Page 36 of Bad Business

“Fine.” Sofia glares at him. “You’re not going to live long, anyway.”

He pulls out some zip ties and straps her hands to the metal chair.

“Now, Miss Rivers. You and I are going to walk out and go to the building next door. Inside is my associate, and he is less than pleased you brought your friend with you. Let’s hope he is in a giving mood once you hand over his boss’ belongings.”

I glance at Sofia one last time. She rolls her eyes as if this isn’t life and death. In fact, she looks bored, while I probably look terrified. With his bony fingers wrapped around my upper arm, I follow—rather get dragged out into the early morning light. The sun is starting to rise, casting an eerie orange hue over the trees. I scan the lush greenery, trying to catch a glimpse of the others, knowing if they are there, they are not going to let themselves be seen.

Every step to the larger building feels like one step closer to my death. I hate this… I hate feeling so weak. I hate how my fear makes me tremble while Sofia sits there unaffected. The cold, rough ground beneath my feet does nothing to ground me; instead, it only heightens my sense of dread. The birds are starting to sing their morning songs, oblivious to the terror gripping my heart. I take a deep breath, trying to steady myself, but the knot in my stomach tightens with every forced step forward.

The silence between us is heavy, filled with my unspoken pleas and Sofia’s indifferent demeanor. How can she be so calm? How can she not understand the gravity of this moment? As soon as we step inside, the most beautiful sound fills my soul with renewed hope.

“Wiwwow,” Juniper calls out, her little voice filled with joy. “I hopeded you’d come.”

As soon as I see her, I don’t miss the man sitting behind her.

“Wait, little girl,” he growls when she tries to run to me. “Miss Rivers, so kind of you to join us.”

“Juniper, baby, are you okay?” The jerk face holding on to me halts our steps. “I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner, June bug.”

“It's okay… are you taking me home?”

“Yes, baby, real soon.” I cock my head as I glare at the man holding all the cards. “I brought your diamonds… let her go.”

“Give me the bag.”

I pull out the diamonds and hold them in the air. “See… just like I promised.”

His associate snatches the plastic bag from my hand and inspects it. “It’s them.”

“Perfect.” He stands, bends down, and whispers into Juniper’s ear. “Go on.”

Juniper full-on runs at me, practically leaping into my arms.

“I love you, Juniper. Are you okay? Did the man hurt you?”

“Nopes.” She presses her little head against my shoulder. “He gave me lots of cookies.”

At least the monster has some kind of heart. “Thank you for not hurting her.”

“Well, you see,”—he takes a step toward me—“that is yet to be determined. Let’s go outside, shall we?”

“I don’t understand. You have what you want. I just want to go back to our lives. This was all my sister's fault. I had nothing to do with this mess.”

“While that may be true in the beginning, it is not the case now. You see… you fucked up when you let your little boyfriend stick his nose in my business.”

I gasp, unable to hide the sudden panic in my chest.

“Yeah, I looked into your boy-toy, Miss Rivers. And, boy, was I surprised to find he’s a billionaire. So, you leaving is not going to happen just yet.”

“I don’t understand.”

He steps between the metal buildings and stops. “My boss wants to see what your boyfriend is willing to do.”

I watch in horror as Dallas is dragged out from the adjacent building by a hulking man, pressing a gun firmly to his head. His expression nearly guts me, and I know that whatever is about to go down isn’t going to be anything good.

“Let them go,” Dallas pleads when he sees us.

The man seems completely unphased as he glances back at Dallas. “Mr. Nash… I believe I’ve told you what I want, and you refused.”

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