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I hadn’t worn them in a year, so I guessed I should give them away.
The door opened and footsteps sounded.
“I’m almost done. Just a couple more things.” My heart always skipped a beat when he dropped by unannounced, walking into the apartment because he was always welcome wherever I was.
His boots thudded against the hardwood as he approached the doorway. Then he came into view, wearing blue jeans and a gray t-shirt.
And then I realized it wasn’t Bartholomew.
It was someone else.
Someone who grinned at me like a psychopath.
“Expecting someone else?” He leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms. Then he looked me up and down slowly, his eyes violating my fully clothed body. “This is going to be fun.”
21
BARTHOLOMEW
The SUV pulled up to the building, and we all filed out of the car.
My phone rang, and if it weren’t Laura calling me, I wouldn’t have answered. “Busy right now. I’ll call you back.”
“Hopefully she’s still alive by then.” The man’s voice was like nails against a chalkboard on my ears. I stopped midstep, and my surroundings faded to nothing. I pictured Silas grinning like a goddamn clown.
All the guys stopped and looked at me.
I didn’t have time to make a plan before I responded. He’d caught me off guard—and I had to think quickly. “What do you want, Silas?”
“Right down to business. I expected questions. I expected threats.”
I didn’t play games when it came to my woman.
“I killed all your watchmen then walked right into her apartment. You should tell your girl to lock her door.”
I kept my voice steady. “What do you want, Silas?”
“You’re no fun, Bartholomew.”
“I granted you mercy—and this is how you repay me.”
“It wasn’t mercy. It was a fucking PR stunt.”
A successful PR stunt. “There’s no scenario in which you survive this. Even if you kill me, they’ll kill you.”
“We’ll see.”
“Make your demands.”
“All it takes is a woman to make you cooperative… Wish I’d known that sooner.”
“Make your demands.” I couldn’t keep my patience much longer.
His smile was in his voice. “Come to the apartment—alone.”
“And then you’ll let her go?”
“I’ll see how I feel when you get here.”
