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The cocktail waitress sets down the empty glasses with a wink and a smile. I peel her off a twenty and wink back. Then I pour for the two nimrods.
“Think about it,” I murmur, then scoot out of the booth.
“Where you going?” Sal demands.
“You’re not drinking with us?” Rudy sounds almost sad.
“Nah.” I slap him on the back. “I’m going to give you two time to talk over that bottle while you listen to what’s-her-name with the tits. I’ll hold down the fort. No one left upstairs?”
Rudy shakes his head. “Getting late now. You know how it is.”
“Yep.” Donzelli and his cohorts are getting comfortable and cocky. That works in my favor. “Drink up.”
I loiter long enough to see them each down a glass and pour another. I’m tired as fuck, and I’m dying to go upstairs and curl up with Kristi for a few hours, maybe reenact her getting pregnant…
Holy shit. We’re having a baby. That’s a lot to wrap my head around, but that’s a really fucking important reason to focus. Sammie, then Paulie’s command center in the basement. Hopefully, Red and I will be alive to reminisce later.
Suddenly, the cell in my pocket buzzes. I pull it free to find a text from the guards on the eighth floor.
Donzelli just called. Wants you to take the merch to that client.
Fuck. The boss not thinking with his dick puts a kink in my plans.
Tell him I’m on it, I type back, then jog my way back upstairs, my thoughts racing. I’ve got to be smart about this since my operational window of opportunity is pretty much now.
On the eighth floor, I make my way to 832 and let myself in. The brunette I saw in the cage in the third-level basement earlier huddles in the corner now, rocking back and forth, eyes dilated and enormous.
It hurts me to see how fucking terrified she is.
When she catches sight of me, she scrambles to her feet and raises her fists like she intends to fight me. It would be funny…if it weren’t so damn heartbreaking.
Shutting the door behind me, I approach her slowly. “Sammie?”
She scowls. “H-how do you know my name?”
“Listen to me. I’m on your side.”
She shakes her head, her long hair swaying around her waist. “No. I saw you with that guy, the one who bosses everyone around. He controls the guy who t-took me when I walked by the back door coming out of the ladies’ room.”
“I know. I have to gain his trust, but I’m here to free you. I’ve talked to your cousin Kristi.”
“When? How?” She gapes as a horrible possibility occurs to her. “Is she here?”
“Down the hall. I was with her an hour ago. Your mom called her to help find you, but now Kristi is in trouble, too. So you’ve got to listen to me.”
Sammie raises a trembling hand over her lips. “She’s in danger because of me? Oh, no…”
“It’s okay,” I tell her with a calm I don’t feel, holding out my hands. “We’re going to get out of here.”
“How?”
I don’t dare tell her I’m still working on that. “Let’s get you out of this room first.”
Because if I don’t, Donzelli won’t lose himself in pussy again tonight, and I won’t get a chance to fix this.
“Where are you taking me?”
Why does she have to ask the hard questions? I sift through all my possibilities and realize my options are really fucking limited.
I sigh. “Someplace I’d rather not, but you’re going to get out of here, I promise.”
Her fists come back up. Does she think that will ward me off if I seriously wanted to do her harm? “Why should I trust you?”
“Honestly? I’m going to shorthand this because we’re out of time. I’m not who you think I am. I’m going to marry your cousin. Kristi is already pregnant, so I have a vested interest in making sure you’re both safe.”
“She is not!”
“Wanna bet?” But it’s not like Sammie can verify with my girl. “Let me put it this way: What happens if you go with the boss?”
“I’m afraid to find out. I saw what the tall, fat guy did to that other girl. She’s bruised everywhere.”
“Yeah, Paulie is a peach. But you know neither of them is going to be good for your long-term health, right?”
“Yeah,” she answers hesitantly.
“I’m the unknown; I get it. But if I was as bad or worse, do you really think I’d be standing here, trying to reason with you?”
“No.”
“Exactly,” I assure her. “Let me check one thing…”
I whip out my phone and call down to the bar where Rudy and Sal were drinking. After a quick parlay, the guy slinging drinks assures me that Tweedledum and Tweedledee are passed out at their table. Even better, the bottle is only half empty.
That gives me another idea. And it better work or we’re all dead.
