Page 24 of Deadly Ruck
"Then he can let us go," I said, pretending I didn't understand exactly what she was referring to. Both of us knew exactly what she was saying. Jones would take me, whether I was willing or if it was by force. Men like him didn't stop to ask permission. Or forgiveness.
"You know he won't do that until he’s done with you," she said. "If he ever is. Let me tell you a few things." She grabbed a chair from the side of the room and pulled it over to sit in front of us. She twisted around to nod at the minions. "You can go."
One of them opened his mouth to answer, but she stared them down until they backed out the door and closed it behind them.
"You're very sure we won't kill you now you're alone in here with us," Atlas remarked. He stepped around the chair to stand beside her. His arms were by his sides, but his hands curling and uncurling as if he was ready to wrap them around her throat and squeeze. None of us would stop him.
"You won't do that," she said, barely looking at him. "You know if you do, you'll be next. And we're supposed to be on the same side, remember?" Now she looked up at him and gave him the same dangerous smile.
"Maybe I'll kill you," I said to her. "I'm not on the same side as him." I gave him a glare Storm would have been proud of. I wished he was here to do it himself. He would have done a more convincing job of threatening her.
"Then he'd have to stop you." She jerked her head towards Atlas. "And if he didn't, how would that look?"
"What do you want?" I was done with her bullshit. If she'd come here to say something, she might as well go ahead and say it.
"Do you know who I am?" she asked.
I almost said I didn't, but realised I knew exactly who she was the moment she stepped into the room. "Nyla Fox. Carlos Jones' right hand."
"I prefer the term 'successor,'" she said.
"Can you take over from him today?" Jay asked. "Because he'd be dead then," he added, in case anyone missed his meaning.
"Works for me," Dallas muttered.
I would have agreed, but I had the impression she was more dangerous than Jones. Although, she probably didn't have a cock, so that was a bonus. Unless she decided the guys should please her. In which case, Iwouldkill her.
"Are you suggesting there might be some kind of conflict between Carlos and me?" One of her perfectly shaped eyebrows twitched upward, a piercing there glittering in the overhead light.
"Carlos Jones is an asshole," I said bluntly. "There's conflict between him and me. There's going to be a shit load of conflict between him and my family when they come looking for me. Ifthere isn't any between you and him, then you can look forward to a slow, painful death alongside him." It wasn't even an empty threat. That was exactly what would happen. All of us held grudges and had long memories.
Nyla smiled. "You're everything I expected you to be. Finally."
I frowned at her. "What are you talking about?" She couldn't possibly be implying what I thought she was, could she?
She leaned forward and placed her hands on her knees. Her nails were long, painted matte black. "You and your friend getting shot at. How is she doing, by the way?"
"Fine." That was all she was getting from me. She didn't deserve to know anything moreabout Sadie. The fact she knew my friend existed was bad enough.
"I'm so glad," she said, clearly not giving too many shits either way. "Then there was India, and Sierra. Such a shame to lose both of them, but it was what it was."
Beside me, Dallas stiffened at the mention of India's name. Did Nyla know he had anything to do with that? Judging by the way her eyes slid to him and back again, she did. Jones must have told her after Atlas told him. At this point, we might as well have written it in the sky. It seemed she wasn't going to retaliate. Not yet at least.
"Is there a point to all of this?" Atlas demanded. "Maybe you could get to it. Like you said, they should fix their clothes before Jones gets here."
She glanced at him dismissively before her intense gaze was back on me. "You don't get it, do you? There was a reason behind everything that happened. Remember Belinda Simmons? Did you ever wonder how she found out you used to be a stripper? Did you wonder how Dominic King knew? How the press found out yesterday? Did it occur to you that people being shot, or shot at in your vicinity, might not be coincidental?"
"Of course I have," I said sharply. "Belinda just did some digging around. She spoke to some people?—"
Nyla laughed. "She wished she was that intelligent and capable. No, she was tipped off."
"By you?" Atlas asked.
"People who work for me, yes," she said. "Because I told them to. They encouraged her to look into you and ask you questions. She was only too happy to."
"Why?" I frowned at her. "Why would you bother?" What was I missing here? I didn't even know this woman. Why would she go to so much effort to insinuate herself into my life?
"Because it was fun," she said. "And because I knew what you'd do. Belinda Simmons was getting too close to a couple of things I didn't want her near. I needed her taken care of."
