Page 91 of Dealing Dirty
They’ve been gone for years. Probably all grown up with families of their own.
What would they think of the man I’ve become?
“Fuck.” The tie that was suffocating me plops down where my paperwork should be neatly stacked, and I yankthecollarof my dress shirtopen, desperate foran ounce ofrelief.
What a total disaster my life has become.
Since having this job shoved into my hands, I’ve gradually become a recluse. There’s the shell of the man I once was walking around in these suits, smiling at his people, pretendingto give a shit, when the truth is, I’d rather die than live another day under Bruce and his heinous ideas for the future of Mackville.
Summer sunshine and my daughters’ giggles were the only thing I ever needed. I had the wife, the kids, the ranch.
I had it all…
Then I got stupid. Started sleeping around when Bruce and I rekindled an old friendship, and then… I had nothing.
Getting another woman pregnant was the greatest mistake of my life. It was the perfect opportunity for Bruce to sink his claws into me, and I still can’t sleep at night thinking about the baby who never was.
Was it a boy or girl? Did Bruce kill the mother?
I was never given the answers. Only a pat on the back from my dear oldfriendand a, “Don’t worry about that now. It’s all behind you.”
He stripped me bare, flayed me wide open for these animals to eat their fill, and it disgusts me how I’ve done nothing to dissuade it.
Why would I? Bruce has made it abundantly clear that I’m little more than a puppet, and there’s never been a reason for me to buck against him.
Until Juliana.
Wild and untamable—I’m embarrassed by just how much I want her. I’ve done plenty of things I’m not proudof, but bending a womanto my will is a boundary I’mnotwillingto cross.
It stings, but she’s made her choice.
Their little charadetonight royallyfuckedthings up for me. Bruce has been keeping tabs on Ben,andnow I’m under fire with his questions. It was incredibly hard to convince him that she’d managed to not only escape me, but also several other guards, andsomehow,Ben had nothing to do with it.
“Sorry, bud,” I mumble, planting my ass down into my leather throne on wheels.
There’ll sure to be hell to pay for Benjamin.
Three sharp knocks sound at the door.
Heart stuttering, my feet find the corner of my desk as I lounge back, feigning a calmness I don’t feel.
“Come in.”
At this point, I don’tgive a fuckwhat Bruce thinks of my outburst. But to my surprise, it’s not Bruce I’m greeted with.
“Félix?”
The broad Hispanic male enters my space, giving a curt nod.His hair is buzzed short, and thick tattoos scale the arms he crosses over his torso.
“Thought we might chat for a moment if you’re, uh… free.” His gaze slides over scattered papers and busted ballpoints.
“What can I help you with?”
Félix has worked for us for several years now.He was a product of being at the right place at the right time. That bloody brawl I witnessed the night we met is as fresh today as it was three years ago.
He’s a fighter, and we needed strong men. Bruce now has handfuls of guys just like him at his disposal all over town, ready for a call at any time of the day. The money is good, but it’s unfortunate when it doesn’t work out. The ones who lose track of the goal—like Ethan—pay for their mistakes with their lives.
Something’s off about him tonight. His dark eyes are glossed with a fury that puts me on edge.
