Page 11 of The Leader

“It’s Diaz.”

“Well then, Hector Diaz, could you please untie my hands?” she asked, not expecting him to actually comply. Much to her surprise, he did as she asked, and then handed her the cloth. She put it on her burning cheek without thanking him.

“So, I guess we can add hacking skills to your resume?”

“Just one of my many talents,” she lied. The truth would only put Tess on their radar, and she couldn’t risk that. Tess would go nuclear on their asses if she felt threatened. If something had an internet access, Tess was able to get inside. Still, in the end, she was a peaceful hacktivist, who got sick at the sight of blood. She would be no match against Detta in the real world.

Hector gave her a stern look. “This can go down two ways. Either you cooperate and get on the jet with me willingly, or I’ll put you in a crate and carry you inside. What’s it gonna be?"

Neither.

“I will pay you,” she offered, getting desperate now. “I really don’t feel like going to Giovanni Detta’s lair. Just let me go or, at least, give me a fair chance to get away, a head start. He will never know. You can tell him I escaped.” One more week was all she needed before Detta would be forced to marry one of her cousins. She was so close. “Aren’t you a mercenary? I’m sure we can figure something out. I have a trust fund I will get into next year, and—”

“Stop right fucking there,” he said with a growl. Yes, the man actually growled. His eyes were cold now, a stark contrast to the hot red scars on his cheek. “First, I’m not a fucking mercenary. Technically, my firm is hired by the Dettas. Second, there isn’t much I care about in this world. In fact, I can’t really think of a single thing. But Gio is my brother. Not by blood, but by choice. No amount of money is gonna make me betray him.”

Shit. “Don’t pretend you’re doing something noble. You are holding me here against my will. Also, what kind of man stands by to watch a woman get beat up?”

“You gave as good as you got,chica. Had he not pulled a gun on you, you would have beat Jason, fair and square.” There was a hint of admiration in his voice. “Don’t diminish your achievement by complaining you got hit by a man and making it a ‘battle of the sexes’ thing. You’re not that kind of girl.”

Interesting take on the issue. “I’m not?”

He shook his head. “No, you’re not. Which is exactly the reason why you’re in this position in the first place.”

Before she could ask him what he meant by that bizarre remark, they were interrupted by a knock on the door. Dickhead, who was apparently named Jason, stuck his head through the door opening. He gave her a nasty smirk, and announced their plane was ready for takeoff.

With that, her mood plummeted, together with any dreams and hopes of freedom.

***

In the end, she stepped into the jet willingly. They barely spoke on their flight back to the States. The ten-hour flight did give her a lot of time to think, though. Before she knew it, the plane had landed, and she was ushered into the back seat of a limo. Two hours later, she was taken into a lavish Victorian mansion in Pacific Heights, with a great view of the ocean and the Golden Gate Bridge. Though nobody told her, she had a feeling this was Giovanni Detta’s place.

Hector guided her to a soulless, stark white living room. Both men stayed with her, obviously not willing to take their eyes off her for a second. Hector didn’t show any emotion at all. Jason, on the other hand, looked gleeful. As if he couldn’t wait for his boss to come and finish the beating that he’d started. Even though Jazzy tried hard to not show him that he got to her, she felt sick to her stomach. What if Jason was right? What if Detta was so pissed off that he would hurt her?

It wasn’t until a half an hour later before Detta walked into the room. By that time, she had paced a hole into the carpet, considering her limited options.

She wasn’t sure what she’d expected when she came face-to-face with Detta again. Ice cold eyes and a flash of rage crossing his handsome features wasn’t it, though. Fear coursed through her body, almost paralyzing her. But then he turned his gaze to Jason.

“You hit her.”

It was odd that he immediately assumed it had been him responsible for her swollen jaw, and not Hector. Of the two of them, with his hulking presence and eternal scowl etched on his face, Hector looked the more menacing.

“I sure did. The bitch kicked me in the nuts.”

Gio’s eyes narrowed at her, a muscle twitching in his jaw. “Did she now?”

“I sure did,” Jazzy repeated after the asshole. There was no way she was going to apologize for trying to get free.

What happened next, she didn’t see coming. Gio spun around and decked the prick, who bent over with a grunt. Another quick move and Jason’s knees buckled. When Gio stepped away from him, she saw a knife sticking out of Jason’s stomach. A red trail, that was rapidly spreading, had darkened his white shirt.

“Take him to the clinic. If he lives, fire him.”

Hector didn’t seem fazed in the least bit. He just dragged the bleeding man away.

When they were finally alone, a set of piercing blue eyes turned their attention back to her.

Oh, crap.

CHAPTER 8

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