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“And your dream is what? To live out the rest of your days on an island? To squander your gifts husking coconuts during the day and screwing the black woman you’ve taken hostage at night?”
Anger surged through my veins.
I snatched Rhia by the throat and drove her against the wall in three seconds flat. Her head smacked against plaster. The painting on the hook swung dangerously.
“Do not speak of her,” I growled.
Rhia cackled, the sound akin to a creaky door in a storm. “How amusing, Reid. Then and now, you are still defeated by that thing in your pants.”
“Shut up.”
“She seems very sweet. A little too conservative for your tastes. I thought you preferred women who settled for a few romps in trashy hotel rooms, but this girl… she looks a little high-maintenance. Commitment, God, family, they are important to her. Are you sure you can live up to her perfect standards?”
“Say one more thing and I’ll snap your neck.”
“Reid,” she taunted.
My fingers tightened.
“As we speak, I have a gun trained to his head.”
“You’re bluffing.”
Rhia paused and pressed a finger to her ear. “The lamps are on. It’s glowing, orange.”
My fingers loosened.
Horror seeped through my veins.
“He’s wearing blue pajamas with puppies on them. How adorable.”
My breath caught.
“Your woman is on your bed. Reid is tucked into her side. She seems to be telling him a story. A boy. A giant. Five stones—”
I roared and slammed my fist into the wall near her head. Plaster tumbled out of the indent left by my anger.
Reid, my weakness and my strength.
Rhia could pull me like a puppet on a string and she knew it. “My goodness, Deacon. I forgot you had a temper. You’re usually so in control. We will need to get that in check. I cannot have you raging and roaring like a bull in front of clients.”
I let her go, my shoulders sagging and my back hunched with the weight of fear and anger.
Rhia massaged her throat, the only indication that she’d been in any sort of pain. “Do you get it now?”
“Don’t touch them.”
“All I want is your cooperation. And, truly, I’ll be doing you a favor. You were meant for more than life on an island. From this day on, you will have money beyond your wildest dreams and your son will receive nothing but the best. Your woman, well, she may look beyond your flaws for the right price.”
“You’ve said all you need to. Leave before I call your bluff and put a bullet in your chest.”
She patted my cheek. Her sharp fingernails, red like blood, scraped my jaw. “I look forward to our partnership. I may not be as beautiful as your past handler, but I hope our relationship,” she spread her hands on my torso and whispered, “will be just as satisfying.”
“Goodbye.” I threw her prying fingers down.
Rhia chuckled and sashayed out the door, slipping out silently, like a shadow. As quickly as she’d come.
The moment the door slammed behind her, I texted Miguel.
