Page 9 of Deadly Ruck
"What was it?" I asked. I might as well humour him if it kept him busy for a while longer. The distraction wouldn't last for long, I knew that. He was too smart to fall for it.
"The answer was, I don't believe you're working for me." His tone turned more dangerous. "I believe your loyalty is where it's always been: the Brantley family."
"The same place your loyalty is, right?" I asked. Two could play that game.
He barked a laugh. "My loyalty is with me. The Brantley family were useful, but I'm not really sure they are any more. I think it's time they were replaced."
"By you?" I asked, although I already knew the answer.
"Of course by me. Now is the time to have the right allegiance." He laced his fingers in front of himself. "You can pledge your loyalty to me and keep on living, or you can die alongside the rest of the Brantleys." He might have been asking if I preferred vanilla ice cream to chocolate. For the record, Idon't. Chocolate is by far the superior flavour. Although, it paled in comparison to the taste of Chelsea's pussy.
"I have no desire to die for them," I said. I didn’t want to work for him either, but I'd play along for now. "You still haven't told me what it is you want." As much fun as this stupid game was, I was becoming bored with it. I preferred the direct approach. Jones, unfortunately, always seemed to prefer the dramatic one. As if sneaking up in the dark of night added an exotic flair to the evening's event. If you've asked me, he was playing a stupid game and deserved a stupid prize for it. Top of my list was a bullet in his brain.
"Let me tell you a story." He tapped the tips of his fingers against his thigh. "I used to frequent a little club in the city called Flirts. Have you heard of it?"
My blood iced over. "I have."
"Then you know they have the most beautiful women in the country working there. Dancing and fucking. There was one in particular. A brunette with legs for days and a pierced clit. She danced like a cat, so lithe and flexible. Her ass was so tight I could bite into it like a peach.” He raised his hand to his mouth, miming doing just that. He seemed amused, knowing he was getting to me bit by bit. I tried to keep my annoyance off my face, but apparently failed. And he was enjoying every moment of it.
He went on. “Her breasts were the kind a man dreams about fucking. Right before coming on her face." He grabbed his groin and grinned.
"I don't pay to fuck women, but I might have made an exception for her. But then she left the club. Such a terrible shame." He clicked his tongue. "I've waited long enough to have her. I won't wait any more. She belongs to me and I've come to claim her.”
I wanted to shoot him in the middle of his face for having seen Chelsea naked, dancing on that stage. Even if he hadn'ttouched her, his eyes had feasted on her body. Her ass, her breasts, her nipples. All of them belonged to me and her other boyfriends. Not to a snake like this. I kept the gun down, trying to look as nonthreatening as possible. Had I given the others enough time to get clear yet? I wasn't sure. Another couple of minutes might be just enough. I may never see Chelsea again, but I do whatever I could to make sure she was safe.
I shrugged one shoulder. "I’m sorry, but that sounds like several of the women from Flirts. Divina only hires the best. You might have to be more specific." I sent a silent apology to Chelsea. None of the other girls came close to holding a candle to her. She was in a league of her own. Honestly, it wasn't that surprising she caught his eye. Wherever she went, people stared at her, lusted after her.
Jones took a few steps closer. He started to look irritated. He knew that I knew exactly who he was referring to and he was done playing with me. Like a cat with a mouse, he was ready to bite me in two and discard my remains.
"She used to dance under the name of Sparkle. You know her as Doctor Chelsea Miller. I know she's here with you. Hand her over to me and you might get to live."
Chapter Four
Chelsea
"You know that asshat?"Storm growled softly.
"I remember him from Flirts," I whispered. "He used to stand at the back of the crowds and watch."
"That was all he did?" Atlas asked.
We all knew why he was asking that. If it was anything more, chances were he was about to shoot off Carlos' cock.
"That was all," I agreed. "We should get out of here."
I hated leaving Ramsey here to face these people alone. As far as I could tell, most of them moved around the front when he appeared.
I wasn't naïve enough to think all of them had.
"Let's go," Storm looked back towards Ramsey with the same expression of regret. Gun in one hand, he gestured for us to move ahead of him.
"Keep your eyes peeled for bad guys," Atlas said.
Any belief that we were working with them would be out the window the moment Ramsey refused to hand me over to Carlos Jones. We'd immediately become the enemy. They wouldn't hesitate to kill us, even me.
"How do we know if they're a bad guy?" Max asked tentatively.
"Because they aim at us," Atlas told him. "Don't hesitate. They won't."
