Page 52 of Boss

He walked over and pulled her up by the arm. She groaned, but didn’t fully regain consciousness. He pulled her up and then knelt to scoop her over his shoulder.He stood tall and straight. The snow came hard and fast. Large crystallized flakes covered her face, hair, and coat. Tarek didn’t bother to retrieve her purse. Where he was taking her she didn’t need it. He reached his truck and opened the passenger door while balancing her weight, with the binder pressed under his arm. He put her inside. When he turned to walk around the truck to the driver’s side, he saw Daniel staggering to stand. The man wasn’t as much of a pussy as he suspected.

Tarek grimaced. He wanted revenge. He thirsted for it. He climbed inside the truck and tossed the binder to the back seat. He revved the engine and hit his windshield wipers. Daniel picked up Kassidy’s purse and looked at Tarek. Or so Tarek thought. He couldn't be sure because Daniel's face was covered in blood and his glasses smashed. Daniel yelled something that Tarek couldn’t hear. He limped toward the truck holding on to his side. Tarek pressed down on the gas and sped straight for him. The bastard barely jumped out of Tarek’s way in time. Tarek laughed. Daniel was rolling across the concrete parking lot as he sped out into the streets.

“Motherfucker!” Tarek chuckled.

He kept his hands tight to the steering wheel. The cars on the road weren’t moving as fast as he needed. Several patches of black ice had conquered them. Texans didn’t live, drive, or work well in the snow. Tarek had to literally push one car caught into a spin with the front rack attached to his Sema. Instead of the dumbass behind the wheel turning into the spin and correcting his mistake, he turned out of it and the car fishtailed into another. Tarek chuckled. He didn’t give a shit. He kept driving.

20.

Summer of 2000

Crystal Beach, Texas

Kassidy heard the soft roar of a motorcycle engine. She lifted her head from her mother’s breast and listened. It was Tarek and Clarissa. She knew it. She tried to push out of her mother’s arms, but her mother held on to her. She slept between her parents because she’d had a bad dream. And whenever she did they brought her to their room, no matter where they were staying. Her father lay on his back and snored. Kassidy’s mother held her in her arms, and kissed her while she slept. That was fine when she was a baby, but she was older now—six years old.

“Mama, I got to go to the bathroom.” She patted her mother’s cheek.

“Huh? Oh yes, okay baby,” her mother said, and let her go.Kassidy scooted out of her mother’s arms and off the bed. She dropped to her feet, and ran for the door. Her sisters slept in the room outside of her parents. The bathroom was down the hall; Next to it was a room the Garcia’s’ let her play with her dolls in. A kid’s room for the guests. It faced the front of the house. She wasn’t afraid of the dark but she was afraid her mother would find out she didn’t have to pee. All she could think about, was Tarek and Clarissa. When she reached the room she found it too dark for her liking so she pushed up the light switch and went to the window. She could barely see out of it, so she found a chair and pushed it closer. Outside Clarissa was in Tarek’s arms. They were kissing. Kassidy grinned. She tapped the window with her hand but they kept kissing. She started to beat the window pane hard with her fist. Tarek peeked up at her in the window. He stopped kissing Clarissa, and they both looked up at her. Kassidy waved.

Clarissa shook her head and made the shoo away gesture with her hand that Kassidy’s mother often did when she was on the phone, and wanted to send her away from the room.

Kassidy pressed her face to the glass and her hands too. Tarek winked at her and it was as good as a kiss, because it made her happy. She kissed the window pane. And that was it. Kassidy was forever in love. She scooted off the chair and pushed it back to where it was. She then saw the paper and crayons she was drawing with earlier over the play table. An idea came to her. She sat down and picked up a blue crayon and wrote Tarek’s name. At least how she thought his name was spelled. She then picked up a pink crayon and drew several hearts. She worked hard on her picture. If she hurried, she could take it downstairs to Tarek. Clarissa could draw a picture too. She would show her how.

“Kassie? Sweetheart?”

She glanced up to see her mother standing in the doorway. She wore a powder blue robe that she tied tightly around her waist. Her mother had thick dark hair that was often wrapped up under a headscarf when she slept.

“What are you doing in here baby?”

“Drawing a picture,” Kassidy said, and colored in her heart.

“Picture? Let mama see,” she said. She walked over and stooped down. She took the picture and stared at it. “Wow, who is Taaick?”

“Tarek. He’s Clarissa’s boyfriend. Mama, how old do I have to be to get married?” she asked.

Her mother chuckled lightly.

“I think Daddy said forty-five,” her mother said.

“What?” Kassidy eyes stretched wide. “That’s ancient!”

“Come here sweetheart.” Her mother pulled her out of the chair and she protested. She had to suffer more kisses to her face. She tried to push her mother away but before she could object; her mother picked her up in her arms.

“No mama! I not sleepy. I not!” Kassidy protested. Her mother cut off the light, and carried her from the room. Kassidy looked over her shoulder at the picture on the table. She’d finish it in the morning and give to Tarek. She smiled when she thought of the kiss he sent her through the window. She rested her face on her mother’s shoulder and smiled.

Present

Kassidy felt a severe strike of pain lacerate her skull. Tears sprung to her eyes. The cool glass her forehead rested against helped. She touched her face and tried to sit back. Her vision blurred, but slowly corrected. She was in a car, no a truck, headed down an isolated stretch of road. She glanced over and her nightmare materialized. Tarek Marshall was driving with one gloved hand to the wheel. His gaze slipped over to her, and she remembered everything. The most vivid memory was the violent attack on Daniel, and her.

She cringed.

“Welcome back, sleeping beauty,” Tarek said.

“What are you doing? Why am I... and where are you taking me?” she asked. He didn’t answer. His gaze swiveled back to the road. Kassidy looked out at the land, and the ranch homes that were situated miles apart. The snow was still falling, blanketing everything in white.

“How long have you been stealing information from me?” Tarek asked.

Did he just ask her a question? What about her question? This was kidnapping. He glanced to her and she saw the deadly intent in his eyes. She was the first to look away.

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