“If I tell you, you’ll do it?”
A load of hesitancy preceded her whispered, “Yes.”
“Perfect. I’m sure we can wrap this up in no time at all. But remember, Shara, if you cross me, I will end you. No one, not a cop, not a boyfriend or a bodyguard, will be able to protect you. One dark night, you’ll wake up from a deep sleep and find me there. Do you understand me?”
Tearful now, she whimpered, “Yes.”
Satisfied, Mike got moving, grabbing his wallet and a rain slicker. From the garage of the rented house, he stowed the suitcase into the black SUV he’dborrowedfrom a friend who was out of the country. No one would recognize it, and no one would link it to him. The house wasn’t rented in his name. The car wasn’t his. The few people he’d dealt with—Shara, the grocery store clerk, the young man at the phone store—knew him only as Leon.
As he drove away from the house, he accepted that Kam might be a problem, but he couldn’t prove anything. Shara would be too afraid to assist him, and if not, then he’d kill her. Easy-peasy.
Gleefully, he acknowledged that he’d thought of everything.
While he drove, he spent several more minutes taunting her. Shara deserved it for letting him down, but now, finally, she’d be useful.
When he’d gotten near enough to his destination, he said, “Meet me in the park.”
“The... park? But it’s storming.”
“You won’t melt. Park by the south entrance. I’m in a blue sedan,” he lied. “Once you arrive, you’ll join me.”
Breathing more heavily, she stammered, “Join you?”
“So I can pay you for your trouble.”
“You... you won’t hurt me?”
“Not unless you disobey me. Show up, collect your money, keep your mouth shut, and you’ll be back to your usual abysmal life in no time.”
Audible breathing carried through the line. And then finally, “Okay.”
“Fifteen minutes, Shara. No more than that or you’ll make me angry.” With that last threat given, he disconnected—and grinned.
KnowingShara would turn to Kam again, and that Kam would try to set him up, he cautiously drove toward the street adjacent to where Glory lived. To avoid running into Kam, he took his time. He wanted the bigger man gone before he arrived. He had to time this perfectly.
This was his chance to get to Glory. At first, he’d been worried about her injuries—injuries she thought he’d carelessly caused. For that alone, she deserved a little pain, plus her broken ribs would make her easier to control.
Once Kam headed to the park, he’d be far enough away that Mike could grab Glory and get out of town.
She’d be alone. Vulnerable.
It would betheirtime—and she’d learn what it meant to belong to him.
“Are you absolutely certain you don’t want me to bring in a stylist for your hair?”
Knowing how her hair looked, Glory barely hid her grin. Poor Liz struggled more with Glory’s unkempt appearance than Glory herself. It wasn’t that she liked being messy, but Kam truly didn’t seem to mind, and that made it matter less to her. Just being her true self, in attitude and looks, was nice for a change. Very relaxing.
Holding humor at bay became especially difficult when Addie said, “Leave her be, Liz. She’s dealing with enough without worrying about her hair.” Remembering how they’d laughed at her last time, Addie added, “Even without it being styled, it’s still cute.”
“Thank you.” It amazed Glory that Addie and Liz had become such good friends. In every way, they were very different women. Today, Addie wore her usual jeans with a loose-fitting pink T-shirt. A breeze had mussed her gray-streaked blond hair but her blue eyes were as mischievous as ever. Liz wore a chic designer sundress that fit her toned body to perfection. Her hair, cut in an asymmetrical style, remained perfect, as if a breeze wouldn’t dare disrupt it. Her blue eyes, darker than Addie’s and showcased with subtle makeup, assessed everyone and everything, most specifically Glory’s hair.
With a smile, Liz stroked a hand along Glory’s crown, smoothing back a wayward tress that kept falling forward. “I miss being able to give you suggestions.”
“Don’t you mean orders?” Callie said from the kitchen.
Liz sniffed. “Glory, at least, always listened... Unlike that one.”
“That one, Mom?” Callie stepped into the living space with a taunting grin. “I’m yourdaughter.”
