AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I don’t have the USB drive.” It was seriously hard to keep the tone of my voice calm.
“Yeah, here’s the thing, sweetheart…I don’t believe you. Dominic told me that he gave you information that can be used against my organization.”
I tried to hide the clenching of my jaw. This guy was either the dumbest or most paranoid guy to walk the planet. My guess was a combo of both.
Keep your cool, Luna. Dad needs you to stay alive. Otherwise, he’ll be trapped in prison for the rest of his life.
You can do this. You persuade people for a living, and you can persuade this guy that you are not a threat to him. You can persuade him to let you go.
“He was bluffing,” I managed.
“And why would he do that?”
“He thought you were going to kill him. He probably thought it would make you hesitate, and he was right.”
“Dominic was not that smart,” Franco said.
“I have no information about you from Dominic or anyone else.”
Franco slowly paced, like a predator watching the meal he was about to consume.
“Who else did Dominic talk to?” Franco asked.
That’s the information he really wants—who all knows? If he thinks I’m the only person with information against him, he’ll just kill me to protect himself. But even if I lie and say Dominic was talking to others, he’ll probably kill me anyway. And then he might go kill anyone else he suspects.
My mind raced for a scenario that could save my life while protecting innocents.
And suddenly, a possibility came to me.
A daring one, but it was the only card I had.
“Fine,” I said, quickly layering on details to my story to make it more compelling. “Dominic told me everything. And he did give me a USB drive. That USB drive has information on it that will put you in prison for life. But Dominic also warned me how dangerous you were, so I created an insurance package for myself. If something ever happens to me, or if I disappear, multiple copies of the USB drive will be delivered to law enforcement officers all over the city.”
Franco put the toothpick back between his teeth and spun it, as if its every rotation was a lie detector test. And then a slow smile spread across his lips.
“You’re a terrible liar,” he said.
I swallowed. “I’m not lying.”
“You don’t have any evidence, do you?”
Translation: I had nothing keeping me alive anymore.
Nothing physical, anyway, but based on the look in his eyes, he must have thought I still had information. Because I could tell he was far from done.
“Just let me go,” I said.
“No can do.”
My throat was a desert.
Think, Luna. Think of something else to say to him.Denying it didn’t work. Pretending I did have information that could hurt him didn’t work.
I straightened my spine and tried to hide the fear in my tone.
“Release me now,” I said sternly. “And I will tell the police my abductors wore masks, and I don’t know who they are.”Keep your eyes steady; don’t let him see the lie on your face.“This is a onetime offer,” I said.
He had the audacity to look at me with pity. But his pity was laced with a psychotic thrill gleaming in his eyes, as if whatever was about to happen, he looked forward to it.
