This was the day Bain had been dreading.
Scarlett saw it differently. It was her chance to bring peace to her man, an opportunity to ensure they could live their lives with a clean slate. Boss wasn’t going to kill her, just hurt her, and she wasn’t afraid of pain. She’d been through so much with Michael, that she’d become immune to physical abuse, learning how
to go numb.
The man forced her through the house, with his hand still over her mouth, not that she’d scream. If Bain woke up, he’d do anything to protect her, even get himself killed, and she wouldn’t risk that. Once outside in the cool night air, he forced her in the backseat of a car and got in beside her, slamming the door shut.
“Watch how you handle her. If Bain finds out you hurt her, he’ll fuck you up,” said the driver. As the car sped away from the old farm house, she couldn’t help but think of Bain asleep in their bed. She loved him so much. Although she was glad she could finally get this nightmare over with, she couldn’t help but feel nervous. Boss had been described as a soulless monster, capable of anything. What if he didn’t just hurt her, but tortured her? Her nerves fired hot as she imagined some of the gruesome things she’d seen on crime shows.
“No screaming? That’s nice for a change. I was just about to get out my syringe to knock you out,” said her kidnapper.
They drove in silence. Awkward silence. She had so many questions, but was afraid to speak up. She’d remember Boss anywhere, but he wasn’t here. These were delivery boys, deadly ones, but they probably weren’t allowed to hurt her.
“You’re not Boss,” she finally said.
“Were you expecting him?”
“Actually, yes. So you don’t have to worry about me putting up a fight.”
“Good to know,” he said. The man looked at his watch. “You’ll get to see Boss in about eighteen minutes.”
She sat back and tried to put up a stoic front. There was no way she’d give these assholes the satisfaction of seeing her fear. The driver never spoke again, and the guy beside her scrolled through his cell phone, ignoring her. She took in the shadowed surroundings as they drove, trying to memorize where they were going. She was surprised they hadn’t blindfolded and gagged her. It made her wonder if this was a one-way trip.
When they neared the city marina, her heart raced. For some reason she thought they’d be heading to Boss’s house, some overpriced mansion in the suburbs. This was so much worse. But she reminded herself Boss wasn’t going to drown her because this was about revenge not murder, or so she hoped.
“Bring her inside,” said the driver after pulling into the deserted marina, surrounded by skids and containers. They were so isolated, but she had to be brave. This was no different than taking the interview with Semenov on her own. She did what she had to do, putting her own insecurities to the side.
The kidnapper opened her door and pointed away from the car so she’d exit. Scarlett did as she was told. The worst part of this was probably being in her cat pajamas.
They took the metal staircase in one of the buildings to the upper level. It was some type of control room with wall to wall windows looking over the docks and loading areas. Everything was deserted. The lights in the room were off, only the glow from the outside flood lights filtering inside. When she heard a door click closed, she turned around and saw that the kidnapper had left.
“Nice to see you again.”
She looked around, not finding the source of that deep voice. Then a light flicked on and she saw Boss sitting in a chair in the far corner. He stood up and casually walked toward her. He wore all black, his shirt partly unbuttoned revealing the edges of his tattoos. Today his long black hair was pulled back in a low ponytail.
“You got what you wanted,” she said, making sure her voice didn’t tremble.
He shook his head. “I’m not a monster, Scarlett. Despite what you might hear, I’m just a businessman doing a job.”
The researcher in her wanted to know his story, how he managed to run such a massive illegal empire. People fascinated her, good and bad. His life must have been just as tragic as Bain’s, maybe worse, or was he a complete psychopath?
“Businessmen don’t break the law,” she said.
He chuckled. “I thought you were smarter than that. Have you ever met an honest businessman? They screw the system, sell their souls for the almighty dollar.”
“What about you?” she asked. “How are you different?”
“Never said I was.” He winked, walking to the massive control panel.
Scarlett’s mind was working on overdrive, trying to think of ways to make him let her go. “Breaking and entering has very stiff penalties,” she said, realizing how lame her threat was considering he was the hitman of all hitmen.
He scoffed. “I own the marina, Scarlett. I own more than you can imagine. I have more money, property, and pussy than any man could want.”
“Does that make you happy?”
He smiled, leaning against the counter to stare at her. “You’re smart. And the reporter in you is strong. It’s the reason I told Bain to put a bullet in you. I knew you’d be a problem.”
“I love him. I wouldn’t do anything to get him into trouble, even if he is a killer.”