Page 63 of The Stolen Dagger

Finally, after a few minutes, she whispered, “Son of a bitch.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

KATHERINE

Istared in horror at Adrian and the gun still clutched tightly in his hand.

“Y—you killed him,” I cried. “Why?”

“He disobeyed me,” Adrian growled. “He had something I needed and was going to back out on our deal.”

I shook my head and tried to wiggle out of his grasp, but he pulled tight, keeping me in place.

“Let that be a lesson,” he warned. “If you tell anyone about what you saw here tonight or even think about going to the police,” he pointed to the dead man behind him, “that is what will happen. Do you understand me?”

I whimpered, too terrified to speak.

“I said, do you understand?” Adrian yelled.

“Yes!” I jumped. “Yes, I understand.”

“Good.” Adrian caressed my hair with the tip of his gun. “You always do as you’re told, don’t you,mi princesa?”

I took steady deep breaths, trying to calm my racing heart whilestill in his grasp, but then Adrian’s hand tightened around my neck. He pulled me closer and pressed his lips to mine in a harsh kiss.

I tried to pull away, but his grip on my neck prevented it. All I could do was whimper against his punishing kiss as his fingers dug into my throat.

When he finally pulled back, I gasped for breath just as his phone rang. Adrian slowly let go of my waist and dug his phone out of his suit pocket. I took a couple of steps out of his reach, staring at the gun still pointed in my direction.

“Yes, I got it,” Adrian said into his phone, “but our boy Henry wasn’t so lucky. I need you to come down here and take care of him. I have to take Emilia home.”

Faint chatter came from the phone’s speaker, but I couldn’t make out what was said.

“Yes, she followed me,” Adrian glanced at me with a hard stare, “but she knows better than to run her mouth. Isn’t that right, baby? Now get your ass down here before any curious pigs show up.”

Adrian ended the call, placed the phone back in his pocket, and sighed.

“W—what about the police?” I asked hesitantly.

Adrian scoffed. “What about them? We have connections on the inside. The pigs can’t touch me or my boys.”

“Connections? What the hell are you talking about?”

“Oh,mi princesa, I thought you were smarter than this. Surely you know by now that I don’t actually sell insurance.”

All the weird instances over the last few months flashed through my mind.

I’d never once been to his office or talked with any coworkers. He’d always been secretive about his job, but I’d also never asked him. He’d always had money and liked expensive things.

But if he wasn’t an insurance agent, how did he make all that money? Where did it?—

Like a lightbulb went off in my head, all the pieces came together, and I looked at Adrian in shock.

He smirked. “Ah, there it is.”

The money, the friends, the gun. I was aware of gangs in Vegas, but I never would have guessed Adrian was part of one.

“You’re in a gang? H—how? Why?—?”