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1
Rhett
Ididn’t have patience for much. I expected everything to be on time—stay on the schedule I set, and I didn’t have a single bit of tolerance for people stepping out of line.
I ruled everything around me with an iron fist.
And Frederick Leonard was about to find out just what little patience I possessed.
Frederick was a man I should haveneveragreed to do business with. My gut told me he was a sleazeball and wascertainlynot a man of his word. Not long after I got his name on that dotted line and loaned him the money he’d begged for—yes, begged, like a fucking child—I began to hear through the grapevine the kind of man he was.
He owed numerous other people, and from what I understood, he was on the run.
If he didn’t have my money today, the other people he’d essentially stolen from wouldn’t have to worry about finding him and putting the bullet through his skull. I’d do it for them. And if he showed up even a second late to this meeting, he’d be losing a foot.
If he wanted to be late, I’d give him a legitimate excuse to use in the future.
I looked at my watch, frowning, my scowl deepening. He had exactly one minute to make himself appear in front of me. I growled low under my breath.Did he think my time was invaluable?
The door opened, and he rushed in, two of my men flanking him. I looked down at my watch again. He made it with fifteen seconds to spare. Cutting it mighty fucking close.
“You almost lost a foot,” I calmly told him.
His face paled, and his steps stuttered a moment before he swallowed thickly and continued making his way toward me.
Empty fucking handed.
I waved my hand in his direction. “I’m hoping you weren’t foolish enough to show up here without money. Not only is that going to piss me off, but it’s a waste of my goddamn time, which, may I remind you, is fucking valuable.”
He swallowed thickly. “I ran into a bit of an issue—”
If there was one thing in this world I hated more than people being late, it was excuses. I didn’t give a damn about them, and I’d never fucking listen to them. There were rules that were expected to be followed, and in my opinion, there was never a good enough reason to fucking not follow them.
Especially when they were the rulesIset.
I put my hand up, halting his words. Looking at the two men behind him, I jerked my chin in the direction of the metal folding chair behind me. One of them grabbed Frederick’s arms and lifted him from the floor so he just dangled and calmly walked over to the chair, putting him in it.
“What—wait—no—Rhett, this is just a misunderstanding—”
“Is it?” I stuffed my hands in the pockets of my pressed slacks, watching as my other guard worked on tying him up. Frederick was panicking, sweat beading on his forehead, his chest heaving as he tried to get me to change my mind.
“Yes, please, if you’d just let me explain—”
My two guards stepped back, and I walked forward, stopping when I was right in front of him and he had to crane his neck to look up at me. “The thing is, Frederick, we had a deal. You signed your name on that dotted line. I don’t offer second chances. I don’t listen to excuses. You let one man slip through the cracks, and before you know it, you’ve got multiple men slipping through, not pulling through on their word.” He audibly gulped, fear shining in his eyes. “Your first payment was due to me today, Frederick, and you don’t have it.”
He opened his mouth to speak, but my features twisted into a snarl, making him bite back his words. “I don’t care about what happened. I don’t give a shit about your excuses. You had a deadline, and you failed to meet it.”
I stepped back and pulled my gun out of the back of my slacks. His face paled, his eyes widening. “Wait! No!” He pulled at his restraints, his chest heaving. I clicked off the safety, taking a sick satisfaction from his palpable fear. It was so strong, I could practicallytasteit.
Making people fear me wasaddicting.
“I have a daughter!” he yelled, sweat beading on his forehead and at his temples.
I sighed. Nothing was going to stop me from putting the bullet through his skull, and he was beginning to annoy the fuck out of me. “I don’t give a fuck about your daughter or any other family you’ll be leaving behind, Frederick.”
“I’ll give her to you!”
Thathalted me. I slid my finger off the trigger and slowly lowered the weapon, arching a brow at him. I wasn’t in the skin trade—at least, not like that. I owned a sex club in the city, but everyone who worked there was there willingly.
