“Do you want to make the seventy-five thousand dollars go away, and get some cash to fight your divorce and custody battles?”
Lord, he knows way too much about me. This can’t be good. Whatever they wanted from her had to be illegal. But what?
“Do you want me to continue?”
“Yes.” Desperation drenched her voice. She hated the sound of it.
“What we speak about today can’t be discussed with anyone else, or there’ll be serious consequences. Understood?”
She never broke eye contact with him—his look sent a cold, thorny pain into her spine. I’ve been stabbed with an icicle. God, his eyes are creepy. Why didn’t I ever notice that before? Once in, there’s no getting out. What were her choices? She had no money and her parents refused to bail her out. They had the money too. What kind of parents didn’t care if she lost her son? What kind of grandparents were they?
Nobody but me will help me. Decision made. With some cash, she’d take Trevor and start a new life elsewhere.
“I understand. What do I have that your bosses want?”
“Ah, here’s dinner. Let’s eat first.”
She didn’t want the freaking food. “What exactly are you talking about here?”
“After dinner, Kyra.” He cut into his steak and placed a piece in his mouth.
She ate, though she never tasted the food. When the waitress brought out the chocolate soufflé, she stared at it. A favorite of hers, but she had no appetite.
“Can we get this over with?”
“No, we haven’t had dessert,” he said, eyebrows raised.
She wanted to wipe the smug look right off his face but reined in her temper. Bit back her comment.
“Are you in a hurry to sign your life away? Eat the soufflé first,” he said in a low voice. She had to lean in to hear him.
She picked up her spoon, only to slam it down. “Sign my life away?” Dinner purged its way up her throat.
“It’s an expression.” He shrugged.
A tear ran down her face. He reached over and thumbed it way. The gesture skeeved her out.
“After dinner we’re going to take a ride. I’ll explain everything. This offer comes from my boss at the loan company, not me—”
“I have to talk to them?” she yelled.
“Quiet. No, I’ll be doing the talking. I wanted you to understand the terms. This offer comes from them, not the casino. Understood?”
Washing his hands of the act, clever him. “Yes.” She resigned herself to her fate. There wasn’t any way she’d be able to pay off the seventy-five thousand dollars.
“I want you right now, with discretion, to look at the guy in the corner. Take in every detail you see and retain it.”
“Why?”
“No questions, do what I ask.”
She turned, looked over her left shoulder toward the bar. Her gaze lingered on the man Joe wanted her to study. The guy filled the whole corner—he had to weigh three hundred fifty pounds if he weighed an ounce—gross. Greasy hair held in place by his comb-over. Revolting table manners. She kept her gaze moving until it landed on the bar. She signaled the waitress. I’m stalling—how can I get out of this? The guy must be a Whale. Joe better not be offering me to him. I’ll throw up on the spot or, worse, kill myself. Which will solve everything.
“Can I get you something, miss?” the waitress asked.
“Yes, a glass of water, please.”
The server walked away from the table. “Did you see the man I was speaking about?”
“Yes, and he’s gross.” Kyra didn’t bother to lower her voice.
“I’m not going to tell you again to keep your voice down.” She didn’t like the hard edge his voice held. “We’ll talk about him on our ride. You done?”
Joe got up without waiting for her answer, or her water. Running after him, she noticed each step he took slammed to the floor as he marched away.
Well screw him.
Chapter 3
Kyra caught up to him and tugged on his arm. “Why are you angry? I’m the one being put on the spot here.”
“I’m angry because you show no discretion. You’re rude.” He turned back to the elevator.
“Rude?” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “You’re the one who asked me to check out that gross excuse for a human being and for what? I’m not stupid and I’m not doing him.” Her face burned. Her throat went dry. At her side, her fists curled. She held her temper on a tether.
“I didn’t ask you to, did I?” He stepped into the elevator, adjusted his tie.
She stomped in after him. “What was the purpose of the look-and-see?”
“I already told you we’d talk in the car. Please don’t cause a scene, Kyra. Like you, I need my job.”
They rode down in silence. Dear God, what have I gotten myself into? Focus failed her. The trek to the car struck her as the final walk of a condemned woman. Dead Kyra walking. They reached his car. No surprise he drove a Mercedes-Benz SLK 55 convertible, silver. It was a beautiful, sleek car. My dream car, in the exact model and color. Why him? “Does it have a V8?”
“You like cars?”
“This is my dream car.”
“Yeah, it’s a V8, and it handles like a dream.”
“I bet. What year is it?” He helped her into the car.
“It’s last year’s model.”
Zooming out of the garage, he turned right, onto a back road instead of the highway. It was a smooth ride. The trees whizzing by the only acknowledgment of motion. Leaning her head against the seat, she noted its comfort. He started talking and drew her into the conversation and reality.
“I want to lay out the whole deal for you before you interrupt. Afterward I’ll answer any questions you have.”
“Okay.” Tapping her finger on her leg was her only outward sign of nerves. She hoped.
“The group chose you for two reasons. First: you’re pretty, with a great shape. Second: you hold a unique position.”
Oh, shit! It’s worse than I imagine.
“They set this up to give you a choice. You guessed the first choice. Mr. Garcia is a Whale and he likes redheads. You fit the bill. He spends millions at the casino each year. My boss likes to give him what he wants. He likes oral sex.”
Her stomach shot up to her throat. She swallowed hard, forcing the contents back down.
Joe never looked at her. His face a blank.
“Your second choice involves your job.”
“My job?”
“Remember, no interruptions until I’m done,” he reprimanded. “You work at the cemetery, correct?”
He looked over at her, but she didn’t respond. She nodded.
“Don’t you do all the cremations there?”
“Yes,” she whispered. This had to be a nightmare. Kyra pinched herself. Nope, it’s not.
“Okay, this is difficult for me…” He paused, but didn’t fool her. “They need you to dispose of a body for them.”