Page 37 of Marked

Lawson nodded and spread his hands wide on the counter. “Always nice to hear my name come around. You’ve got some nice tats.”

Cole placed his meaty hand on the glass, inches from Lawson’s. “I’ve got some other business with you.”

“That right?” Lawson grinned. “What—”

Cole shot his hand forward and yanked Lawson’s shirt collar, bringing his face down on the counter with a sharp smack.

Sophia jumped, her nerves rattled.

Lawson squirmed. “Hey, man. What’s your fucking deal?”

With his free hand, Cole pulled his gun from the small of his back and hovered it in front of the guy’s face before tapping Lawson’s cheekbone with it, making him wince.

“Let’s make this fast because I doubt either of us wants to be here very long. You’re working for Lionsgate. True or false?”

“T-True,” Lawson sputtered.

“Good, you’re not as stupid as you look. I also got wind that you’re in charge of the child-trafficking ring. True or false?”

“What? No! I—”

Crack!

Cole brought the gun down on Lawson’s nose. The guy let out a howl as he fought and sputtered. Blood gushed across the glass.

Nausea burned Sophia’s esophagus. “Cole,” she hissed. “That’s not necessary.”

He tipped his head back over his shoulder. “Isn’t it? This fucker probably helped take Bella. And you wanna tell me to go easy on him?”

She cringed. Oh, God. If that was true... no, she wouldn’t tell him to stop.

What’s wrong with me?

“I’ll ask you one more time before I put a bullet in your leg. Are you involved with kidnapping children?”

“Man! Let me—”

“Wrong answer.” Cole dragged the guy across the counter, and his heavy form flipped and landed on the floor with a thud.

The fast clicking of high heels sounded on the laminate floor, and the beads covering the doorway Lawson had exited moments before stirred again. A woman with long black hair and wearing denim shorts and a crop top stopped dead in her tracks. “What the hell?” she shrieked.

Cole pointed the gun at her. “Stop right there,” he said, his voice monotone and slightly annoyed.

She raised her hands, revealing a phone in one of them. “Let him go. We went to the bank last night. We don’t have any cash on hand.”

Cole chortled. “Move over there and put your phone on the floor.” He pointed at the wall near the register. She obliged, her green eyes wide and wild.

Sophia wanted to crawl outside, away from this shitshow, but now she was in the thick of it. She couldn’t exactly comfort the woman because she, too, could be part of the trafficking ring.

“Are you aware that your boss kidnaps and traffics little kids?” Cole asked the woman, his tone mild despite the heavy accusation.

Her mouth popped open. “Oh my god, no. That can’t be true.”

Cole turned the gun back on Lawson, still lying on his side on the floor. “This is your last chance, asshole. Tell me the truth or I’m putting a bullet right in your femur.”

Lawson licked his lips, sweat rolling off his pinched red face.

“Suit yourself.” Cole shrugged and swung the gun to the man’s leg.

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