there. Like she was too afraid to look at the
people who held her fate in their hands.
“Well, we're
here,” I said, looking at Lex. Wanting to get down to it. The
suspense wasn't helping anything.
Lex nodded. “Alex
Miller,” he said and I saw the way her hands flexed outward
slightly before she balled them in fists, lifting her chin, and
turning to face the man she hated most in the world.
“Lex Keith,”
she said in a tone that was like jagged glass.
“You're prettier
than I expected. My men said you were a looker, but I had no idea you
would be so...”
“Are we flirting
with the hostage or having a fuckin' meeting?” I broke in,
trying to make it look like I wasn't paying any attention to Alex and
her clenched jaw and even paler than usual skin.
“Nothing wrong
with being a little civilized, Breaker,” Lex said, and images
of those beaten girls in the file popped unbidden into my head. Yeah
he was real fuckin' civilized.
“Slept on a cold
concrete floor last night. Forgive me if I ain't in a small talk
mood,” I said coolly. If he knew anything of my reputation,
he'd know I was never in a small talk mood. I got my orders, I
followed through. Hell, if we didn't have to have any words
whatsoever, all the better.
Out of the corner of my
eye, I saw Alex move closer to Shooter. Not me. Shooter. If I wasn't
trying to make it look like I couldn't care less about her, she'd be
getting one hell of a look. Shooter didn't seem phased by it. Women
always seemed to flock to him. Apparently even in life or death
situations.
The surge of jealousy I
felt at that was sudden and unexpected. And completely fuckin'
ridiculous. It made no sense. I wasn't that type of man. I didn't get
jealous. But, fuck, I still had her taste in my mouth.
“Of course,”
Lex said, breaking into my thoughts. “Let's get down to
business.” He paused, looking at his men, something silent
passing because they moved slightly. One going toward the door to
block the exit and one moving behind Shoot and Alex. “Plans
have changed.”
“We had a deal,
Lex,” I said, letting my voice have an edge because it was
expected when someone welshed.
“We did. But the
deal has... evolved.”
“Evolved,”
I repeated through clenched teeth.
He was giving me
nothing. Aside from his men moving, there was nothing to go on. No
inflection to read. No smile. Fucker had a great poker face.
“Yes. See... my
need for Alex is not as pressing as I had originally thought.”
His need for Alex? The
fuck was that supposed to mean?
“Gonna need more
details than that Lex. And I ain't got all day.”
I got a brow raise for
my rudeness, but it was expected of me, so he said nothing about it.
“Yes. As it turns out, I won't need her for another few days.
But, you can understand why I couldn't exactly let her go back to her
life now that she knows about our little... arrangement.”
A few days.
A few days to figure
out another plan.
A few days to take the
son of a bitch down for good.
Alex could get her
closure.
She could move on with
her life.
“So what you
asking, Lex?” I asked, trying to keep my mind in the present.
“I am saying that
I need you to hold onto her for me.”
Thank god.
I could practically
feel the sigh of relief from Alex. Shooter had moved his hand out and
squeezed her pinkie with his before letting her go. A tiny gesture
that was so much like Shooter. Always thinking of everyone else. Even
though Lex hadn't said anything about letting him off the hook.
“You want me to
keep the bitch for a couple more days?” I asked, knowing I was
going to get an earful about calling her a bitch if we got out of
this.
“You'll get the
same rate. Consider it a paid vacation.”
“A vacation where
I have to cart some chick around with me everywhere?” I asked,
shaking my head.
Lex waved a hand. “I
need her. I don't need her in good spirits. Keep her chained in your
basement for all I care. So long as she is alive and conscious at
people who held her fate in their hands.
“Well, we're
here,” I said, looking at Lex. Wanting to get down to it. The
suspense wasn't helping anything.
Lex nodded. “Alex
Miller,” he said and I saw the way her hands flexed outward
slightly before she balled them in fists, lifting her chin, and
turning to face the man she hated most in the world.
“Lex Keith,”
she said in a tone that was like jagged glass.
“You're prettier
than I expected. My men said you were a looker, but I had no idea you
would be so...”
“Are we flirting
with the hostage or having a fuckin' meeting?” I broke in,
trying to make it look like I wasn't paying any attention to Alex and
her clenched jaw and even paler than usual skin.
“Nothing wrong
with being a little civilized, Breaker,” Lex said, and images
of those beaten girls in the file popped unbidden into my head. Yeah
he was real fuckin' civilized.
“Slept on a cold
concrete floor last night. Forgive me if I ain't in a small talk
mood,” I said coolly. If he knew anything of my reputation,
he'd know I was never in a small talk mood. I got my orders, I
followed through. Hell, if we didn't have to have any words
whatsoever, all the better.
Out of the corner of my
eye, I saw Alex move closer to Shooter. Not me. Shooter. If I wasn't
trying to make it look like I couldn't care less about her, she'd be
getting one hell of a look. Shooter didn't seem phased by it. Women
always seemed to flock to him. Apparently even in life or death
situations.
The surge of jealousy I
felt at that was sudden and unexpected. And completely fuckin'
ridiculous. It made no sense. I wasn't that type of man. I didn't get
jealous. But, fuck, I still had her taste in my mouth.
“Of course,”
Lex said, breaking into my thoughts. “Let's get down to
business.” He paused, looking at his men, something silent
passing because they moved slightly. One going toward the door to
block the exit and one moving behind Shoot and Alex. “Plans
have changed.”
“We had a deal,
Lex,” I said, letting my voice have an edge because it was
expected when someone welshed.
“We did. But the
deal has... evolved.”
“Evolved,”
I repeated through clenched teeth.
He was giving me
nothing. Aside from his men moving, there was nothing to go on. No
inflection to read. No smile. Fucker had a great poker face.
“Yes. See... my
need for Alex is not as pressing as I had originally thought.”
His need for Alex? The
fuck was that supposed to mean?
“Gonna need more
details than that Lex. And I ain't got all day.”
I got a brow raise for
my rudeness, but it was expected of me, so he said nothing about it.
“Yes. As it turns out, I won't need her for another few days.
But, you can understand why I couldn't exactly let her go back to her
life now that she knows about our little... arrangement.”
A few days.
A few days to figure
out another plan.
A few days to take the
son of a bitch down for good.
Alex could get her
closure.
She could move on with
her life.
“So what you
asking, Lex?” I asked, trying to keep my mind in the present.
“I am saying that
I need you to hold onto her for me.”
Thank god.
I could practically
feel the sigh of relief from Alex. Shooter had moved his hand out and
squeezed her pinkie with his before letting her go. A tiny gesture
that was so much like Shooter. Always thinking of everyone else. Even
though Lex hadn't said anything about letting him off the hook.
“You want me to
keep the bitch for a couple more days?” I asked, knowing I was
going to get an earful about calling her a bitch if we got out of
this.
“You'll get the
same rate. Consider it a paid vacation.”
“A vacation where
I have to cart some chick around with me everywhere?” I asked,
shaking my head.
Lex waved a hand. “I
need her. I don't need her in good spirits. Keep her chained in your
basement for all I care. So long as she is alive and conscious at
Similar Books
