Page 25 of Gypsy's Lady
“I’ve got the girl. No worries.” Baxter leaned against the wall, managing to look prissy doing even that. “I want to see the cash.”
“You’ve already seen it.” Gypsy had opened the case at the gate asinstructedand aimed it to where a camera could see. They’d already known aboutthe camera, but it was validation for Myron’s info. The Hawks were able to hear everything he did, thanks to some tech the Hawks’ member Beast had handed over. They’d claimed it was undetectable, and so far, they’d been proven right, as Baxter’s man hadruna wand over Gypsy, coming up with nothing. “No need to playshowand tell again. You want a deal? Then I want. To see.The girl.”
Baxtergestured towards the door and ordered, “Malcolm, go get her.”
No one spoke while they waited for the man to return, Gypsy’s gaze never leaving Baxter’s face.Filth, he thought,I’m in the presence of filth. He didn’t know if he’d ever had to fight such a strong an urge to kill a man. Here sat a wealthy beast, someone who appeared to be any businessman you’d meet on the street, but his trade wasflesh. And not willing flesh, either. Other than Nary, which was personal, he seemed to specialize in women who wouldn’t be missed, preying on vulnerable girls for his own, vast profit.Dickweed needs to die.
The door opened,andit was all Gypsy could do to stay seated on the couch. The woman, scarcely more than a girl, walked in. She cringed away at the forced proximity to one of her jailers.Clearly,the man had put his hands on her in a damaging way, and Gypsy casually marked him for death. Her face was bruised and scabbed, and she carried a hell of a scar there that thankfully appeared to predate her abduction. She looked at Gypsyandher chin lifted even as her eyes blinked rapidly, forcing back tears. A fighter, just like her father had said.
It was the work of moments to maneuverthe girl near enough for him to lean in, his voice audible only to her as he spoke quickly. Once the Hawks knew he had her within reach, they’d begin executing the plan for extraction, and he didn’t have long to prep her. For aninstant,he wasn’t certain his words had registered, but when he pulled back, making another crass remark to keep the illusion of the callous high-dollar purchase going,in hereyeswas a glint that told him she wasn’t donefighting.Good girl.
Counting down the seconds, he found his trust in the Hawks was well placed when Talon, Dodge, Stoke, and Vicious came through the door, exactly on time. His focus was on Nary as she was his primary objective, at least until she was back in her father’s arms.
Everything was goingperfectly,until she told him there wasanother woman.
