Page 56 of Blood Money

I want to hold him, tell him it’s going to be okay, offer him more than a few words, but the man drags me back, never moving the gun from my head.

I was blindfolded and thrown into a car. Since I didn’t even know where I was to begin with, it’s hard to tell where I’m at now as I’m shoved into a cold metal chair. I stay quiet, trying to see if any sounds can give my location away, but I’m met with complete silence. It has my skin crawling with dread, tears threatening to fall, and my stomach in knots.

“Hello, Carmen. It’s good to see you again,” a voice finally rings out. It’s deep and staticky, and I swear I can hear the hint of an accent, but I can’t make it out.

I can’t figure out why until the blindfold slips from my eyes and I’m met with a laptop screen sitting on top of a metal table matching the chair I’m tied to. The man on the screen is older. His hair is thinning on the top and loose, wrinkly skin pulls his cheeks down, giving him a permanent frown. Dark wooden bookcases fill the space behind him, but that’s all I can see. Everything is blurry, and I’m not sure if that’s because of the signal or if it’s all fake. Something doesn’t seem right.

“Who are you, and what do you want from me?” I ask, doing my best to sound brave, even though I feel anything but.

He leans back into his chair and crosses his ankle over his knee. “I go by Ghost. Perhaps you’ve heard of me?” He doesn’t even wait for me to answer before he’s answering my next question. “And isn’t it obvious?”

“If it was, I wouldn’t be asking, would I?” I snap back and instantly regret it when the man who took me reaches out and strikes my cheek with the back of his hand. My head snaps to the side, sending a shooting pain through my neck, but I don’t cry out. I refuse.

These men are killers. Killers who are undoubtedly worse than Cyrus, but I can’t show them I’m scared. Right now, I need to think of a solution, one that doesn’t end with matching caskets for Cyrus and me.

“You’re feisty. I can see why Cyrus liked you.” He chuckles deeply, showing off his stained yellow teeth, and it makes me want to vomit.

“Just tell me what you want,” I hiss, side-eyeing the man who hit me, trying to bide my time.

“Money. Since you clearly conspired with Cyrus to kill one of my clients, I lost a lot. I’ll make a little back since he seems to be so fond of you. I give it a matter of days before he tracks down where I’m holding you and turns himself over to me, which means I won’t have to pay the bounty I put on him. His life for yours, but until then, I’m going to make your sweet daddy pay too.”

I let out a laugh of my own. “You’re mistaken if you think he’ll pay anyone a dime. He couldn’t give a fuck less about me.”

He tips his head. “Oh? You clearly don’t know him the way I do.”

I narrow my eyes. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“Ah! I forgot you don’t know.” He smiles again, and the man to my side laughs.

I try to use some context clues, but there is none.

“Alexander Ortiz. That’s your father, correct?” The name rolls off his tongue with ease, and the accent from before peeks through even more.

I nod, waiting for him to continue so I can be the one to laugh. He’s clearly got some shit mixed up.

He clicks his tongue. “I’m a diabolical man. I don’t really give much thought to others’ feelings. It’s one of the reasons I’m so good at what I do, but this…” He trails off as he stares at me. Even through the screen, it’s intense and makes me wiggle in my spot. I want his eyes off me. “This is unfortunate, considering the circumstances.”

“Honestly, I don’t care what it is you say about my father. Go ahead, tell him you have me and watch as he laughs in your face.” Then it hits me. Something I can use. “And as for Cyrus, he’s nothing to me.” The words hurt coming out because I know they aren’t true, but I need something to leverage. “I’m simply a call girl. Someone he paid to fuck, so again, you’re sadly mistaken if you think he’ll hand himself over for me.”

“Do you really think I’m that stupid?”

I shake my head. “Not at all. Go ahead and look into it. I met him on a dating app. The only other communication I have is a single phone call before he abducted me. Ask Burly Bob here.” I point to the man with my thumb. “When he found me, I was running from him.”

He shoots his eyes at the guy standing next to me. “Is that true?”

Please agree, please agree,I chant to myself.

When he nods, Ghost finally speaks again. “Look into it.” The man takes his order and leaves, leaving me in the room alone.

I thank the universe silently that he didn’t manage to connect the dots of the few words Cyrus and I exchanged, but how could he? Things were so hectic, and he was focused on doing a job. Clearly nothing else stuck other than getting me.

I can hear the lock click into place, so I know there is no escaping, but negotiation will be easier without a goon watching. Maybe it will make Ghost think of the bigger picture instead of trying to impress.

“Now, if you would let me go, I will lure him back to you.”

Vomit rises in the back of my throat. I know I mean nothing I say, but it still hurts. All I can imagine is Cyrus hearing me and how it would make him feel, but then his face pops into my mind and I’m reminded why I’m doing this. I’m going to save him and get him out of this mess.

“You don’t even know what I know.” He smiles again.

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