Page 11 of Taken for Granite
“So I’ll ask you one more time, what did you do?”
“I stopped. I opened the back,” Juniper said.
“Do you know how long I’ve tried to get a live specimen? All I have is that horrible stuffed mount, and that’s only the head. The Illuminati keep those things locked down tight and hardly ever move facilities. I’m not happy, Junie.” Mickey paced the length of the room.
Curiosity made her forget her fear. “There’s more of those things?”
“What things? What are you talking about?” Chloe asked in a soft, frightened voice.
“How would I know? All I have is that fucking stuffed head. I know it’s not a fake, but how many can there be?”
“But what is it?” She knew what she saw. The word danced on her lips but deep down, she knew it was ludicrous. They weren’t real.
Mickey paused in front of her chair. “On your knees.”
“No way,” Chloe whispered. At least she was smart enough not to protest as Juniper sank to her knees in front of Mickey.
His thumb swept across her lower lip before pushing in. Tasting the bitter tang of sweat and tobacco, Juniper didn’t protest as he probed her mouth and added another finger.
She watched him, eyes wide and glossy from the prick of tears. Maybe he liked the tears, maybe he didn’t. She couldn’t stop them if she tried. The money she owed… He could demand anything, suck his dick or put a bullet in her brain, and no one would blink.
No one other than Chloe. But if he swore he wouldn’t hurt her sister, she’d agree.
“Please,” she said as he removed his fingers, ready to beg, to bargain. “I’ll do anything.”
“Anything. Hmm.” He reached behind and pulled her ponytail free. “Blue. Good girls don’t dye their hair, Junie. Don’t you want to be a good girl?”
“Yes.” More than anything. She’d promise to be anything he wanted at that moment.
He fixed her under the weight of his cold, dull eyes. “What did you see?”
“A gargoyle,” she whispered. Her heart thundered so loudly in her chest she was surprised anyone could hear her speak.
Chloe laughed. “A gargoyle? You’re kidding, right?”
“My gargoyle,” he hissed, ignoring Chloe. “And you’re going to get it back.”
“What? How? I need a grappling gun or something.” She didn’t know whygrappling gunwas the thing to pop out of her mouth, but the fact remained that she needed equipment.
Mickey’s dead shark eyes narrowed. Juniper swallowed nervously. He wanted her to be scared and submissive, and here she was arguing to be kitted out for monster hunting.
“Not my concern. You lost something of mine, so I’m going to hold something of yours as collateral until you return my property,” he said. The two henchmen finally moved and took Chloe by either arm.
Chloe shouted and kicked, her efforts ineffective against the larger men. Mickey ignored the fuss and continued to stroke her hair. Juniper eyed the tent he pitched in his pants and, for a moment, expected him to whip his dick out.
His hand tightened at the back of her head, pulling her hair. “We understand each other,” he said.
Not a question.
“I understand.”
“Atta girl.” Mickey picked up the discarded backpack and slung it over his shoulder. “Fix this, Junie.”
“But how? It ran away.” And the gargoyle was massive. He’d overpowered her so easily. How could she capture a beast like that?
“Hurry. You wouldn’t want me to lose your precious property now,” Mickey said as his two henchmen dragged a crying Chloe outside.
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