AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Hurt me. Make me come.
Which is patently crazy.
Last night was a fluke. It was a panic-induced trauma response. Fucking him was dumb, so wildly moronic, but last night I had a good excuse—the whole corpse burrito thing was still fresh, I was sleep-deprived, I was scared.
Those excuses are now gone in the cold light of the day.
And yet he’s still no less attractive.
“I told you, Burian isn’t going to let you go.” He leans back in his chair, studying me, hand on his chin. We’re set up at a table near a large window overlooking downtown Dallas. Glass towers sparkle in the sunlight. I wish I could enjoy it. “At this point, I’m your best option.”
“I could call the cops,” I point out. “Tell them about the body. Tell them the whole damn story.”
He shrugs. “You could, if you want to go to jail. And like I said—”
“Right, jail would fuck me up.” I rub my face with the heel of my hand. “Why are you so sure I’ll be the one they throw behind bars? You helped too.”
“Good point, but I don’t exist.”
“I’m not even going to pretend like that makes sense.” I rub the spot between my eyes where a headache is forming. “What do you want from me, Lanzo?”
“It’s nothing obscene, don’t worry. I’ve been chasing after Burian for a while now, and you’re the only person in the world I know can positively identify him. All you need to do is either find me a picture of him or point him out, and that’ll be enough. I’ll stash you somewhere safe until Burian’s dead.”
I mull that over. “You have a lot of safe places?”
“I have some powerful friends here in Dallas. Good people that will help you, if you let them.”
I snort. “I don’t even know you or what you do, why should I trust your alleged friends?”
“Because what other choice do you have?”
I shake my head, frustrated. He’s got a point, but I don’t like it one bit. “Give me a little while and I’ll think of an alternative.”
“What if I offered you money?”
That gets my attention.
Despite everything, I still need cash. I can groan and moan all I want, but the reason I started this whole mess is still out there. Grandpop’s still sick, still can’t work, and I still need to pay his home nurse and his medical bills.
“How much?” I ask cautiously. Feeling like an idiot.
He gestures in the air like the amount doesn’t matter. “Two million? Does that work? I could go higher if you want.”
I nearly choke on my coffee.
Two million dollars would change my life in immeasurable ways.
Two million dollars is more money than I ever dreamed about.
“How much higher?” I ask, trying not to panic. Because hell, if I’m extracting money from this guy, I might as well get as much as I can.
“Three million. I think that’s fair.” He shrugs casually.
“Three million,” I repeat with a sharp laugh. “You don’t have that much money. I saw your truck.”
“I’ve been living rough for a long time now, but I have money. Plenty of money.”
“You have three million you’re willing to throw at me.” I lean back, afraid I might pass out and hit the floor. “I find it hard to believe.”
