Page 91 of Morally Gray Daddies

When Sonja reached the door, she opened it, and I dragged Aubrey up with me, pushing her ahead toward the entry. Sonja moved inside and stopped as Aubrey and I closed the gap. Once through the door, I shoved her ahead, letting go of her hair as I did. She stumbled forward and Sonja caught her, holding her upright as she did.

I closed the sliding door behind me, glancing around. We were in an immaculate living room, a huge stone fireplace at one end, an enormous dark leather couch facing it. Cream-colored rugs dotted the flagstone flooring, offsetting the gray stones and walls of the room.

“This should do perfectly,” I murmured, returning my gaze to the two women. “If the two of you would please seat yourselves on the couch.” I gestured with the gun. “Ms. Delgado, you on the far end, Ms. Taryn, at the other.”

They complied, moving into the room and around the end of the sofa as I followed behind. Once they’d both seated themselves, I moved to stand in front of them, the fireplace at my back.

“Now, much as I’d like to believe we’ve established a certain rapport of trust between us at this point, I’m a bit risk-averse, so I’m going to need to make sure no one starts having second thoughts and tries to do something stupid.” I felt inside my jacket pocket for one of the several large black Zip ties I’d packed before coming.

“Ms. Taryn…” I held the thick plastic band out to her. “Would you be so kind as to take this and bind your friend’s hands behind her back?”

She glanced over at Sonja, trembling.

“Ms. Taryn, I thought I made this clear by the pool. I grow tired of having to issue warnings and repeat myself. Do what I asked, and do it now.”

She jerked up from the couch, then began walking toward me. As she came close, her steps became tentative. After halting in front of me, she took the binding gingerly from my hand, pinching it between her fingers.

“Much better,” I said with a smile. “Now put it on your friend, please.”

She backed up quickly, then turned and moved to where Sonja was seated. Sitting down beside her, she began to work the Zip tie into place, her movements hesitant.

I moved to the side where I could oversee what she was doing.

“Pull it tight, but not too tight. I’d hate to cut off her blood flow and cause any permanent damage.”

Aubrey didn’t acknowledge what I’d said, but she did eventually manage to fit the band around Sonja’s wrists as instructed, cinching it down until it was secured to my satisfaction.

“Good girl. Well done.” Gesturing with the gun, I added, “Now, if you’d move back to where you were…”

As she did, I followed behind her. When she sat, I took the spot next to her, reaching into the jacket pocket to pull out another tie. When it came free, she sucked in a gasp, her eyes searching my face desperately as I fixed the Zip tie into a loose oval.

“Turn your back to me, please,” I instructed.

She hesitated, but before I had to reinforce my earlier threat, she turned. Once she had, I slipped the binding over her hands and up to her wrists before pulling it closed. It snugged up tight against her skin, leaving small indentations where the plastic bit into her flesh.

“Is that okay? You can still feel your fingers?”

She nodded quickly.

“Excellent.”

Standing back up, I turned to face Sonja. “Okay, so you wanted to know why I’m here?”

“Yes,” she replied quietly as I moved to her end of the couch.

“So, here’s the thing…” I crossed back to where she was and sat down. “Your father has made some rather unfortunate business decisions, I’m afraid, Ms. Delgado. These choices have come to the attention of my employer, and they feel the best way to handle this situation is to send your father a message. A warning that continuing down his current path is unacceptable and unless he changes what he’s doing, it will lead to some very specific, very serious consequences. Providing him an example of one of those consequences is why I’m here.”

“Okay? And how does that involve me?” she asked uneasily.

“Well, simply sending him the message in written or verbal form doesn’t carry the import my employer is looking for. Now their intention isn’t to cut him out of their mutual business arrangements entirely, as the end result of that would ultimately benefit no one. What’s needed here is a warning sufficient to convince your father to change his ways. Something that will leave a suitable impression that won’t soon be forgotten.”

“I still don’t understand how I fit into all of that.”

“I can understand why you wouldn’t,” I replied with a nod, “but you soon will. See, my associates know how much your father loves and dotes on his daughter, as any father should. Now, taking direct action against him would certainly be one way to let him know the gravitas of the circumstances he’s in, but they’re of the mind there’s a more persuasive and enduring way to impart their message.”

“And because I’m his daughter, now I’m suddenly playing a part in this warning?” she asked in a faltering voice.

“Yes.”

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