingers between both of my wrists, catching the rope.

“Sit,” he demands.

I’m shaking, I’m so mad.

“How many calls,” I shout, as I plop back down. “I want to know how many times they talked.”

“At least fifteen, if not more. All within a short window.”

There would be no reason for her to talk to any of our clients fifteen times. There had to be a reasonable explanation for it. I stare down at the table in shock. I don’t want to believe that she sent me to that hotel for the beating of my life.

“She’s loyal. She would never –”

“People do things all the time that we think they would never do,” he cuts me off.

Water builds up in the corner of my eyes. I feel one tear fall down my cheek. I turn my head away so Trig can’t see my face. I’m angry and hurt. Jesus, Jenny. What did you do?

“How do you do it every day?” he asks.

“Do what?” I swing my head around and glare at him. “Escort? I can’t believe you, of all people, are asking me this.”

“Look, I’m not passing judgment. You seem like you might be a nice girl.”

I roll my eyes at the irony. A killer is asking me how I fuck men every day. This is epic.

“Easy. I get paid. It’s a job.” I pause. “And you. How do you do what you do every day, Trig? How do you kill people?”

He clears his throat and finally I get the confirmation that I need.

“I don’t really have a choice. I have to.”

“You have to kill people. Bullshit.”

“You don’t understand.”

“Make me understand,” I say, surprising myself.

He shakes his head.

Right then the door flies open. The Savior walks in with two huge men. Bones comes in right behind them, mouthing ‘sorry’ to Trig.

“How is my pretty little girl today?” The Savior asks, looking straight at me.

Both Trig and I spring up out of our seats at the same time. Trig steps in front of me.

“You gave me twenty-four hours,” he says.

“I changed my mind.” The Savior grins.

“We had a deal.”

“Yeah, we also had a deal for you to go in, get the information, and kill Victor. You seemed to have forgotten the plan, because you went in, killed the guy, saved the girl, and came back with no whereabouts of my drugs. I specifically told you to get rid of her that night at the hotel. She’s a witness and I can’t have loose ends lying around. You’re not as sloppy as your brother was, but you’re just as stupid. I’m tired of waiting. She either has something for me or she doesn’t, and if she doesn’t, then she’s of no use.”

The Savior looks over Trig’s shoulder to me. “Tell me good news, my love. Tell me where my drugs are.”

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