Page 27 of Four Times Saved

"You will do no such thing!" He called after the worker running off. "Watch this guy, won't you?" He scowled at me and Eric and Matt before taking off.

Folding my arms, I shifted from foot to foot, looking at the other guys and reddening from their disapproval.

"Where's Lily?" Eric reached down and grabbed Terry by the collar of his thin white work shirt. He slammed him into the side of the metal container.

"Wh-what?" Terry's wild eyes spazzed out.

Tyler returned a minute later scruffing the back of the trembling worker's shirt like a mother cat carrying her troublesome kitten.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Terry wheezes.

"The hell you don't." Ryan reaches in to wrap his hand around his throat. "Start talking."

"Well, he can hardly do that with your hand around his throat, can he?" Matt shoots him a look, and Ryan, realizing what he's doing, takes his time in loosening his grip. "So, what the fuck are you waiting for?" Matt directs his impatience to Terry.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Terry shoves against Eric's hands wrapped around the collars of his shirt. But even with bruises, Eric is stronger. When Terry pushes off the container, failing miserably to puff his chest up at Eric, he's slammed even harder into the side of the metal.

"Not so tough now, are you?" Eric grunts. "Now start talking."

Terry's gaze shifts between all of us before he lets out a sort of unexpected whine. Even his brows raise in surprise.

Meanwhile, Tyler snarls next to me. "What do you want with this loser?"

"I need his help looking into all the empty shipping containers," I muttered while the guys worked their intimidation tactics on Terry. "I have a feeling she's in there."

Grudgingly, Tyler nodded. "I thought the same thing might be possible. Okay." He turned his attention to the helpless worker. "Listen, you're going to help us, and you're not going to tell anyone about this. You will do what needs to be done to ensure no one finds out about this, or I will find you and I will kill you. Make no doubts about it. Understand?"

If this guy was innocent in all this, I was going to regret getting him involved. He was reduced to a youth with tears in his eyes. I sneaked the thousand dollars into his hand, but not before Tyler caught me.

"The fuck is that for?" He reached for it, but I put my hand out to stop him.

"For his trouble," I said.

He shook his head. "You must like spending money. Whatever. Hurry up." He nodded toward the containers. "And open every single empty one."

Tucking the cash into his pocket, the worker removed the collection of keys with shaky hands. He approached the containers with trembling legs. I waited for Terry's reactions. If he had something to do with this, he'd give himself away.

"I haven't seen that bitch since you kicked me out of the house," he wailed.

"You want to be careful about your language." Matt stepped in closer to him.

"Oh, that's right. I forgot you're her little bitches, aren't you?" he mocked.

Ryan released a dry laugh and raised his brows in disbelief. "You see this?" He asked Eric and Matt, before turning to me and cocking his head toward Terry. "He still thinks he has some sort of leverage here."

Terry spat in Eric's face. "Nothing but lap dogs. Did she send you here to scare me? Finally gave you the go ahead to get your own on?"

Eric released his shirt and as Terry smirked, straightening himself up, Eric sailed his fist toward the middle of his face. Terry's head jerked back and bounced off the metal. If this were a cartoon, there would be tweeting birds flying in circles around his head as he struggled to stand straight.

"Even lap dogs can be dangerous. Don't you think so?" Eric grabbed him up again before he could fall. "If you don't start talking, there's a lot more where that came from." "Come on, wake up." Matt reached in to slap his face, his control slipping.

"Guys." Tyler got our attention as the first container was opened.

"What the hell is he doing?" Terry's speech was slurred. "He's not allowed to do that!" He yelled, launching forward but was stopped by Eric's grip.

"Woah, woah. Got something to hide there, buddy?" Tyler mocked. All of us ran to look inside as Tyler kept an eye on Terry.

Empty. Disappointing.

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