Page 28 of Boss

The man looked to Tarek for instruction. Tarek shook his head no to her request. The man nodded and left. The moment the door closed she tried to strike Tarek but he caught her wrist.

“What the hell was that!” she demanded.

“I told you. You’re safe with me.”

“You? You dangled me like a piece of meat to that Russian pit-bull. Accused me spying on you?”

“Are you going to deny it?”

“Deny what? That you’re a complete jackass? Asshole! No I won’t deny it.”

“Deny that you work for my brother Dale. And that you’ve been spying for him from the very beginning.”

“Are you insane?”

“Your name is not Angela Brown.”

“It is!”

“Bullshit!” he shouted. “I don’t know who the fuck you are lady but I know when I’m being played.”

“So what you brought me here as a sacrificial lamb to that thing Yegor? Is that it? You’re not only a jackass you’re a sadistic bastard! I am Angela Brown. And all I wanted was a job. You’re the one that turned this into a game or whatever it is.”She turned to leave the argument and he grabbed her and forced her to stand still.

“I’m going to ask you to be truthful with me one last time. Your life and mine depends on how your answer. Are you working for Dale?”

“No. I am not working for Dale. Let me go!”

He released her. She rubbed the soreness from her arm. “My name is Angela Brown. You’re paranoid. I don’t know your brother. These Russians. None of it. But I’m not stupid either. They aren’t business men. They are thugs. And if you get involved with something illegal I’m out. I don’t want any part of it.”

“You’re lying.”

“Christ! I am not!”

“You’re not who you’re pretending to be. And you don’t give a shit about the risks. So you’re not out. You’ll go the distance, because you want something. And one day soon I’m going to figure out what that something is.”

She threw up her hands in defeat. She paced the floor. She almost considered confessing to what she and Daniel had been up too. Or even better revealing how they were really connected. But something held her back.

“You were antagonizing him at the dinner.”

“No, I wasn’t.”

“Yes you were! Why? Why antagonize the man. He looks dangerous.”

“I didn’t like the way he kept looking at you,” Tarek mumbled. “It pissed me off.”

“What? Why would you care if you think I’m some fucking spy?”

“Never mind,” he dismissed his concern.

She intended to press him but there was a knock at the door. Tarek collected his coat and gloves.

“Tarek? You can trust me. I swear it. But don’t leave me alone in here.”

He glanced at her and then shook his head. “Lock the door behind me. Don’t open it for anyone but me. No matter what is said to you. Do you understand?”

“No. I don’t understand any of it.”

The knocking on the door turned into banging. Tarek opened the door and three men walked inside. They were stone faced. Tarek put on his coat and gloves. He glanced her way.

“Remember what I told you,” he said before he left. Kassidy immediately locked the door. She put her ear to it. She could hear the men footfalls fade away. She turned away from the door and went to the bed. There she sat on the edge with her heart still racing. What was she supposed to do now? She needed to talk to Daniel. To figure this mess out.

Kassidy went to her bag and got out her cellphone. She tried for a signal and to her horror she didn’t have one.

“Shit!”

It dawned on her that she was helpless. And that’s what Tarek wanted.

---