Page 41 of S.O.S. Perk

Just like they’d figured. The kid was a crook and unremorseful, but until now he hadn’t been a killer.

“I would, to show you I’m for real about wanting in,” Perk agreed.

“Well…” The kid itched his neck as if contemplating, but Perk wasn’t worried. It was clear to him that Jeremy was seriously considering it.

“What if the terms you want regarding my…business, aren’t acceptable to me?” Jeremy fished around for details. “Are you going to turn me in to the authorities, then?”

Perk scoffed. “Seriously? After taking your friend for ‘a ride’? I don’t think so,” Perk assured him. “I’m not stupid. Once I do that, I’m in this, ass-deep,” he taunted. “And don’t dick around with me about how much you can and can’t afford. I know exactly what you’re making, and won’t break your bank. You won’t miss thirty percent ofyourtwenty percent cut, especially if I help you expand your reach to places like my old school.”

Now he had Jeremy interested. The boy’s face took on an engaged air.

“Ten percent,” he countered.

“Twenty, and we have a deal.”

“Done.”

Jeremy, who’d still been holding Kaelyn, thrust her toward Perk. “But she’s your problem now. Just don’t screw up.”

“Not a chance.” Perk conjured his most malevolent face, then forced himself to peruse Kaelyn’s body up and down, even though the action made him cringe. “Who knows? There might be a little something else in this for me, if you catch my drift.”

Kaelyn stiffened beside him, but held her tongue.

Perk felt bad scaring the girl, but he had to make Jeremy believe he was the degenerate he was portraying.

Good on Kaelyn, though, for holding it together. From all reports he’d read, the girl wasn’t stupid. She had to know her life was in danger here, and now possibly her body before she was ended. Perk would have to keep a close eye on her. She’d be looking for an escape before he got a chance to explain things. Kaelyn resembled nothing less than a volcano about to erupt,and he certainly didn’t want to be the recipient of all that built-up pressure.

Jeremy hissed. “Do what you want, but like I said, don’t fuck things up,” he warned.

“I’m good. I’ll see you at school tomorrow, uh, today,” Perk told him. “Then we can talk logistics.”

“Fine.” Clearly, Jeremy wasn’t completely happy.

Perk grunted and took Kaelyn by the arm. He tried to be gentle, but she was not going easily, fighting him silently, trying to wrench away with every step they took across the yard.

With Jeremy still watching, Perk needed to make this good.

He stopped, stooped, shoved a shoulder into Kaelyn’s midsection and hoisted her up and over his shoulder. She pounded on his back, but Perk wasn’t bothered at all. She was making very little impact. He turned, gave one last head-nod to Jeremy, then rounded the house toward his car.

He’d explain everything to Kaelyn as soon as they were safely away.

“You fucking asshole,” she heaved as he went to the driver side of his car and tossed her in.

Thank God for all the room in these old babies. It made it easy for him to push her over the center console while still keeping a grip on her ankle so she couldn’t slip out the opposite, passenger side door.

“Yeah, well, keep that thought,” Perk told her. “I—”

The girl sat up abruptly, hauled off and punched him in the face.

“What the fuck?” Perk reared back, surprised yet a bit impressed with the strength of the blow. She might have even loosened a few teeth.

“There’s more where that came from if you try to rape me,” she hissed.

“Nobody’s raping anybody,” Perk glowered, still maintaining his hold. “Now sit still until we get safely away from here.”

“Safely?” She’d moved apart from him as far as she could with his fingers still wrapped around her foot.

“Yeah,” he said, using his free hand to shut the door, turn the key, then drop the car into drive. “Safely.”

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