Page 109 of Mob Saint

“I get why Seamus wants you. Spunky.”

He grows serious as soon as the last sound is out. He surveys me like he’s buying a racehorse. I half expect him to peel my lips back and examine my gums. He wraps his hand in my hair and tugs until my head snaps back. He runs the back of his fingers along my neck before he leans in to whisper. His accent is the distinct Spanish speaking New Yorker.

“You are going to make me a lot of money, señorita.”

“You plan to ransom me to Seamus?”

“Eventually. Not before I sell you to someone else first.”

There’s something in his tone. It’s like he doesn’t quite believe himself. But maybe it’s all to fuck with me, and he should win an Oscar. I don’t know. I don’t want to know. I want out.

“You want World War Three.”

“Such a cliché, chica. I know this’ll start a war with the O’Rourkes. That’s exactly what I want. I also want the money a man’s already promised me for you.”

A man? Who the fuck wants to buy me?

“I didn’t know your family were sex traffickers. Does your uncle know what you’re doing?”

Enrique Diaz is the head of the Colombian Cartel in New York. He’s also one of the most powerful men in the world. I’ve heard of him, but I know little about him. I just know nothing comes in or out of Latin America without his permission.

“My uncle trusts me to do whatever’s needed to make our family more money.”

“And selling women is one of them?”

“Selling you is one of them.”

“Why me?”

“Because you’re who Seamus wants.”

“Did he steal your favorite toy or something when you were in preschool?”

“He did actually. He took my favorite Hot Wheels, but that’s not why I took you. I got back at him by wrecking his Mercedes Maybach the day after he got it. I took you from him just so he knows I can. Just so all the O’Rourkes know I can.”

Alejandro turns toward Darren and gestures him over. The gleam in Darren’s eyes tells me he expects a fat payout. Alejandro practically rolls his eyes in disgust.

“Javier, llévala al auto.” Take her to the car.

Another man steps into the light. He looks remarkably like Alejandro. They share the same features, but his aren’t quite as perfectly symmetrical as Alejandro’s. He’s still shockingly good looking. But arrogance oozes from him, and it’s off putting to an extreme. He grabs my arm, but his hold is surprisingly gentle. When I look at him, his gaze warns me to remain silent.

I realized while we talked the men who kidnapped me brought me to an abandoned grain factory. The air was stale, and I recognized the machinery. The thing that’s like a massive funnel that drops grain onto a conveyor belt gave it away. Javier guides me to the door. We’re just about to step outside when I hear Alejandro call out.

“¡Ándele!”

Two men who could be twins—actually triplets to Javier—enter with rifles. There are silencers on them, but I see the muzzle flash since the light was on but dim. They shoot men I never noticed. Keith tries to run, but one man puts a bullet through the back of his knee. Darren’s frozen in place with Alejandro’s gun between his eyes. I watch as five men drop. They’re the ones with the fake NYPD uniforms on.

“We need to go.”

Javier’s accent is different from Alejandro’s. He’s not a native English speaker. His Spanish accent is too thick. That scares me even more since he really is a Colombian sex slaver. I fight against him. I don’t want to leave. I don’t know where I’m going next. I refuse to go with him any easier than I did the men who came into my home. I don’t let his gentleness fool me after the blood bath I just witnessed.

“Tiernan, Seamus is looking for you. We’ve arranged a meetup. We have to go.”

I writhe against him. “I don’t believe you.”

“I know, and I don’t blame you. But you need to trust my brothers and me. My cousin put on a show to get you away from Darren. He and my brothers are going to stay until Seamus can get here and decide what to do. He needs to know you’re safe first.”

“You’re lying.”

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