Page 12 of Your Worst Fear
“No,” she answered. “Unlike you, I can’t afford to be unemployed.”
I chuckled. “I’m a rancher.”
The confident tilt of her chin was amusing. “Isn’t it the cows doing all the work?”
Her remark was meant to come off sassy, but all it told me was she had no clue about what we did. In one quick movement, I sliced the ropes on both her wrists, then moved to her ankles. “Let’s keep the brains of this operation to me, yeah?”
“If you’re insinuating that I’m dumb, you’re sorely mistaken.” She slid her wrists from the sides of the chair, doing the same to her legs as I finished and stood. The redness on her pale skin had my jaw clenching.
“We all excel in our own areas. No need to be ashamed of that.”
She scowled at me, shoving to a stand. She swayed, her eyes narrowing slightly like her head hurt. I’d honestly be surprised if she didn’t have a concussion. I’d hit her pretty damn hard.
I couldn’t stop myself from reaching out to steady her with a hand on her waist. The moment she was stable, I released her. Now, she avoided my eye contact.
“Tomorrow night, meet me in the alley beside the pool hall.”
She crossed her arms, either out of sass or discomfort, I wasn’t sure. “And if I don’t?”
With my back to her, I moved to the rolling door of the storage unit and pulled it up, letting the bitter air drift in. When I looked back at her, I found she hadn’t moved.
“You’ll be the one with a hit on their head.”
Chapter 6
Grace
“You showed,” Henley said blandly, like he wasn’t at all surprised.
“I only came for free dinner.”
He shoved off the alley wall, hands tucked in his sweatshirt pocket. “We’re not eating.”
My stomach let out a grotesque growl, silently punishing me for expecting something out of this.Damn it.
“How’d you know I’d show?” I asked, following him as he exited the alley and rounded the building. I stayed at least a foot behind him.
“I put a tracker on your car.”
My feet skidded to a halt. I shouldn’t have been surprised—the man had kidnapped me, and his life was on the line. He probably thought I’d attempt to kill him again to get out of this fucked-up arrangement. Of course, he’d keep tabs on me.
He stopped after walking a few more feet, the door in reach. “Don’t look so surprised. You stalked mefirst.”
“For ajob,” I clarified. “You’re doing this…” I waved my hands around, trying to come up with the right word. “Forfun.”
He stayed completely still, eyes locked on me. “I’m having such a grand time tracking down my mystery hater with my brat of a killer.”
I huffed, gaze falling to the ground as my mind went quiet. Did I really expect him to let that part go? To think we were a team, and not reluctant allies? I mean, had it become lost on me overnight that he planned to murder me once we found whoever was behind this?
Yeah, it had. Because at the end of the day, I wasn’t a psychopath. I was simply broke and forced into an illegal job. Was that a fucking crime?
Without another word, Henley opened the door to the pool hall and held it wide. Grudgingly, I brushed past him and walked inside. Pungent cigar smoke and strong whiskey hit me like a bat to the head—or a gun, if it was Henley. The scent stung my eyes, but that quickly became the least of my worries as an arm wrapped around my waist.
I flinched on instinct. A hand gripped me, stopping me from shoving it off.
Lips brushed my ear. “Be good, little killer. You wouldn’t want to make a scene, would you?”
Subtly, I shook my head, keeping my eyes on the men spread around the room. Some turned to look while others pretended we didn’t exist, so lost in their games that I was almost certain a bomb could go off and they wouldn’t move.
