Page 57 of Boss

“Cash? Who is Cash?” she asked.

“Never mind who he is. When I turn you over to the police they will get you some –”

“No!” she grabbed his arm, stopping them both mid-step. “I need it now. I hit my head and that’s your fault. I could have a concussion or something.”

He took hold of her chin and her eyes stretched. He looked into her eyes and though they looked weary from tears, her pupils looked fine to him.She snatched her face away from his hold. Tarek took hold of her arm and continued to pull her up the stairs. At the top, he walked her down a hall to a room on the left. It was also one of the few rooms that were furnished.

When they arrived at the door, he forced her inside. She pulled away and went toward the bed rubbing her arm. Had he again been too rough? What if she was hurt? Tarek hadn’t thought that part of his plan through.

“What is this room, my prison?” she asked.

“It is for now. You can clean up yourself in there,” he said pointing.

She glanced over to the bathroom. Then her gaze turned back to him. He waited. He wasn’t sure for what, until it happened. She removed her coat and then her blazer in front of him. Tarek’s gaze went over the swell of her breasts, and her petite waist. There was blood on her shirt. Several drops actually. This feeling of guilt he felt was new to him. He typically never felt guilty dealing with his enemies.

Kassidy rubbed her arm and walked over to the bathroom. Once inside, she turned on the light, then inspected the side of her face. Tarek rubbed his jaw. He took a step toward the bathroom, their favorite place, when his phone buzzed in his pocket.

He paused and removed it. But his eyes never left her. “Where are you?”

“I, ah, we got a problem boss.”

“What problem?” Tarek asked.

“I took the kid back downtown to his office to get what you wanted. The roads are the worst here. They’ve completely shut down the access roads to the interstate. Everything is iced over. And the snow is not stopping...”

“I don’t give a fuck!” Tarek yelled. “Do you hear me? You bring him here with everything. This happens now,” Tarek said. Kassidy glanced over to him with concern. Tarek ended the call, and heaved a deep breath before he turned and walked out the room. He paced the hall trying to think.

21.

Kassidy feared his return. She saw the way he looked at her. When he didn’t come back, she left the bathroom. She glanced around her for a weapon, something, anything she could use for protection. But there was nothing in this room, besides a lamp that she could lift. Deja-vu returned. The night she spent trapped in a room in Alaska with men outside of her door. It was as if she and Tarek were on this out of control merry-go-round. She kept spinning toward nothing.

What she needed was a phone. Tarek had one, but the house had to have one as well. Didn’t it?

She rubbed her hands down her hips and walked to the door. She put her ear to it first and listened for him. There wasn’t a sound, so she said a silent prayer and opened it slowly, peeking outside. The hall was empty. He had to have gone downstairs. Though she burned to break and run for it, she knew that he’d catch her. Instead, she ran for the room across the hall. Kassidy opened the door, and found the room empty. She frowned and backed out of the room, checking the next door in the hall, and then the next. Each room was like the last. Empty. Two didn’t even have windows.

“What the hell is this place?” she asked herself in the hall.

22.

“Hello, Mom,” Tarek said.

“Tarek, ah, hi,” his mother said.

“Is Pops around?” He paced the floor.

“No. Sorry, hon. He’s with your brother Dale. Are you okay? The weather report said –”

“He’s not answering my calls. Did you speak to him?” Tarek asked.

“Earlier. He said he would stop by and see Dale and Henry at the office before he came home. The storm, Tarek, it’s getting worse. Where are you?”

“I’m fine. When you see Dad tell him to call me,” Tarek said.

“Why don’t you call your brother? He can—”

“Have Pops, call me,” he said and hung up. He dialed the worm attorney who did his father’s bidding.

“Bill Havarti speaking,” the attorney answered on the first ring.

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