Page 73 of Dealing Dirty
“Kenneth will have your head the first chance he gets,” I grit through clenched teeth.
“Ha! Kenneth’s gone soft. I’m not afraid of him or his old dogs, and with every threat on my life, I’ll be sending a piece of his daughter as a gentle reminder to think otherwise.” I’m going to be sick. “And don’t think I won’t, Juliana.”
The old Bruce would never, but I don’t know Diablo. Something tells me he wouldn’t hesitate to make good on his promise.
“Why are you doing this? All of this bad blood for a single bar?”
Bottomless pits of greed stare out from an unrecognizable face. “Money. Power. Unlimited resources and trade. Not to mention a steady flow of income for the ones who work to help me.” He shrugs. “Jack and Ben made the mistake of challenging me in front of my men, and I can’t take that lying down. There are levels to this, and let me tell you, staying on top requires balls of steel.
“Sometimes that means getting your hands a bit messy, and I’ve got to make an example of their defiance. If they go unpunished, who knows what would happen. My men could grow balls of their own, and we wouldn’t want that to happen.” A shiver runs down my spine. “Once I solidify this deal, I’ll have made Mackville a well-oiled machine.”
Bruce pulls a tiny vial filled with an opaque purple liquid from his pocket. “Rhyomin.”
I squint at the substance.
“More effective than the date-rape drug, Rohypnol. This little beauty keeps its victim in a total state of unconsciousness for no longer than a couple of hours and lacks all those pesky side effects that can linger for days. It’s nearly impossible to detect, and taken in small doses, it has hallucinogenic properties that are sure to keep our clients happy.”
The aftershock of adrenaline has turned my arms numb, but I’m alert enough to know this can’t be good. “So you’ve been playing chemistry lab. That’s why you haven’t made a move on the bar sooner.”
Shadows pull at the corners of his mouth.
“Who are you making the deal with?” I ask.
Bruce drops the vial back into his pocket, regarding me as if I’m boring him with childish questions. “That’s enough questions out of you.”
Another slips before I’m able to stop it. “What happened to Ethan?”
He pauses. “That moron’s been taken care of.”
Jackie’s hand tightens, attempting to corral me, but my anger becomes a palpable essence in the room. “You’re finished, Bruce,” I say. It’s risky, but I try to call his bluff. “Ben can’t be manipulated forever.”
A slow, murderous smile curls his lips, seizing me with dread.Thisis the Diablo our town fears.
“My dear, Juliana.” He slowly shakes his head. “Who do you think informed me of Kenneth’s daughter in the first place?”
I’m denying it before he can even finish.
“Oh, yes.” Now he’s fuming, red in the face as his voice raises. “Ben is mine to use the way I see fit, and unlike you and the rest of your worthless friends, he knows his place.”
Glancing between Jackie and me, he dismisses us with a wave. “If you’re hell-bent on having your way with her, then clean her up after and make sure you’re not too rough. She may prove useful for tomorrow’s party, and we need her in working shape. A little arm candy can go a long way in swaying some of these sharks.”
My God.
He’s truly going to turn an eye while Jackie assaults me. I begin to struggle, but Jackie’s hold on me is borderline bruising.
“We’re having a little get-together tomorrow for our dear mayor. It’s vital that we keep boundaries between those who obey me and those who wish to have my protection.”
“You’re a monster.” The words lack the conviction I was hoping for. Quietly I ask, “Was it all a lie? Don’t you care for me at all?”
Restrained and standing at his back, I’m a child. Vulnerable. Hurt. Saddened by someone who was once my hero.
He halts, one hand on the doorframe as he searches my face with stormy eyes. “I want smiles in front of my people, Juliana. Dazzle them with that personality of yours. I expect nothing but compliance or Ben will be paying Hazel a nice little visit. And we both know you won’t want that blood on your hands.”
Watching him retreat, any love I’d held for him burns to ashes right in the center of my chest, and like a phoenix, it emerges with vengeance.
Chapter Twenty
Derrick
