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“Mr. Lopez,” I finally say as I unbutton my suit jacket, “I think we should sit, talk this through. As I explained to your man over there,” I point at Paulo, “I’m not allowing her to leave this house, not with him anyway. If you wanted a girl, you should’ve chosen one that was more suited to your… lifestyle.” I use the word loosely. Even though I’m ready to end this fucker, I have to bide my time.
The bastard is nothing more than a bully with too much money. He may run an empire, a criminal organization, but he’s nothing to me. I’m not afraid of people like him, those who think that running the world involves fear.
It’s a lie.
Running the world involves respect. And that is something that should be earned, not forced. Manny is the type of man who will instill fear with violence, and in that, he will convince himself people respect him.
They don’t.
They’re just scared.
He chuckles, moving around the living room as he takes in the furnishings, his gaze trailing over Harris, then Finn, and lastly, Damien, who’s standing quite far out of reach of the rest of the men. His two goons that have flanked him are still in place, their hands at their front, and I know they’re waiting on his order.
Paulo speaks next, “Manny, this girl isn’t worth the time. The effort we’ve put in is nothing compared to what we could get if we just head out and find a few new girls.”
“I’m intrigued with this town,” Manny says before looking at me. “You own this town?” he asks while waving his hand in the air. The gesture makes me nervous, but I keep my features ice cold.
“Our ancestors built this town,” I inform him easily. “Is that a problem?”
The one corner of his mouth quirks with a smile. “Not at all, Mr. Thorne, not at all. I find it interesting that a girl like Kalyn would be at home here,” he tells us.
I take a step toward him, noticing the goons flinch, their hands shifting to where I know they’re hiding their weapons in shoulder holsters. “Why is that?”
“She’s…. wild,” he tells me as he settles into a chair before regarding me with a challenge in his dark eyes. He wants me to lose my cool. I have no doubt this man wants violence, and deep down, I want to give him that, but I know if I were to lose control, I’d end up losing Kalyn.
If something happened to me, to her, I would never forgive myself. So, instead of biting, I smile. “She’s a lovely girl. One that belongs to me now,” I inform him coolly, only to receive a snort of derision from Paulo. The thing is, he doesn’t faze me, not when his boss is sitting inches from me. “I think it’s time to make a deal,” I say.
This piques Manny’s interest. “Oh?” One of his thick dark eyebrows arches toward his hairline. “And what could you possibly have to make a deal with me, Mr. Thorne?”
“I have information about your business you’d rather keep private,” I tell him. With every minute that passes, my confidence grows. Because the look on Manny’s face when I say this confirms he’s afraid. “And I have many contacts, ones that could ensure your import and export business ceases to exist.”
It’s not a lie. Thorne Industries has been working with several shipping companies, and a few calls have ensured I have the upper hand. I don’t sit, I don’t stoop to his level; instead, I lean on the back of the chair, my hands clasped in front of me as I lock my serious gaze on Manny Lopez.
“The girl for my silence,” I throw out onto the table, with the hopes he’ll see she’s nothing to his organization. If I were to leak the evidence, the information I have, he’ll be behind bars within seconds. I don’t flinch when he pushes to his feet, anger clear on his face. But he doesn’t strike me; he doesn’t even pull a gun out. The goons that accompanied him don’t move.
“Do you think I like coming here and making deals with children?” His sneer makes me want to smile. I want to laugh at him, but I don’t. If I did, I’d ensure his anger would kill us all.
“Not at all, Mr. Lopez, but you can admit to yourself when you’ve been outsmarted, perhaps not by a child, but by a man.” At my words, I push to full height, which makes me taller than him. Only by a head, but I am the alpha in this room. “Kalyn Narro is mine. She belongs to me. I don’t allow my possessions to be stolen, taken, or even sold. I trust you can understand this since your wife was once a girl you sought out without purchase.” My voice is controlled, my words confident, cool, which has Manny’s face turning beet-red. I’ve called him out. He loves the woman he married, which confirms he cannot deny me my request.
