Page 67 of The Bad Girl
“Now, the adults are going to talk,” Lady Elaine snaps at Eliza, “and you’re going to do your job, and if you do it well, you’ll get a reward. Do you understand?”
Eliza nods her head.
“Good.”
Not wanting to put any unnecessary lives in danger, I say, “I don’t think it’s really necessary—”
“I don’t really care what you think. You’ve been up here for twenty minutes now, and have failed to solve the issue at hand.” Elaine takes her seat. “Now, Johnson, what is it you want.”
“Money and transportation out of this fascist country.”
Harlow chimes in. “I have a helicopter and a private jet at the ready. We just need to know which port he wants to dock at.”
“And how much money?” Lady Elaine says matter-of-factly.
“Thirty-mil.”
“Twenty-nine now, after that bracelet.”
“Naw, I don’t think so,” Johnson says with a shake of the gun.
“Look, you can be as selfish as you want, but let’s use that head of yours. I’m currently wearing ten-million-dollars in diamonds, which I’ll gladly relinquish if you come up with more reasonable demands.”
“I MAKE the demands and determine what is reasonable!”
“Johnson, you know the longer we’re out on this boat, the greater the risk that we’re going to be found missing. People are going to be looking for us,” I say, trying to bring him to reason.
“See how much money your man can get!” Johnson snaps at me.
Lady Elaine snorts a condescending chuckle. “Still chasing that firm ass now, are we?”
“Hey!” Johnson yells. “It ain’t like that!”
Johnson is seething with rage, vein popping from his forehead. I lean over, placing my body between him and Lady Elaine when Eliza approaches him.
She places a hand on his chest, snaking it up and around his neck.
“She’s only trying to rile you so you make a mistake. She figures you’ll get frustrated, and Harlow will be your first target because of some rivalry. She told me as much downstairs.”
Harlow’s head snaps in Lady Elaine’s direction.
“Well, I tried,” she mutters under he breath.
Johnson’s chest rises and falls like pistons. “Is that so?”
“Yeah, she thinks your hot head’s gonna get the best of you.”
“Well, what do you think?”
“I think you should take me with you. I’ve served at a hundred functions. I have secrets we can trade for cash for years to come.”
Nadine’s head pops up from below deck.
No!
“Now, Eliza,” I say, trying to distract them from the stairs leading below. “There’s no need to—”
Johnson points his gun at me. “Shouldn’t you be thinking of how to raise money?”
