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“Greedy?” he repeats with a crooked smile.
“I think you wanted to prove a point to your wife.” I lay it out there for him. I’m not messing around; I want this prick to know that I’m fully aware of what he’s doing.
“That bitch has got nothing to do with this.”
There’s a skip in my pulse. With a slight cock of my head I ask, “Who does then?”
His mouth parts, but then slams shut a second later. “Fuck you.”
“I won’t stop until I find out everything. Until every bit of dirt I can get on you is dug up and exposed.”
“You know how much shit I’ve got on you, Thompson?” He seems to find his strength as he leans forward on his desk.
“This is a warning to stay away. From me and Samantha.” I almost bring up Kat. I almost say she’s pregnant. Every ounce of my being craves to demand that my family’s off-limits. But that would only give him that much more of a reason to hurt her. So I keep her name out of the conversation; I keep her safe.
I’ll do anything for her. Anything and everything. Fear stirs in my blood at the thought of her being on his radar. It’s gone as quickly as it came, eased by his next line of questioning.
“So, it’s true then?” he asks with a snort. “You two are together?”
It takes me a moment before I realize he’s talking about Samantha and referring to the rumors. “She came to me for help.”
“I always knew she’d cross me. I didn’t think you’d be the dick she picked to go down with her.”
I raise the gun and take a step closer. “Give me one reason I shouldn’t kill you right now. You and I both know you deserve it.”
He shrugs. “I have the evidence that proves you lied to the cops, for one. I have evidence on both you assholes.”
“A dead man can’t do shit with evidence.”
“The cops will find it, and you know it. You don’t want them poking around in here.”
“What are you doing back here, baby?” A high-pitched voice rings through the hallway and I look quickly over my shoulder. I hear the door open and James smiles.
“Oh yeah, there are two other reasons. In all the years I’ve known you, you’ve never put your hands on a woman. Well, other than Sam, I mean.”
“Shut the fuck up,” I say, gritting the words through my clenched teeth.
“Come on back, sweet cheeks!” he yells out. He’s calling my bluff and I’m quick to lower the gun, hiding it behind my leg.
My heart beats slowly and I can see it all playing out. Killing this fucker and the two girls from the back room screaming, running. I can see the red and blue lights reflecting off the glass.
“Are you ready for us?” A young woman walks in, skinny as a rail with a sharp blond bob. It looks so perfectly straight, my guess is it’s a wig.
The smell of perfume floods the room as she enters, swaying her hips and wearing light blue ripped shorts that ride up her ass.
Hookers.
“Let me just finish this conversation really quick,” James tells her as the second girl walks in a bit behind the first. The blonde rounds the desk, peeking at me, but stalks toward James to perch on the corner of his desk.
“Whatever you want. I’m not in a rush.”
“Hi there,” a little brunette says. Her voice is softer, sweeter even, which matches her look. She’s got a look that’s more innocent, with clothes that actually cover her ass. She might sound sweet, but there’s a devil in those baby blues of hers. Her eyes are bloodshot, and she can barely walk straight. She tries to lean against me but I take a step back, and when I do she sees my gun.
Her eyes widen, and she stumbles backward with a gasp. The two girls exchange a look while holding their breath, both on edge and realizing they shouldn’t have walked back here.
“I was just on my way out,” I reassure them. I tuck the gun back into the waistband of my jeans.
“I want to ask one question before you leave, Thompson,” James says to my back as I turn away. “Wives aren’t off-limits anymore, are they?” My blood rushes into my ears and I almost do it. I almost kill that fucker, consequences be damned.