Page 35 of Dark Wishes

“Excuse me?”

Pausing as what I said sinks in, I offer him a crooked smile. “Oh, um, whoops. I just meant that this job is probably going to be really hard.”

Caruso’s lazy expression morphs to one of annoyance. “You think my girls don’t like working for me?”

“That’s not what I said!”

“It sounds like you need some convincing,” he grumbles. I tense up when he reaches into his pocket; he pulls out an iPhone, typing something before I can react. “There. That should do it.”

“Who did you just text?” I ask warily.

“One of my recent hires, she’ll tell you how awesome it is to work with me.”

He said awesome, like he’s a 20-something instead of a fifty-something.I cringe mentally. This guy has never had someone tell him how gross or pathetic he is. Money isn't just poison, it’s armor. “I don’t need to meet anyone,” I insist in a panic, “call her back, tell her it’s fine!”

There’s a crisp knock. “Too late,” he says, looking at the door. I twist around, unsure what to expect. The knob jiggles, before the door opens, revealing a tall woman in a flowing white skirt and black crop top with matching wedge-boots. Her blonde hair is like mine, except short and tight against her skull. She looks like the kind of girl that’d be too cool to be my friend.

Shit, we have company.Did I just mess everything up?

The woman blinks at me curiously. Her eyes are a very clear grey. “When you told me to get in here, I thought you’d be alone,” she says in a southern drawl.

Caruso laughs heartily. “Chalay, meet Malory. She’s thinking of signing with my company, but she needs an extra push.”

“That’s not...” I say, fading off.

Chalay tilts her chin up, staring at me down the cute nub of her nose. “Malory? That’s you?”

“Yup,” I say quickly. “Nice to meet you.”

“Malory,” she says again. There’s a smokiness to her voice, her eyes going from curious to narrowed. Did I upset her somehow? She leans on the door, shutting it. I swear I hear an extraclick,like the lock has been engaged.

She swings her hips as she moves towards us—she's got the movement tailored. My attempts earlier were closer to a limping duck when compared.

Reluctantly, I move my hands away from my gun, linking them behind my back with a bright smile. “You’re one of Mr. Caruso’s clients?” I ask.

She doesn’t look at him, she hasn’t stopped watching me. “Not exactly. I work for someone who pays much better.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Caruso laughs. “Is that supposed to be a joke? I didn’t know you had a sense of humor, Chalay.”

My pulse beats faster from the off-putting intensity in her stare. “Um, I think he just wanted you to reassure me that a contract with him would be worth my time.”

“It would be a waste for both of you, actually,” she says.

“The fuck?” Caruso huffs. “Chalay, what’s gotten into you? Hey! Stop ignoring me, what the hell is this?”

Chalay smiles at me with her blood red lips. “How strange to run into you here. I almost didn’t recognize you.” She takes another step.

I back up, but there’s nowhere to go in the office—my hip bumps the mini bar, jingling the glass bottles. “I don’t understand. Do I know you?”

“Oh, sweety, of course not. That’s the point. If you saw your killer coming, you’d have a chance to escape.”

A bottle of scotch rocks off the mini bar and topples to the floor, shattering in a cascade of glass and bronze liquid. I scramble to my left, away from Caruso, away from Chalay,hoping I can get to the door. The back of my throat bubbles with sour terror. I’d heard that fight or flight gives you strength—lift a car, sprint a mile, those kind of feats.

The fear doesn’t make me faster.

“Hey!” I scream when Chalay wraps her hand in my hair, wrenching me around with such force I slam to the floor. Glass cuts my arm, scotch soaking into my dress. Caruso yells something; I’m too busy trying to crawl away from my attacker to hear.

“Whoa whoa, slow down,” Chalay chuckles, her southern drawl long gone. She kicks a black heeled boot into my shoulder, shoving me to my side. I grunt in pain, gawking up at her as she stalks closer. The joy in her face is manic. “I thought I’d have to keep searching for you through this damn city. What are the chances you’d walk right into my path? You’re really helping me out, Selena. Thanks for that.”

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