Page 18 of The Killer Who Kept Me

“What happened to you?” I spoke as soon as Cosmo closed the door.

“We’re here for the pickup.” Hess’s voice was like glass, rough yet screechy, and I wanted to punch him.

I regarded the man briefly and once again directed my attention to Em. “I asked what happened to you?”

“Mr. Tancre?—”

“I’m not fucking talking to you, and if you answer for Em one more time, I’m gonna match every injury he has to you. Do I make myself clear?”

Hess didn’t respond. He glared, though, and I’d admire the balls on the guy if I didn’t want to feed them to him instead.

“Em.” I walked around my desk and over to him. “What happened?”

He looked up. There were prominent dark circles under his eyes, he was shaking, and the beading of sweat on his forehead was either fear or pain.

“Nothing, I’m fine.”

That was bullshit. “Cosmo, take Hess here to the bar for a drink; I’d like to speak with Em alone.”

“I’m not leaving him.” Hess stepped closer to me. In a flash I grabbed his wrist, twisted it until he spun, pressed it to his back, and slammed him atop my desk.

“I don’t know who the fuck you think you are, but trust me when I tell you that you’re nothing. You’re the gum at the bottom of my shoe, you’re not even an afterthought. I warned you, yet you don’t seem to understand who I really am and the viper’s nest you walked into. If your boss doesn’t want to inform you of such things, I’ll happily explain in a very painful and visible way. You can take that bit of information to Ramsey with the message that if he wants to continue to breathe, he will learn his place in my territory.” With that I snapped his wrist, successfully breaking it.

Hess screamed like a little bitch. I pushed him hard, and he collapsed on the floor.

“Now, go with Cosmo and get a fucking drink, and then I don’t ever want to see you in my club again.”

He stood, cradling his arm to his chest. He looked over at Em, who was staring wide-eyed at Hess. “He goes with me.”

“You want to lose a tongue too, fuckbag?” I grabbed an envelope cutter off my desk. “I’m game.”

“Let’s go.” Cosmo gripped Hess’s arm and dragged him from my office.

I stood close to Em but remained silent. His chest was heaving, he shook, and his eyes wouldn’t meet mine.

“Why don’t you sit on the couch?” I kept my voice low, not wanting to startle him.

He shuffled over and slowly sat. He sighed, probably from relief from whatever pain was causing the limp.

I leaned against my desk, giving him space. “Em, what happened to you?”

“I’m fine, honestly.” He glanced at the door. “You shouldn’t have done that to Hess.”

“Why not?”

“It’s just…it’s gonna be bad.”

Interesting thing to say. “Bad for whom?”

Em winced, and I didn’t really need him to answer the question. I took a very good look at him. He was thinner than he should be, obviously lacked sleep, and he was injured.

“Did your injuries happen on a job?”

He shrugged. “You could say that.”

“Em, I’m gonna be honest with you.” I slipped my hands into my pockets. “I’ve begun looking into Ramsey’s business.”

Em’s eyes snapped to mine. “Why?”

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