Scarlett couldn’t keep the look of shock from forming on her face. “H-how did. You?”
“Connections, sweetheart,” he bit back smugly. “I’ve got them in spades.”
Her mind raced with several what-the-hell questions. The first one that shot to the forefront of her mind being…
“So you bought me here to, what? Make me pay?”
“Oh, you’ll pay, all right.” He sneered. “Just as soon as I get paid.”
Okay, now he really had her confused. “I don’t understand.”
“Of course you don’t. So let me dumb it down for you. I worked for Dante Valdez. When he died, I moved up the food chain. His lover, Maria…you know, your sister’s former boss? She wasn’t just Valdez’s lover. She’s my sister. She uses our mother’s maiden name, of course, so no one outside the business could connect us. But she’s been running things from the inside while I’ve been?—”
“Taking care of the business on the outside.”
“I knew you were smart the first time I met you. Should’ve known then not to put you on my stage, but damn if I couldn’t resist seeing that fine ass of yours spinning around on my pole.”
The way he said that made her cringe. “You said you aren’t going to kill me. Then what?—”
“I have a buyer willing to pay top dollar for a sexy ginger like you. He’s on his way here now with my cash. It’s not near what I lost when you and your sister got the club shut down, but it’ll be enough to start over. New name. New club.” His smile turned sinister. “New girls.”
Scarlett wanted to vomit, but she refused to let this man see her fear.
“You won’t lay a finger on Rose.” She used her sister’s real name because at this point it was clear the guy knew the truth.
“Rose. Ah, sweet Rose. You know, funny story…Pauly was going to put her down when he got back from the run the day she took off.”
“Put her…down?”
Jesus, was he talking about killing Rose? The guy truly did see the women he used for his sick business as animals.
He’s the animal.
“That’s the funny part.” The man actually chuckled. “The order to kill sweet Rose came after Pauly informed me a contact of his informed him someone had been snooping around trying to find her.” He pulled out a phone and flipped it around for her to see.
Scarlett gasped at the image on the screen. “Thomas?”
The picture showed the private investigator she’d hired lying dead on the ground. A single bullet hole had been freshly made in the center of his forehead.
Bile rushed to the base of her throat, and it was only by the grace of God that she didn’t throw up right then and there.
“Y-you killed Thomas?”
“Not me, of course. One of my trusted associates took care of that little problem. But not before dear old Thomas gave you up. You and your boyfriend.”
That’s how he found me. He got Olly’s name and address from Thomas.
“So what?” she managed to choke out. “You sell me to some sick freak who gets his rocks off by forcing unwilling women to have sex with him and you ride off into the sunset with your cash to start up a new business?”
“What can I say?” Victor grinned. “I’m living the American dream.”
Ohmygod.
“I’ve got to take a shit,” he announced as he stalked across the cabin’s small living room. “I’d say don’t go anywhere, but…”
Laughing at his own stupid joke, the asshole disappeared into what she assumed was the cabin’s only bedroom. Thankful the bathroom was back there, she used the moment of peace to try to think of some way to get herself out of this mess.
Scarlett pulled at the plastic ties holding her arms and wrists to the wooden chair, but all she managed to do was make her wrists start bleeding again. If her legs were free, she’d be able to at least stand up and attempt to run.