Page 77 of Forbidden Hearts

“Jacob wants to see me before my shift,” I lie. “Is he in his office?”

“Yeah, he’s been locked in there for a while.”

“Cool. I guess I’ll go talk to him.”

“Do you want me to serve you a beer?”

“Maybe after I see Jacob,” I say.

“I’ll have your glass ready,” she says, turning to top off someone’s glass.

Sure enough, Sammy stands tall at the back of the club, between Jacob’s office and the dancer’s room. His eyes follow me across the club until I’m standing in front of him.Deja vu.

“Is Jacob available?” I ask Sammy.

“You’re here early,” he says.

“Is Jacob available?” I ask again, squeezing my purse tightly against my chest.

Sammy looks at me with a stern face. “Wait here,” he says.

He knocks at Jacob’s door and steps inside, closing the door behind him. A few seconds later, he comes back out and lets me in. Jacob looks up at me from behind his desk.

“Come right in, sweetheart,” Jacob says.

I step inside and close the door. Every step I take feels heavier than the last.

“Your shift doesn’t start for another two hours,” Jacob looks at his watch. “You couldn’t wait to see me, huh?”

“I wanted to ask you about my mom,” I say, buying time so I can figure out how I’m going to kill him and get out of here alive.

Jacob rolls his eyes. “That same old story.”

“I want to see her this weekend.”

Jacob throws his hands in the air. “We already had this conversation. You’ll get what you want after I get what I want.”

He pushes his chair from under his desk and opens his legs, grabbing his crotch area.

“Go on,” he says. “You know what I want. Get on your knees.”

I walk around his desk and look down at him. This is it. I’m so close to him that I can’t miss.

“What’s with the face? At least pretend you’re into it,” Jacob scoffs. “Get on your knees and—”

Before he can finish his sentence, I reach into my purse, pull out the gun, and point it at him.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” he asks. He puts his hands up to shield his terrified face. “Put that fucking thing away before you get hurt.”

“You’re a sick fuck. I let so many things slide by, but then you went after my mom,” I say. My heart races in my chest. “That was your biggest mistake. I should have told the cops everything I know about your operation when I had the chance.”

Anger replaces the fear in Jacob’s eyes. “You were the fucking rat? Wow, that fucking beaner. No wonder he was stalling.”

I don’t know what Jacob is talking about, but I don’t care. I’ve said everything I needed to say to him. Taking a deep breath, I aim the gun at the gaps between his fingers.

“Hold on! I’ll let your mom go. Just put the fucking gun down!”

“I don’t believe you.”

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