Page 89 of Triple the Secrets
Scarlett gave the girls a warning look, knowing they wouldn’t want to let it go. “What can I do for you?” she asked Karissa. “Unless you’re going to bean him with a book.”
“Don’t tempt me,” Karissa drawled.
“Now, sweetheart, we both know you want to hit me, but it won’t be with a book,” Razor drawled back, giving her a heated stare and a slow grin that Scarlett could only describe as salacious.
“My eyes,” Wren groaned, dramatically covering them.
Karissa rolled her eyes. “Whatever. I’m looking to see what new murder mystery books you have in. I need some new reading material.”
“We do actually have a couple new ones in,” Scarlett said with a large grin. “The question is, how bloody do you want them?”
“Oh you know me,” Karissa grinned. “The bloodier the better. Keeps me sharp. Especially when I’m dealing with hard-headed men.”
Razor muttered under his breath, but they ignored him.
Scarlett bit back a grin. “Down that aisle,” she instructed, pointing at the area across from the desk. “About three shelves down.”
Karissa didn’t spare Razor a glance as she headed down the stacks, but Scarlett didn’t miss the way Razor’s gaze tracked her. She thought the same thing she always did. These two were a powder-keg waiting to explode.
“I need to go to the bathroom, does that mean you have to come with me?” Wren asked Razor.
“Me too, so I guess we both have to,” Win added.
Razor gave them a long look. “You’re going to go there and right back?”
“Promise,” both girls said seriously. “We’ll be back ASAP.”
Razor watched them go after he gave them the okay, and then looked at Scarlett. “I’m going to check the front doors, see if I can find the prospect. Don’t move from that spot.”
“Promise,” Scarlett assured him. She watched as he headed for the front doors and looked out. She could see the frown on his face, and the annoyance in his eyes. She felt bad for the prospect when he was eventually found, because as easy going as Razor was, she had the feeling that you didn’t want to piss him off.
Razor cursed, but not loud enough for her to hear. He turned and shook his head as he took a step toward her. “Fucking kid,” Razor sighed. “I’ll kick his ass when I see him next.”
Scarlett didn’t have time to respond. Quickly, before she could even get a word out, a tall man pushed through the door, and slammed something heavy into the back of Razor’s head, making him drop like a stone. Scarlett didn’t utter a sound. She could only stare at the man who had now turned his full attention to her. “Where are they, you stupid bitch?” Slicer demanded.
She forced herself to swallow and to answer. “Who?” she asked dumbly.
“You know who,” he snarled, raising a gun directly at her. “I should have killed you three years ago when I had the chance. No whore is worth this much aggravation. You cost us a lot of damn money.”
“Money you make from trafficking women?” she snarled, fury making her run her mouth. She couldn’t stop it. Wouldn’t stop it. The angry words were ones she had known would bubble up if she ever faced them again. “Money you make from trafficking children? Children who are barely old enough to understand what is happening to them? Drugging them? Torturing them? Killing them?”
“You’re all the same, no matter the age,” he snapped, gun aimed directly at her forehead. “And these two, well, you picked the wrong ones to rescue. You think the man who bought them was just going to let them go? Be happy to waste all that money? We’ve searched for you for years, and isn’t it just perfect, that you landed in my lap. We would have grabbed you all then, saved ourselves the trouble, and made their owner a very happy man.”
“Owner?” Scarlett repeated bitterly. “They’re not pets. You don’t own people, you sick fuck.”
“The people I work for say otherwise. Now, where are they? I know they’re here.”
“I’m not telling you anything,” she hissed, reaching under the counter, grabbing the gun from her purse, and lifting it at him. “I will kill you first.”
His lips pulled back into a cruel smile. “You think you’ll kill me?” he taunted. “You really are a stupid bitch.” He cocked his gun. “One more chance and then I kill you and take them. But before they go to their new home, well, I’ll have to get reacquainted with them.” The promise in his voice made bile rise in her throat, right along with her rage.
“I will never let you touch them,” she hissed, finger on the trigger, hand steady.
“You don’t have toletme.” A scream filled the air, and Scarlett froze. It had been Win’s scream, and everything in her reacted to it. She wanted to run to them. She wanted to make sure they were okay. But she was frozen. “Did you really think I would come alone?” he sneered, moving closer, gun unwavering. “I should make you watch, but we’re on a deadline. Besides, you’re too much trouble, and I need you out of the way.”
“Let go of me, asshole,” Wren snarled from somewhere behind her.
Scarlett heard a grunt, but didn’t dare take her eyes from the man in front of her. She’d be dead, and that would mean the girls would be taken. That she had failed to protect them. Her finger itched to pull the trigger, but she needed his gun to lower. If she could get him to shoot her in a less fatal spot, she might have a chance.
