Page 7 of Heart Stopping
"Ouch, right to the heart.” He clutched at his chest. "You're right, I came with backup." He patted the pocket of his black leather jacket. "So, how do you propose we decide who does the honors?"
"I was here first," I said bluntly. "It would be better if you left so I could get on with it." I wasn't a big fan of leaving witnesses behind and it would be a shame to have to kill him. He did have a rather impressive boner.
"Funny, I was going to say the same to you," he said, completely unashamed. "Have you done this kind of thing before?"
I cocked my head at him, letting my red ponytail fall to the side. "Have you?"
"Are you asking me to incriminate myself?" He pretended to be offended.
"Seems to me you did that first," I said.
He reached up to scratch the side of his cheek. "You know, you're right. I apologize. Yes, I have done this kind of thing before. More times than I care to admit. And yet, not enough. Monsters like him still exist." His voice was lower now, regretful. Like he wanted to purge the world of evil with one swipe.
Yeah, didn't we all?
"Yes, they do," I whispered. I realized the man inside the apartment stopped pacing and talking. He must have ended his call. "His name is Carl. He owns a chain of hotels. In each one, he has a private suite where he has…" I had to take a moment to compose myself. "Girls delivered to him."
"I'm guessing this apartment serves that purpose too," Boner said, sounding disgusted.
"I was thinking the same thing," I agreed. "This place is too downmarket for someone like him."
"It still nicer than my place." Boner grimaced. "I propose we take care of Carl together. What do you say, Miss Harlow?"
"Miss St. James," I corrected. "Let's do this. I'm getting stiff sitting out here."
He grinned. "Funny, me too."
"Don't make me stab you," I told him. "Because I will."
He raised his hands in surrender. "I have no doubt you would. I'll try not to give you any reason." He nodded toward the window. "Ladies first? Or age before beauty?" He gestured to himself, then to me.
"I'm going first." I peeked through the curtain to make sure Carl wasn't in the room just beyond the glass. I couldn't make out any sign of him.
Go time.
I jammed my knife into the side of the window, jimmying it open wide enough for me to ease it open and slip inside. All the while, I hoped like hell Boner was going to follow me and not stab me in the back. Literally. Just because I fucked the guy didn't mean I could trust him.
When I glanced back over my shoulder, he stood right behind me, inside the apartment. Relaxed, like he might be in a department store, shopping for his next pair of shoes.
"I'm guessing there's a bedroom over there," he whispered, nodding in that direction.
I made a face, but moved silently across the hardwood floor, towards what seemed to be the only other room in the place. Stopped right before the doorway and glanced inside.
The room was empty. So was the bathroom off to the side.
"Mother of fuck," Boner said with an irritated grunt. "Where did the prick go?"
I put my knife away and leaned against the door frame. "He must have slipped out before we came in."
I flicked a switch to turn on the light and survey the whole, small apartment. It was little more than a box. One that didn't look lived in, confirming my theory that this was somewhere Carl only spent small amounts of time. Him or his associates.
My stomach turned. What I was doing to Gary, what I had planned for Carl, it didn't compare to the evil these men did. For one thing, he deserved it. Their victims did not.
"I'll have to track him down some other way." I turned the light off again.
"We," Boner said absently. "I'm sure you'll agree, we're in this together now." He pulled open a drawer beside the bed, but closed it again when he found it empty. What was he hoping for? A black book full of incriminating evidence? Maybe a sim card?
"I disagree," I said. "I don't work with other people." Not in this capacity, anyway.
