Page 84 of Death Wish

“Fat chance, baby.”

Sure enough, two minutes later, someone unlocked the door and stepped inside.

Daley, Boudreax, and Grant walked in, locking the door behind them. “How much progress have you made?” Daley demanded from Simone.

She glared over her shoulder. “Do you know the mess Beckett left behind?”

“Mess?” He frowned. “What are you talking about? He said there were bugs in the program but he was working them out. You shouldn’t have any problems.”

Simone laughed. “Have you looked at the program?”

He flushed. “Of course.”

Jesse’s eyebrows rose. Daley was a terrible liar. He’d either totally ignored the program or he wasn’t capable of understanding it.

“Then you should know how many traps he laid in here.”

“Traps?” Boudreax narrowed his eyes. “What does that mean?”

“Beckett set up booby traps and if I don’t dismantle them in order, the program will be destroyed and I’ll have to create the program from scratch. I’m good but even I can’t recreate this program by noon tomorrow.”

“You’re lying.” He strode to Simone and clamped a hand around her throat. “I don’t like liars.”

Jesse’s muscles bunched as Simone gagged. “Boudreax, get your hands off her.”

The security chief laughed. “What are you going to do about it? You’re trussed up like a turkey.”

Daley shoved Boudreax back. “Enough. I need her.”

“You won’t always.”

“Long enough.” He turned back to Simone. “Show me some traps.”

Jesse relaxed a fraction as Boudreax let go of Simone. The security chief would pay for hurting her. Even if Jesse had to come back to Sayulita to get the job done, he’d do it.

Simone walked through the program with Daley leaning over her shoulder, too close for Jesse’s peace of mind.

When she finished showing him a sample of the traps Beckett had laid, Daley cursed. “I can’t believe he did that.”

Jesse couldn’t believe the Special Projects head hadn’t recognized what was in front of him, and that made him wonder at what level Simone and Zane operated. Were they that good or had Daley been promoted beyond his ability?

Daley straightened and dragged a shaking hand down his face. “Just fix it, all right? You still have a deadline of noon tomorrow. We have to meet it.”

“I’ll do my best. What’s the big rush?”

“The client wants the program operational by that time. You’ll do it or else.” He turned his head to glare at Jesse.

“Keep it up, Daley, and you’ll be fixing this yourself,” Simone snapped. “I know what’s at stake. You continuing to threaten my boyfriend doesn’t get the work done faster. Go away and leave me alone so I can concentrate.”

After a glance from Daley, Boudreax sneered at Jesse and palmed his Taser as he approached.

Simone gasped.

Jesse sent her a warning glance, and she closed her mouth, hands fisting in her lap. Although he wanted her to look away, he didn’t blame her for not cooperating. He wouldn’t have turned aside if she was the one being Tased.

He endured two rounds of torture without uttering a sound. Barely conscious when Boudreax stepped away from him, he shuddered as his muscles spasmed over and over. Yeah, he hated this, hated especially that Simone was being forced to watch it.

“Get the job done,” Daley said. “Otherwise, we’ll move to more drastic measures to spur you along.”

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