Page 82 of Wicked Lies

“You should listen to him, kid,” Frank advised. “Nick knows firsthand what happens when I get angry.”

The kid peddled dope to entitled rich kids who came to party at upscale clubs in Miami, so Nick doubted Alejandro ever held a gun, no less knew how to use it.

“I know you shot my uncle.” Alejandro raged. “I know it was you.”

“I had nothing to do with that.” Frank rounded his desk, finally making eye contact with Alejandro. “Liar.” Alejandro’s hand shook with the weight of the gun.

Nick fantasized about taking Frank out. Now, all he had to do was step aside and let someone else do the job, but actually shooting someone was completely different than dreaming about it.

“You’re not gonna shoot me.” Frank taunted, then slipped his hand under the drawer of his desk. “Tell him how hard it is to actually pull the trigger.” Frank shot Nick a knowing look. “How the sound of the gunshot echos in your head so fuckin’ loud you feel it in your chest.” Frank jerked his wrist, whipped out a gun, advanced four steps, and spun a stunned Alejandro toward the wall while pressing the gun barrel to his temple.

“What do you think, Nick. Should I end this stupid punk right now? After all, he did threaten me.”

Nick opened his mouth to say something, and Frank cold-cocked Alejandro. His unconscious body fell to the floor. Frank removed the gun from Alejandro’s limp hand, stepped around him, and laid both guns on his desk. He hit a number on his phone, and a few seconds later, three of his goons swarmed the room.

Frank pointed to Alejandro. “Get him out of here.”

The muscle dragged Alejandro out of the office while the other two stood guard by the door.

Frank shifted his gaze to Nick. “Now, where were we?

He opened his desk drawer and pulled out a bundle of legal-sized pager and shoved them in front of Nick. “Sign this contract giving up any hold on the Oasis, and you can go ahead with Club Wicked. No questions asked.”

Nick narrowed his eyes as he moved closer to the desk. After all the bullshit, Frank was rolling over without any ultimatums. No. Fuckin’. Way.

The office door opened, and all eyes spun to Cheryl as she barged past the muscle at the door.

“What the hell?” Nick ground out. “I thought I told you to—”

“You know how bad I am at taking orders.” She flicked her eyes to Frank. “Plus, I have my own issues to settle.”

Frank’s gaze darted between the two of them. “I planned on making you each an offer separately, but this works out better.”

Frank dug into his desk drawer again and held out a smaller envelope to Cheryl.

Her eyes darted to Nick, and he wanted to gather her up and shove her out of the office, far away from all the drama.

She edged to the desk, and he handed Cheryl the envelope. “A first-class plane ticket to California.”

“I’m not going to California—”

“You are if you want Nick to keep breathing.”

Nick held up the sheave of papers. “This says the only way you’ll let Samson and me out of the Oasis is if I never see Cheryl again.”

“It’s really very simple.” Frank shot him a smarmy smile. “You get out of the Oasis and gain full control of Club Wicked, no strings attached ,if you have nothing more to do with Cheryl.”

“No fuckin’ way I’m signing this.” Nick pushed the papers across the desk, then flicked his hand at Cheryl. “She’s got nothing to do with this deal or what’s going down between us.”

“That’s where your wrong.” Frank shook his head. “She’s a very valuable piece of this whole puzzle, the missing part that’s going to make it all work.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Nick lunged, but the muscle caught him from behind, then relieved him of his gun. He tried to break free, but he had him in a vice grip.

Frank turned to Cheryl. “She’s leaving tomorrow for California alone. Once she’s gone, you and Samson are free to open Club Wicked with absolutely no interference from me or my associates.”

“And what if I refuse? What if I tell you to go fuck yourself? I’ll walk away from the Oasis and Club Wicked to keep her in my life.”

“No, I won’t let you do that.” Cheryl’s strangled plea ripped through his gut.

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