Page 7 of Hidden Heir

He doesn’t like that. Suddenly, he releases the grip on my jaw only to pull back his hand, colliding it full force with my cheek. My head snaps to the side as burning heat explodes across my face, my ear ringing from the force of the blow. He drags me from the wall and shoves me down over the counter, draping his bulky body over the top of me and pressing down so hard I can’t breathe.

“Wait!” I squeak, dizzy from the blow. “No, please, don’t!” One large hand lands on my head, keeping my hot cheek pressedto the cold counter. Terror grips me like barbed wire as his thick leg shoves between my thighs and I’m completely pinned.

“Please, please don’t. No, no, no, NO!” It falls like a mantra as his other hand wanders over my body and pulls my t-shirt up, exposing my abdomen. In the same second, the sudden sharp pressure of a blade presses into my navel. I choke on air, unable to cry and breathe at the same time.

“Now, we’ll talk,” the man says, leaning down and pressing his lips against my cheek. “My name’s Paul and you owe us a shit ton of fucking money. And I’m not leaving here until I get it.”

“What?” I gasp hoarsely. My body trembles with a will of its own and despite my fingertips clawing at the countertop, there’s an unnatural numbness taking over my limbs. It’s like fear is now completely in control.

“Are you fucking deaf?” He grips my hair and lifts my head an inch, then slams it back down onto the counter.

I scream and suddenly his fat fingers are in my mouth, clawing to the back of my throat. I can’t even bite down as sharp pain lances through my jaw. I choke violently, my body convulsing against his. He snickers as if enjoying the struggle.

“Now you listen here, you little bitch, and you listen good. I’m a patient man, but right now, unfortunately for you, my patience is wearing thin. Your brother owes us money, you understand? He owes enough money that I bet you could buy a hundred of these little flower shops, but we can’t find him. It’s as if he’s just up and vanished. But we did find you, pretty lady.” Paul pops his lips and my stomach turns in disgust.

My body recoils instinctively, his words reaching me in snippets through the fearful pounding of my own heart and the sharp, wet chokes from my throat. It feels like he’s trying to reach down into my body and flip me inside out.

This is about Ant?

“You see, Ant works for us. Do you know who we are, Brooke?”

I can only gurgle.

Paul laughs. “I don’t think she knows, boys.”

Through my swimming eyes, I catch a glimpse of the other three men moving toward the counter, and a fear like I’ve never known grips me so hard I can’t breathe. They came to claim money that Ant owes them. What if they decide to use me as part of that payment?

“We’re members of the Irish Mafia and your brother works for us. The only problem is, he became a littletooaddicted to the product, if you get what I’m saying. I can overlook a sniff here, a needle there. We’ve all done it and addicts make great dealers because no one sells product as well as someone already hooked.”

I can barely wrap my mind around what I’m hearing, too consumed by fear over the knife at my belly and the clawing fingers in my mouth.

“Trouble is, Ant got cocky and a shipment went missing. A shipment I trusted him to deliver. It was his chance to rank up but instead, the truck goes missing. The truck withmydrugs in it.”

As anger seeps thicker into Paul’s voice, the blade presses firmer into my abdomen, forcing me to arch away from the knife and into Paul’s body.

“You don’t happen to know where that shipment might have gone, do you? Or where your brother is, for that matter?”

Again, I can only gurgle. Paul is silent for a few seconds before laughing wickedly.

“Oh shit.” Finally, he removes his fingers from my mouth. My stomach tightens and heaves in disgust.

I cough loudly, gagging and choking over the strange metallic taste left behind. It’s not until I cough again that I realize my mouth is bleeding.

Fuck!

“I don’t know anything!” I sob. “I swear. I didn’t even know Ant had a job. I haven’t seen him in I don’t know how long. Please, I’m telling you the truth!”

Paul doesn’t appear to believe me. When he leans back down, he aligns his cheek with mine. “You see, Brooke, normally I wouldn’t believe you but I’ve been watching you for a few days and I’ve seen that gorgeous little daughter you have. No sign of your brother, though.”

A different fear grips me. This one is hot and all-consuming, blaring in my mind like a siren as his words sink in.

He’s seen me with Tiff. He knows I have a child.

I consider telling him exactly where Ant is because there is no world where I will choose him over my daughter. But my mouth doesn’t work. I’m trembling so fiercely that all I can do is whimper.

“So, here’s what I’m thinking. If Ant can’t give us what he owes then it’s up to you.”

“Me?”

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