Page 33 of Bitter Heat

“I am, but my intention was always to move back, and now I have.”

What the fuck? The city wasn’t big enough for the two of them. Did her sisters know? Of course, they did. Why hadn’t they told her?

“I’m surprised you’d want to return to New York,” she said faintly

“Why? Because your father and his business partners ran me out of the city?”

There was no use beating around the bush. “Yes.”

“They can’t touch me now.”

Her stomach churned. “Thanks for the offer, but I can get back to New York on my own.”

“We’ll leave in thirty minutes,” he said again.

His gaze went beyond her, and a moment later, the door opened. She turned, hoping it was a doctor or some form of law enforcement. The two men in the doorway definitely had some kind of training, but they weren’t cops. Dressed in matching suits, overcoats, and even sunglasses, they couldn’t look more different. One of the men had alabaster skin, a bald head, and blond brows. The other had slicked back hair, a full beard, and dark skin that made her think he was from the Middle East. The dark one held out a leather bag to Roth.

“Change of clothes, sir,” the guard said with a hint of an accent she couldn’t place.

Roth took the bag, and said, “Don’t let her leave.”

She watched his progress through the glass as he walked down the hallway and disappeared from sight. She stared at the guards who had their hands folded over their middle. Their expressions were impossible to read with the sunglasses concealing their eyes.

“Get out of my way,” she said.

They glanced at one another and then back at her.

She stepped up to them and put her hands on hips. “Do you know who I am?”

“Jasmine Hennessy-Roth,” the fair one said, also with an accent she didn’t recognize.

Her hands balled in fists. “Just Hennessy.”

The guards shrugged as if it was all the same to them.

“I’ll pay you one thousand dollars if you let me borrow your phone,” she said.

No reaction.

“Two thousand.”

No reaction.

“Ten.”

“Roth said to keep you here. You aren’t going anywhere, ma’am.”

“I could have you arrested for kidnapping.”

They shrugged, unfazed by the threat of legal troubles, and why would they be? Roth would bail them out. Fuck. She sank into a chair as a tension headache threatened. She was physically battered, tired, and trapped. She just wanted out. She buried her face in her hands and took a deep breath.

“Can I get you something, ma’am?”

She didn’t need to look up to know it was the Middle Eastern one.

“Aspirin and water,” she murmured.

She heard the door open and close and fought the urge to scream. She was going back to New York. That was all that mattered, right? A few more hours with Roth and she wouldn’t even have to speak to him. These guards would be there and Kaia as well. She could do this.

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