Page 20 of Paying Daddy's Debt Collector

If I didn’t think I’d pass out, I’d make a run for it in the other direction while his back is turned. Instead, I follow behind him, hoping to find a chair or a sofa on the other side of that door.

He pulls out a set of keys and unlocks the door. The hinges scream, and it’s like daggers plunging into my brain. Once open, he ushers me through the door and turns on the light. It looks like an old security office for an adjacent building. There’s a little green leather sofa against the wall, and I sit down on it.

“I’m gonna look at your head,” he tells me, pulling a flashlight from the security desk drawer.

He shines the light on my head. “You’re fine. No open wounds or anything. It’s just a headache. I didn’t hit you that hard.”

He returns to the desk and takes a bottle of pain medicine from the drawer. There’s a small refrigerator in the corner where he retrieves a bottle of water. He tosses the pills and water on the sofa beside me. “That should take care of it.”

“What is this place?”

“It’s your new apartment. Knowing your father, I bet you’ve lived in worse places. You’re welcome to anything that’s in the fridge. Its rightful owner won’t be back for any of it.” He snickers, making me briefly wonder what really happened to the owner. “I need to call your boyfriend and make some preparations. I’ll be back to check on you later.”

He steps outside the door and the bolt clicks. Not a minute later, the sound of the car engine echoes through the concrete coffin. Once he’s gone, I toss back the pills with a big sip of water and lie back on the sticky leather seat. I close my eyes and silently pray that Chris will be here soon to save me. I know he’s coming. I can just feel it.

I don’t know how long I was asleep, but I wake up with nothing more than a faint, dull memory of the pain in my head. Now more alert, I scramble to check my pockets. Of course, he won’t leave me here with my phone. He must have taken it while I was out. I get up and move to the desk, finding a piece of letterhead inside the top drawer.

Apparently, this is the Bentley Hotel. It’s been abandoned for as long as I can remember, but at least I know where I am. Chris’ casino is right around the corner. If I can just find something to use to pry the door open, I can run there for help.

I find a toolbox and pull out a crowbar. Looking at the door, I try to figure out the best way to pry it open. I walk to the door and try to insert the bar in the crack by the doorknob, but the door is sealed tight. After several attempts, I throw the bar with a groan and sink onto the floor, feeling like a tiny mouse in a cage.

“Come on, Daddy. I need you,” I whisper. “Come on, please.”

10

CHRIS

“You all need to be engaged and ready but nobody makes a move without my go-signal. If you do anything to put my girl at risk, I’ll take you out right then and there,” I tell the army of heavys I’ve assembled.

I’ve been planning for an all-out way for a while now, but until tonight, I was considering it a last resort. Now, it’s my only option.

Bobby has been assigned the task of finding and tracking the young Ramone punk. If he can get a glimpse of Cassidy or even just an idea of where he may have taken her, we’ll mount up and get this thing started.

The fact that I came face-to-face with him makes me howl in frustration. That fucker dared to come inside my home and take my girl. He’s lucky if he’s coming out of this with just a few broken bones.

My phone rings and I stare at Bobby’s number on the screen. I exhale deeply and pick up the call. “What do you got for me, Bobby?”

“He’s in the Royale. He just got here and he’s alone.”

I mutter a curse. “Don’t let him out of your sight. He must be holding her close by. I don’t think he would travel too far away from her.”

“You got it, boss. What are you gonna do?”

“I’m on my way.”

“I’ve been ducking behind columns and trees so he doesn’t make me. You’ll stand out like a sore thumb here.”

“I’m not coming in. You won’t see me, but I’ll be there.”

“Alright, then. I’ll let you know if he leaves before you get here.”

I end the call and grab my revolver, sliding it in my side holster.

“You guys need to make a perimeter fifteen miles around the Royale. Keep your eyes and ears open. Look for anywhere you might tuck a hostage out of sight, and keep in touch.”

This is it. All of the pieces are in place and things have been set in motion. Once Cassidy is located and brought to safety, I’ll end the threat once and for all. Before, we might have been able to negotiate a truce, but this kid has made a fatal mistake. Nobody fucks with my girl and gets away with it.

I pull up outside the Royale and pull my cap down over my face. I watch the entrance for a while then slip out of the car and walk to the parking lot, looking for Ramone's blue BMW.

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