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My eyes widened as I realized that he was talking about his sister and my best friend, Tia Monani. The very woman he had just pimped out to his business associate in return for a hefty investment into their failing family business.
“She… she was with you at the art gallery,” I stammered.
Tia had called me from the gallery, her voice filled with despair because of what her brother was doing to her.
“Well, she’s gone,” yelled Arjun, and I felt a tinge of relief despite the madman pointing a gun at me.
She had done it, after all. I had urged Tia to run away and hide somewhere until this blew over, and even this evening, she had insisted there was nowhere to hide because her brother would find her wherever she went. I was glad she’d mustered up the courage to fight back.
And no wonder Arjun was almost foaming at the mouth with fury. The man he had promised Tia to was a mobster with a reputation for making people disappear. With her gone, he had no collateral to offer in return for the investment, which meant he might be the one to disappear next.
“My sister is too much of a coward to do something like this on her own. You must have put her up to it,” he said, grabbing me by the throat and squeezing hard.
I began struggling for air and gasped as I tried to pull his hand off, but he was too strong for me.
“Out with it,” he demanded. “Where is she hiding?”
Dark spots began to dance in front of my eyes and I could feel the room going out of focus. I was about to pass out, but not without a fight. I raised my hands and went straight for his eyes. Arjun backed away and his grip on my neck loosened.
I gasped and wheezed as I glared at him through bloodshot eyes.
“You’re a fucking idiot,” I mumbled defiantly over a rapidly swelling lip. “I don’t know anything. But I’m glad she’s gone.”
Arjun picked up my phone and held it up to my face to unlock it. I made a grab for it but he was too fast for me and stood up as he began to scroll through my messages.
“Where is it? Did you delete it?”
“Deletewhat?”
“Your plans,” he screamed. “I know you had something to do with my sister’s sudden disappearance, Kramer. Look here! She called you just before she disappeared. What did she say?”
“Nothing! She said nothing,” I yelled, rising to my feet.
“Bullshit! I don’t believe you! Tell me where she is or I’ll make you sorry,” he threatened. “Say, you have a kid, don’t you? Where is she?”
He nodded to his men, who went into the bedroom I shared with Rose.
Fear coursed through my veins, turning them into ice.
“Leave my daughter out of this,” I warned. “My baby daddy works for the DA’s office. You do anything to hurt her, and he will come down on you like the wrath of God.”
That much was true. Brandon would protect Rose, mainly because it would make him look weak if a thug hurt his daughter. With Brandon, it was all about image. His image. And right then, I was thankful for that because it would keep my baby safe.
Arjun leaned forward until his stinky breath feathered over my face. I forced back the urge to retch and held my breath.
“You’re going to help me find my sister, Kramer. I know Tia. I’m tracking her phone and her credit cards, so I will find her sooner or later. But I can’t wait too long. If I don’t hand her over to Jeff Sabri by noon tomorrow, he’s going to be real mad. So I’d like to speed up the process, see? When she calls you - because we both know she will - you’re going to call me right away and tell me where she is. Otherwise, I’ll come after you and your baby, and trust me, you don’t want that. If you get in my way, I’ll make you pay. It’s that simple,” he snarled.
I wanted to headbutt him with all I had, but I couldn’t move. Fear held me frozen because I knew Arjun Monani was the meanest sonofabitch I had ever met, and I wanted him nowhere near my baby.
“If Tia was smart enough to run away, she’s smart enough to know you’ll be watching me,” I said, trying to keep the madman calm. “She’s not going to call me, Arjun. Trust me.”
He shook his head and let out a high, crazed laugh that sent shivers down my spine. The bad kind.
“And you trust me when I say this, Kramer. Don’t get in my way, or I’ll make you pay,” he repeated in a singsong voice as he programmed his number into my phone. “Call me as soon as you hear from Tia.”
He threw my phone at me and I managed to grab it before it fell. Arjun snapped his fingers and his thugs filed out of my house. He followed them with one last warning look at me.
I waited for the door to click shut before I collapsed onto my couch. Drawing my knees up to my chest, I hugged my arms around them and rocked in place for a few seconds, and then I called the daycare.
