Page 138 of Stuart Woods' Smolder

When he pried open his lids again, he could see at least a half dozen people in the room, snickering and glaring at him. Based on the choice of tattoos climbing up their necks and arms, they could have been models for an Aryan brotherhood recruitment poster.

“He’s awake,” one of them yelled into the other room.

Another one approached Phillip and tapped his cheek. “How you feeling, big guy?”

Phillip stared at him unimpressed and said nothing.

“You think you’re tough?” The guy slapped him harder. “You ain’t tough. If you were, you wouldn’t be the one tied to the chair, now would ya?” He pinched Phillip’s cheek and laughed.

Two more men entered. One had the same rough-edged lookas the others, though he was older and carried himself as if he were in charge. The other Phillip knew—Nico Savage, Petry’s pet lawyer.

Nico leaned down so that he was eye to eye with Phillip. “Really sorry about this. It’s not personal. You were in the way. That’s all.”

Phillip spit in his face.

Nico stood and casually wiped off his cheek. “I like you. In different circumstances, we could have done great things together, but my hands are tied.” He turned to the guy he’d come in with. “Let me know when it’s done.”

As soon as he left, the beating commenced. Fists and clubs and boots pummeled Phillip from all sides, until someone tilted his face upward.

He sneered.

The guy let Phillip’s head drop back down. “Shit. He ain’t dead yet.”

Boots approach the chair, then fingers slipped under Phillip’s chin and gently raised his face again. It was the older guy who’d come in with Nico.

He chuckled. “You’re something else, aren’t you?”

“You want us to give it another go?” someone behind him asked.

The boss shook his head. “We’ve been here too long already.”

“What should we do with him?”

“Bring him along. If he wants to be a punching bag, we’ll let him be a punching bag.”

“You heard the boss. Jared, do your thing.”

A few moments later, a needle pierced Phillip’s arm again.

Chapter 40

Stone and Dino were meeting with Constance Mueller, Centurion Pictures’ CFO, when Teddy called.

“When you finish up with Connie,” Teddy said, “I thought we could go for a drive.”

“Hold on.” Stone put a hand over the receiver. “How much longer do you think we’ll be here?”

“Ten minutes at most,” Constance said.

“Ten minutes and we’re yours,” he told Teddy.

Teddy was waiting for them when they stepped out of the administration building, a duffel bag in one hand. “Unless you’re okay with Dino sitting on your lap, we’d better take your car.”

Stone tossed him the key fob. “You drive.”

Soon they were heading east, toward downtown.

“First stop, Taylor Foods Packinghouse,” Teddy said.

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