Page 54 of Cruel Charming Psychos (Necessary Evils 2)

“Tell me where I can find my children,” he demands. “Tell me where they are, and we will let bygones be bygones.”

“If I have learned anything in this life, it’s to not trust anyone in your family. So no offense, but I’d rather just show you myself to ensure my own safety.”

He leans over me, his face so close to mine that I can taste the expensive bourbon on his breath. “I’m not playing games with you.”

“Are you sure? Because it seems that you’re willing to gamble with your children’s lives. I will not tell you where it is, but I’ll show you. The choice is yours.”

He huffs and exhales a hot burst of air. “I’m going to go get a few things, but if you try playing me for a fool, I won’t hesitate to do what I should have done all those years ago.” He stands up and passes the gun to his wife. “If she tries anything, shoot her in the knee.”

He exits the door in a hurry, and I know that I don’t have much time. Nick’s mother stands at the door, the gun aimed squarely at me. I know there’s no chance to reason with her, so I must try and do something I’ve seen in the movies before. I fiddle with my hands behind my back, attempting to pull the knots apart with the tips of my fingers. While they don’t seem to be particularly well tied, it’s not as easy as the movies make it look. I grow frustrated by my lack of progress and grit my teeth together.

A phone chirps and I know it’s not mine. Nick’s mom looks down and searches her pocket for her phone. She drops her guard as she watches something play on her phone, her lips beginning to tremble.

It’s now or never.

I free my hands from the ropes and lean forward to rip the ropes from my feet. Whatever she’s watching distracts her long enough that I’m able to free myself just enough to make my move. I jump forward, taking the risk. She takes a moment too long to realize what’s happening and by the time she raises the gun, I’m too close.

She pulls the trigger, shooting something behind me but in the heat of the moment I can’t discern where exactly it lands.

I lunge at her, throwing the entirety of my weight against her. The gun clatters to the floor behind me.

I pin her down and throw a hand around her throat. I have no intention of killing her today, but I know I only have seconds to make my move before Nick’s father comes to investigate the gunshot.

I release my hand from her throat and jump backwards to collect the gun in my hand, and when I turn to face her, she’s charging forward, much more agile than her age would have you believe. I kick my feet upwards, landing against her stomach as she dives forward. She rolls over me, landing with a thud on the floor.

I Jump to my feet and grab her by the shirt, pulling her to her feet just as Nick’s father barges in the door, throwing his hands up in surrender. I point the gun at her head to make him believe that I’m serious enough to pull the trigger.

“Don’t do anything stupid,” he warns me between ragged breaths. “We had a deal. There’s no need for either of us to back out of it.”

“Like I said before, I don’t trust you.” I take a measured step backwards, dragging his wife with me. “I want the disks.”

“If that’s what you’re after, then you’re going to have to kill us both because I don’t have them anymore. After I got them back from an anonymous source, I had them destroyed to ensure something like this wouldn’t happen.”

I cock the gun. “You’re lying.”

“I wish to God I were, but I’m telling you the truth no matter what unfortunate predicament that puts me in.”

New plan. “You’re going to allow your wife to tie you up or I’m going to shoot you both.”

“What else could you possibly want from us? I don’t have what you’re looking for.”

“I’m going to do what I know you won’t. I’m going to save your children, but first I need to make sure that neither of you leave this room.” I push Nick’s mother forward. “Do it, now. Tie him up or I’ll shoot you in the back of the head.”

She doesn’t protest and neither does he, at least not outwardly. He takes a seat on the same chair where I’d been held hostage and she does as she’s told. I’m suspicious about how well she intends on tying him, so I make a mental note to check the restraints before I leave. When she’s finished, I instruct her to follow me with a gesture of my hand. She walks with confidence towards the back of her husband where I pull out another chair and order her to take a seat. With the gun still aimed at her, I pull one of her hands behind her back and tie it loosely to the chair. When I’m sure I have control of the situation, I drop the gun and tie the other hand.

I’ve never held prisoners hostage before, but it’s something I can safely add to my expansive rap sheet now. I check both of their restraints to make sure they’re tighter than mine were, and just for good measure, I fill a bowl of water to dump onto the ropes to tighten them a little more. And then I retrieve both of their phones.

When I’m finished, I circle back around to the front of them. “Where do you keep your cash? And don’t lie to me, I’m not stupid.”

“I don’t think you’re as smart as you think you are,” he says mockingly. “If you had our wealth, you’d know it’s not smart to keep liquid assets around the house. If you’re looking for money, you’re not going to find any here.”

“We will see about that.”

* * *

“If I were a rich asshole, where would I keep a fat stack of cash?” I question myself as I tear apart the master bedroom in the Callaway manor. Sheets, pillows, and blankets are strewn across the floor. Curtains are hanging half off the rods. The contents of the dressers have been cleared off the top and emptied from the drawers. The nightstands have been searched.

I race into the closet. It’s bigger than most studio apartments in New York. I storm through the closet, pulling clothes from the hangers and tossing them in the floor. I clear entire rows of shoes and search through piles of boxes. Nothing.

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