Another guard, this one taller than the first one, but just as evil looking, gave Ziva a hard nudge forward and asked, “Is this the woman you wanted?”
Alex flinched but uttered nothing, nodding his response.
“Take her away,” the tall guard said as he once again pushed Ziva, this time away from Alex. Then he pointed to Alex and said, “The boss wants to see you.”
Not as much as I want to see him. I wish I had a gun with me as my thank-you gift for having me. Bastard.
Two armed men approached from behind. Alex watched as they took Ziva away, dragging her by her arm. It was killing him to appear indifferent, witnessing her being mistreated. He knew it would be stupid to show any interest or fight them. Her only chance of getting out of this was if he could negotiate her release. And maybe mine too.
Once she was out of sight, the tall guard led him down a hallway and stopped in front of a large oak door. He knocked and then opened it. Alex couldn’t wait to see the bastard’s face. This sick piece of shit was one guy he wasn’t going to turn away from. He was going to let him know exactly what he thought of him.
When he came around the corner and entered the room, he saw a large, dark cherry desk with intricately detailed carved birds on the legs. There was a large black leather wingback chair that faced away from them. Alex wanted to go over, spin it around, and knock the son of a bitch out.
“Boss, Henderson is here,” the tall guard announced.
The chair slowly spun around. Alex almost dropped on the floor in disbelief. There is no way. No fucking way.
Alex had pictured the scum on so many different occasions, as big, tough, and ugly as hell. Everything that matched how he ruled this country. A cold-hearted, ruthless bastard. His mind was having a difficult time comprehending what he saw before him. Impossible.
He’d never imagined the boss was some high-class snooty woman, who appeared to be even tinier than Ziva and not much older. There has to be some mistake. There is no way she is the one running this country. Who would fear her?
Alex remembered his father hadn’t looked particularly intimidating either. If you were to judge a book by its cover, James Henderson appeared to be wholesome. A father you’d see cheering on his son at a little league game. But his father never supported anything that any of his children had participated in. If anything, he’d tried to break what little self-confidence they had. He was a master manipulator and one of the cruelest men he’d ever had the displeasure of knowing.
But this? This woman? He was floored.
He could get past the boss wasn’t what he expected, but he struggled to believe a woman would allow and dictate the selling and abuse of other females. He’d envisioned as a child that his life would’ve been so different had there been a woman in the house. Looking at the one sitting in front of him, he was no longer sure of that.
The look in her eyes contradicted her natural beauty. She was undoubtedly the one in control. You’d have been the perfect match for my father. “You’re the boss?” Alex asked.
She removed her glasses and looked Alex over from head to toe. “You’re not what I expected either.” Her voice was a mixture of venomous and sultry.
I don’t know why you brought me here, but it sure as hell isn’t that.She was eyeing him as though he was dessert. I’d take a bullet before I’d touch you, you sadistic bitch.
Alex wasn’t about to play whatever game she had in mind. He was here for one reason, and one reason only, and that was to take Ziva back with him. Once he’d seen her tied up, he knew it wasn’t going to be as easy as he’d hoped. Now meeting the boss, it had gotten worse. For the first time, he was glad Bennett ignored his instructions and contacted Brice. If either he or Ziva had any hope of making it out alive, it was going to require some major help from the outside. He already knew there wasn’t anyone in Tabiq who could be trusted. The only one I trust is in the same boat as I am.
“You know why I’m here,” Alex said in a tone that said he wasn’t amused at all.
“I do.”
“Then let’s cut the bullshit. Tell me what the price is.” Alex knew it was all about money. Or so he thought.
“You insult my intelligence, Mr. Henderson. You come to my country and try to make a mockery out of me. If I let either of you go, the people will think I’m weak. My authority will no longer hold any power. No amount of money you offer is worth that.”
He had to admit, she was feared throughout the country. He doubted many knew the boss was a woman.
“Then why am I here?” Alex wasn’t sure he wanted to hear the answer, but it would determine his next move.
“Our families have a long history of working together. You come here so arrogantly, thinking you can change what was started by our fathers.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
“I’m saying that Tabiq was a third-world country until your father came here. He was searching for a location to build a plant to support the growing plastic industry. He was told there was oil here, which he’d hoped would reduce the cost of production. When he discovered he was misled, and we had no oil to offer, he found another natural resource that was even more lucrative.”
“Are you suggesting that my father encouraged Tabiq to partake in human trafficking?” Alex yelled from across the room.
She smiled at him. “Encouraged? I believe the word you’re looking for is partnered.”
Alex wanted to hurl. That was something he couldn’t accept. This woman was telling him everything he’d ever known about his father, and their past, was a lie.