“Why are you guys doing this? What’s gonna happen? Are you asking for ransom, or… because I’m sure my husband would pay it. You don’t have to point that thing at me.”
She smiles. “We weren’t planning on ransom. The take from the night would’ve set us up, but things don’t seem to be going so well with the rest of the plan so ransom might be the answer. Ransom and then revenge from feeding you the same stuff your husband is gonna drink tonight.” Her eyes light up. “It’ll probably kill the both of you. But maybe I can talk him out of giving it to you if you’re helpful.”
They’re planning to give me the same drugs they gave Killian? They don’t know he hasn’t taken them yet. If they give me those drugs that can cause cardiac arrest and organ failure? My baby is in trouble!
Horror floods my veins and something else. Anger. There’s no way I can let these people hurt our baby.
“Why are you here if you were going to get a big take from tonight? Why be here and hold me like this?” I ask and her babbling shows me that her verbal diarrhea she exhibited the night I first met her wasn’t part of her schtick.
“He wants Killian to hurt. He blames him for the loss of his sister. Her life went to shit after your husband dumped her and she’s dead because of it. Trey wants him to pay for it and is planning to make a whole lot of money while doling out revenge.”
I swallow hard. Trey?
“Are you saying he’s gonna hurt me? I’ve been nice to you both. I haven’t done anything to hurt anyone.”
She shrugs.
“I’m here for my cut of the money. Then my plan is to bounce. Because he’s not right in the head.” She points the gun at her own head and then thinks better of it. “But we’ll see what happens. Say nothing or I’ll blow a hole in you myself.”
There’s shouting behind the powder room door.
Guy bursts back out.
“The cops got Steph and maybe Hole too. Hole shot Tony Greco, so this is going south. Plan C.” He grabs my phone and dials on it on speaker while gesturing to get the gun from her. She passes it over.
Tony. Oh no. Plan C?
“Violet?” That’s Kilian’s voice.
My heart hammers in my chest, hard.
He points the gun at me and slashes his finger across his throat, warning me.
“I have your wife,” Guy says. “Listen very carefully.”
“Who is this?” Killian asks.
If he doesn’t know, I’m sure he will any minute when he peeks in on this location.
Guy laughs and sits down.
“You really have no idea, do you? You know, if I didn’t know the truth about you, I would’ve thought you were actually a decent guy. Moves a guy up from your kitchen to management in a year. You believin’ in me was nice. Almost enough that I changed my mind. By the way, I fucked two of the four girls I gave you the thumbs down on. Might fuck this one here before the night’s out.”
“What the fuck?” Killian snaps. “Where’s my wife?”
“She’s safe. For now. Listen, asshole, I want five million dollars and I want it in the next hour or your wife is done. No cops. I see cops, you’ll get a picture of her with a bullet in her forehead before she suffers a ten-story fall. You get me?”
“What the fuck?” Killian roars.
“You need me to repeat that, or you get me?”
“You expect me to raise five mill on New Year’s Eve after the banks are closed?”
“You can transfer it to my account. We know you’ve got that ability, so don’t bullshit. I’ll send you a text of the account details now. You have an hour.”
“What the fuck is this? What did I ever do to you?”
“You’re the reason my sister’s dead, asshole,” he growls into my phone, looking absolutely unhinged.
“Your sister?” Killian asks. “Who’s your sister?”
“Gina Ricci,” Guy spits.
“What?” Killian asks.
“Yeah. Listen…” Guy snarls.
There’s a sharp knock at the door and my body tightens.
Guy straightens up, “Watch for my text. The money in an hour or your wife is a memory.”
He pushes my screen and moves to the door and looks out the peephole, his gun pointed at the ceiling while he looks.
When his body visibly relaxes, I don’t know whether to feel relief that he’s not about to start shooting wildly or panic that he looks calm, because what now?
The door is opened, and two guys walk in. They’re twenty-somethings, a tall white guy with green spiky hair and a short black guy with a shaved head. The tall green-haired guy whistles as he takes in the space.
“Noice!” he drawls, while he slaps Guy’s shoulder. “Very!” And then his eyes land on me and he licks his lips.