Page 118 of Five Mountain Daddies

I shake my head. “No, I don’t thinkso.”

His frown deepens. He leaves the room and pulls his pants and his shirt onquickly.

“It’s probably nothing,” I say to him. “You don’t have to check it out. Come back tobed.”

But the bell chimes again, twice in fact, the second one impatient and insistent. He looks at me, a seriousexpression.

“Stayhere.”

“Wait,” I say, but he’s already leaving. I sigh and flop back into bed. I’m sure it’s just the UPS guy, getting impatient, wanting a signature. I don’t know what’s got Samuel soworried.

Curious though, I get up and pad across the room. I peek out the front window, and I can just barely see thedriveway.

There are two big black cars, and no delivery trucks anywhere insight.

My heart starts racing. I grab my phone and hurry downstairs, just in time to hear Samuel say loudly, “Get the fuck out ofhere.”

I come down the steps and round the corner, and pull up suddenly. Standing in the doorway is Ingram, grinning a creepy smile, flanked by two guys with suit jackets and blacksunglasses.

“I don’t think so. We’re here to talk with Amelia.” Ingram spots me over Samuel’s shoulder, and my eyes go wide. “Ah, speak of thedevil.”

Samuel turns and gives me a pleading look. I take a step away, but Ingram moves quickly, trying to push pastSamuel.

Things happen so fast, I can barely react to them. Samuel shoves Ingram back, cursing, and Ingram’s two guys jump at Samuel. It’s a brutal fight, with Samuel slamming an elbow into one guy’s skull, the other one getting a vicious punch to Samuel’s gut. Samuel stumbles back and I scream as Ingram rushes inagain.

I turn and run into the kitchen as I start to dial 911. I hear more shouting and grunts of pain, but I don’t get far before Ingram catches me. He grabs my wrist, tears the phone from my hand, and throws it across theroom.

“You stupid cunt,” he says, eyes wide and crazy. “You thought you could beatme?”

“Get the fuck off me, you psycho,” I shout in hisface.

“You can’t cut my fucking salary. You’ll have a revolt, you stupidbitch.”

I don’t have time to wonder how he knows that. I stomp on his foot and knee him in the crotch. He grunts and stumbles backward, groaning with pain, and I stumble away from him,cursing.

Samuel bursts into the room. His shirt is ripped, and there’s a cut on his brow, but he’s okay otherwise. He comes right up to Ingram, grabs him by the front of his shirt, and throws him toward the hallway. I scream as Ingram crashes into the ground and Samuel drags him by hisankle.

I follow and watch Samuel pull him outside. The other two guys are already out there, both of them getting up slowly. Samuel tosses Ingram over toward them and walks backinside.

Before he shuts the door, he faces the guys again. “Come near her and next time I won’t let you get up.” He slams the doorshut.

I stand there, arms wrapped around myself, breathing fast. He locks the door and comes over to me, hugging me tight. “It’s okay,” he says. “It’sokay.”

“Samuel,” I gasp,hyperventilating.

“I have to call Roy,” he says. “He needs toknow.”

“Samuel,” I say again as he walks toward the stairs. “Please,wait.”

He heads upstairs. I stumble after him, trying to get control of myself, but failing miserably. I get up the steps after him, just as he finds his phone tangled in last night’scovers.

“Stop,” I say. “Stop. Ingramknew.”

Samuel hesitates. “Knewwhat?”

“About the pay cuts. Heknew.”

Samuel stares at me. “Are yousure?”

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