Page 74 of Her Boss

Salazzo seemed to be warming to his story, staring at me, a gleam of spittle at one corner of his lip as he spoke, his eyes not leaving mine. “I even showed him the missing person’s article in the paper. Told him my boys were having lots of fun with his princess. Prick still wouldn’t pay. Didn’t believe me. So, I sent him proof to get him to see the light.” He grinned, an awful rictus that made my stomach drop. “Those photos were the kind you’ll never see in a fucking newspaper. Never had one issue with him paying ever again though. You believe that shit? I’m not a monster though. Sent her back to him, as a thanks for a mutually beneficial business arrangement.”

His men laughed loudly at that.

“I… I’m gonna go.” I turned, intending to run, but a giant fist closed over my shoulder, squeezing so hard, I thought my collarbone might snap.

“You’re not going anywhere.” Salazzo’s voice dropped to a low, menacing timbre. “I wonder what Nantes will give me for Miss I’m-Just-a-Girl here?”

“Let’s see what else she’s carrying,” the fat one said, taking hold of my hair. I tried to pull away, yelping at the hot pain at my scalp… then the man let me go entirely.

“What the fuck…?” one of the men hissed under his breath.

“That’s enough. No, no, no. Stay right there, fat boy. That’s better, step away from her.”

The gruff voice was new—and blessedly familiar.

Rick!

Flanked by his second-in-command Viola, who was also armed, Rick had a pistol trained on the men. He emerged from the shadows of the same trees Salazzo and his man had come from.

Were they following him?

“Come here, girl,” Rick said softly. I wasted no time, dashing over to him as if I were running for my life. Which I was.

He tucked me in close, his gaze not leaving the thugs as he murmured to me, “You okay? You hurt?”

“No, no. I’m all right.” I hugged his side. “You got here just in time. Thank God.”

“Who the fuck is this?” Salazzo stood, advancing toward us, stepping onto the grass.

“That’s far enough, tough guy,” Viola said, her blonde single plait almost a shimmering white in the moonlight where it hung down behind her back. She held her own gun up, aiming straight at Salazzo. “I will fucking air you out,” she snapped, “if you come even one step closer.”

Wisely, the men stopped. For the moment.

“There’s a lot more of us than you. We’ll get to you before you can shoot all of us.” Salazzo grinned. “You should have brought more friends, bitch.”

“You don’t seem to understand the situation,” Viola purred, waving her gun at all of them, her other hand on her hip. Her black jeans were painted on, enviably showing off a trim, athletic figure, her boots lending her height that made her even more imposing than she might otherwise have been.

“There’s two of you, and eight of us. We understand it just fine,” Salazzo said, walking toward us again.

“Oh, I don’t think so.” Rick spun me around, yanking my shirt out of the waistband of my jeans, baring the small of my back to the men.

“Shit,” one of them hissed. “Fucking wire.”

The thugs stopped in their tracks.

“We have something better than friends. We have an insurance policy on good behavior. You getting what I’m saying here? I’ve already got enough here to put you boys away for what? Serial extortion? Kidnapping? Aggravated battery? Rape?”

“I’ll take my chances.” Salazzo’s smile faded instantly, his teeth almost bared, so deep was his sneer. “What’s stopping me from killing her, and torturing you—or your blonde pet—until we get the location where that wire’s recordings are being held?”

“You prick,” Vi said, shaking her head. “There are three jarhead snipers out there with you zeroed at two hundred yards—and they really love to practice their shots. Do you feel like taking that chance? No, I mean it. Are you really that fucking stupid?”

Rick held up a hand. “Nothing like that needs to happen. All you boys have to do is play nice. You let Mr. Nantes get what he wants, and nothing we recorded tonight ever needs to get into the wrong hands, Salazzo. It’ll be as if it never got recorded at all.”

Salazzo was silent for a moment. “How do we know you won’t leak it anyway?”

“You don’t,” Rick said, glaring at the thug. “But you and I both know the less attention given to this little, uh, project, the better. It’s in everyone’s interest to stay quiet. Isn’t it?”

“Fuck,” Salazzo snarled. “Fuck! Tell Chester… I’ll-I’ll agree to it.”

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