Page 104 of A Shot at Love
Hair the color of a storm cloud, a little less than six feet, and clad in a well-cut suit with a bright, blood-red tie, Gemma’s discerning eye put him between fifty and sixty years of age. Entirely too old to be an agent.
“About time you got here,” the man said to Tiege, but his eyes were trained on her. “You’ve kept me waiting far too long.”
“Couldn’t be helped.” Tiege shoved Gemma in front of him. “Here. She’s all yours now.”
He continued to hold her in his behemoth grip as he pushed her up close to the man.
Hands fisted on his hips, the man raked his gaze over her face, down her chest to her toes and then back up again. “You’ve proven to be a real pain in my ass, young lady.” For the first time, a thin line of fear shivered down her spine. His spoken voice was low, but tinged with such hate and menace, Gemma knew instantly this was a powerful man used to giving orders and having them followed to the letter.
His mouth dipped at the corners, a snarl pulling back to reveal cigarette-stained teeth, decades in the making.
Gemma shoved her fear down as far as she could. “I’m sorry? What have I ever done to you? I don’t even know you.”
Beside her, Tiege’s breath audibly caught.
The heat in the man’s snarl turned volcanic. He moved toward her, the edges of his eyes narrowing, his bushy brows pulling down, almost closing off his eyes to her view.
“You don’t know who I am?”
Gemma shook her head. “Why should I?”
His hand came up so fast she didn’t have a second to pull back from the slap that lashed across her cheek. The force behind it knocked her to the side and she would have fallen to her knees if sheer will and determination hadn’t kicked in, helping her to stay upright.
She whipped her head around, the painful sting from the slap throbbing immediately. The man grabbed a fistful of her hair and jerked her head so that his face was a kiss distance from hers.
“You should know the name of the last man you’re ever going to see, little girl.” His breath was hot, fetid, and foul as his words wafted over her face.
He yanked her hair, causing tears of pain to well up in her eyes.
“I’m Antonio Ritandi and I’m gonna kill you.”
Gemma stopped breathing. It was the only way she knew she could keep control. Slow her breathing and it would slow her heart rate as well, allowing her to stay calm and focused.
“Let go of me. Now.”
The snarl pulled back into a semblance of a smirk. “You’re a ballsy thing, I’ll give you that.”
He jerked his hand from her hair.
Gemma refused to let him see how much pain he’d caused. Her scalp stung, and she could feel her cheek already starting to swell.
“So, you’re the one responsible for making my life a living hell?” she asked, pleased her voice sounded steady and strong. As he’d done to her, she raked her gaze down the length of him, hoping the expression on her face was one of disdain. She’d flattened her lips, narrowed her eyes and fisted her hands on her hips.
It must have seemed so to Ritandi, because his face turned boiled-tomato red, the color spreading like wildfire up to his ears and then down his neck.
“You little bitch. I was gonna do you quick and easy, but that mouth of yours just made me think slow and painful is better.”
He reached out a hand to her, but Gemma sidestepped him.
Ritandi stumbled, quickly recovered and snarled at her. Gemma took the moment’s distraction to bolt. She sprinted around the house toward the dock.
“Get her!” Ritandi screamed. Just as she started down the steps she was grabbed from behind by Tiege. He yanked her to a halt and pulled both her hands behind her back, clasping her in handcuffs before she could fight him off.
“You’re more trouble than you’re worth,” he spat into her ear as he spun her and dragged her back to the front of the cabin. “I’d have killed you first thing.”
“Why didn’t you, then? Why bring me here?”
“Not my call.”
He shoved her so hard in front of Ritandi, she dropped to one knee. “Here. She’s all yours now. I’ve gotta get back.”
“Not so fast,” Ritandi said.
