Page 86 of Filthy Little Games

I really hope this building has a giant chute or things will get tricky. We don’t have time to waste dragging off four big men, but we can’t leave them alive either.

“You ready to proceed, or would you like to debate every single move I plan to make first?”

“Sorry boss,” Tristan responds.

“Won’t happen again,” Aldo promises.

“Let’s go,” Dre agrees.

I give them a nod just as the other two guards barrel down the hallway, probably having heard our voices.

Aldo and I each take one on while our backup slips around and stuns the back of one’s neck and the throat of another.

Now, we just have to secure the guards, find the girl, and get the fuck out of here.

I tip my head toward the closed doors, telling Aldo to start checking the rooms on the right while I take the left. There could be more guards, but the odds are good that only the four we took down are in the apartment.

The closest door to my left is cracked open. I push inside and see a dark and empty bedroom.

I continue through the luxury apartment, until from the doorway of the last room in the hallway on the right side, Aldo says, “Here, boss.” Smart of Emilio to put the girl furthest from the door in case of a situation like this.

Unfortunately, the dumbass has his gun out and is pointing it inside that goddamn room.

“Put that away,” I growl while shoving him aside.

That’s when I see why he has his gun out.

Two women who look just as sweet and harmless as Zara, maybe a few years younger than her, have their own small-caliber handguns raised and pointed right at my head.

“Good evening, ladies,” I say, lifting my hands up in front of me, so they can see I’m only holding the stun gun baton. I jerk the earpiece from my ear to concentrate without hearing Dre and Tristan’s updates on restraining the guards.

One of them, the blonde, looks like she’s prepared to pull the trigger if I breathe wrong. I search the room for Oriana, but don’t see her. She must be in a room off from this living area.

“Ladies, we’re in a bit of a hurry, so I’m going to make this quick. We will not harm Oriana. We’re here to get her back to her mother. Do either of you know Zara? Maybe you’ve even been along on some of her supervised visits, where she spends maybe an hour at a time with Oriana at the park.” I probably should’ve asked Zara if the women looked familiar.

“I’ve met her. Mr. Rovina said she’s an alcoholic whore,” the blonde replies.

“Well, Emilio is lying to you. Did you know that the Rovinas took Oriana from Zara when she was only a day old?”

The two women exchange a look, one that I hope means they’re softening to the idea of handing over the girl to us.

“Put the guns down and let us take Oriana back to Zara tonight.Please.”

“We need to hurry this along, boss,” Aldo says from behind me.

Dammit, I know.

“What will it take for you to give her to me?” I ask them. “Name your price. Anything. But I can’t leave this building without her. Idon’t think Zara would ever forgive me for getting her hopes up about getting her daughter back and then failing so spectacularly.”

“You’re not taking her,” the blonde snaps.

“Paige,” the other woman whispers. “Maybe he’s telling the truth.”

“And what if he isn’t, Bethany? No telling what could happen to her!”

“I am telling the truth. And Zara made me promise not to hurt either of you. She knows you’re the girl’s nannies, that you’ve been caring for her daughter while she couldn’t. So, name your price. Because you see, Zara doesn’t have to know what actually happens here tonight. The guards are all down. There are four of us to you two. My guys are trained shooters. So, while you might land the first shot, my money is on us landing the last ones. Is this girl worth dying for to keep her from her sweet, gentle mother?”

“Who are you?” the blonde huffs.

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