Page 244 of If You Give an Artist a Killer Muse

“I don’t know, man. She looked pretty unhinged.”

“She’s fucking puny. Don’t be a pussy.”

“Yeah, don’t.” I blurt out, interrupting them. “I happen to like pussies. I don’t know if my girl will appreciate it if I start liking you.”

The guy holding the phone makes a threatening move toward me, but his partner shakes his head.

Asshole.

“We can’t hurt him, remember?” He tells him.

“Fine.”

I was about to interrupt them by talking out of my ass again, but their phone started ringing. Hope blossoms within me when they answer, but it quickly squashes with anger and confusion when I recognize the voice in the other line.

Briar’s uncle.

“Did you do it?” Briar’s uncle asks.

What did she say his name is again? Mark? Marcus?

“We got him, Marcus,” One of the men answers.

“Good. What did my niece say?”

Holy fucking shit. I should have known her stupid uncle would pull this off. I should have beat the shit out of him when I had the chance.

“She freaked out like you said,” His friend snorts. “We also asked for the million dollars, but Jack and Ron didn’t confirm if it’s been wired over.”

I’m assuming Jack and Ron are the assholes with Briar. I swear if those two hurt her…

“Call Philip.”

I freeze at the name.

What…The fuck?

“Call him on your other phone and put us on loudspeaker.”

I’m about to interrupt them again and demand to tell me what the fuck is happening when I hear his voice.

His. Voice.

My stepdad.

“I told you not to call me unless it’s done,” My stepdad snaps as a greeting.

“We did exactly what you said,” Marcus snarls. “We took the boy and threatened Briar. But if you want us to let your stepson go free, we expect another million dollars wired to our accounts.”

“Done,” My stepdad says without hesitation. “Let Rurik go. His purpose as bait has been fulfilled. Briar’s probably freaking out right about now, and that’s exactly what we need.”

“What do you want us to do with her?”

“Do whatever it takes to get rid of her,” Philip says in a bored tone.

They all hang up simultaneously, and silence falls around us.

I can’t think…

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