by Jen Davis
Sneaking a glance at the small crowd around her, she continued. “When he stopped coming to class, I dug up his address and tried to talk to his brother about why he wasn’t in school anymore.”
Sucre chuckled. “Ah, things are making much more sense now. You’re very smart, telling me the truth of things. What did you think of Devon’s brother?”
“He scared me.” She wrapped her arms around herself. “Not at first. But at the end. It was like I was a mouse, and he was a cat, toying with me, waiting to pounce.”
“I guess you’re smarter than you look.”
The voice behind her was terrifying and familiar. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up as she felt Tre move in behind her.
“You sensed exactly what was happening, but what I want to know is—how did you get away from me?”
Sucre nodded, waiting for her answer.
“I hid. There was a burned b-building. It was so dark.” She shivered at the memory. “There were rats.”
Tre stomped his foot. “I knew I should have checked in there. I didn’t think a sweet little thing like you would have the stones to go inside.” He ran his finger up the line of her jaw. “I won’t underestimate you again.”
She prayed he would. “I-I’m sorry, Mr. De La Cruz, for intruding in your business. Really. I didn’t realize you were the important man Devon was talking about. I only wanted to look out for my student. I swear, I won’t ever step foot in this neighborhood again.”
“My dear.” Sucre tutted. “If only it were so simple. I understand now how you’ve taken Tre’s interest, but it solves only half the mystery. What I really want to know is how you’re involved with Brick Barlow.”
She frowned. “I don’t know who that is.”
Sucre shook his head sadly. “Dear Miss Turner, I hope you’re lying. Because if you’re Brick’s girl, no one here will touch you. It would be in my best interest to keep you safe.” He shrugged. “If not, I’m afraid I won’t be able to stop my young tomcat from playing with his new mouse.”
He pulled a phone out of his suit pocket and made a call, putting it on speaker. Tears threatened when she heard the answering voice.
“Sir?”
“Devon. Have you seen any sign of Brick?”
“No, sir, but the lady who Quinton grabbed? She’s one of my teachers. She’s really nice. I can’t imagine her anywhere around a guy like Brick.”
Sucre cocked his head. “If you recognized her, why didn’t you say anything to Quinton?”
“I report to you, sir. Besides, I wouldn’t try to talk Quinton out of his orders. It wouldn’t be my place.”
Sucre seemed to accept the words as his due. “Fair enough. Why don’t you come on back? You can keep your teacher company while we sort all this out.” As soon he hung up, Sucre shot out a text, then stuck the phone back into his pocket. “I’ve invited Brick to join our little party. Maybe we can get to the bottom of this once the gang’s all here.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Brick
Brick had precious little time to come up with a plan if he wanted to get Olivia out of Sucre’s hands. The only chance he had was to reach out for help. Though he dreaded the way he knew it would play out, his first call had to be to Will.
Pulling Olivia’s phone out of his pocket, he called up the contact.
It only rang twice before her brother answered. “Hey Liv, we still on for dinner tomorrow night?”
“Sucre’s got her,” he rasped. “I need your help to get her back.”
“Fuck.” A crash sounded on the other end of the phone.
“I’m calling Kane. Maybe between the three of us, we can come up with something.” Without waiting for a response, he dialed in his friend and merged the calls.
“Liv, is everything okay?”
He filled them in on everything that had happened over the past two days. Well, everything pertinent to the situation at hand. “I have an idea, but I’m gonna need help with the details and the execution. Kane, do you think your club might be interested in making a little extra cash?”
Thankfully, they hashed out the plan quickly, because he’d barely had the chance to drop off the money before Sucre summoned him to the club.
He sent word to Kane and Liv’s brother before heeding the call. It would only take about twenty minutes to get there. He could only pray it wasn’t too late.
When he walked in, the vibe inside El Cabron was different than he’d ever felt. There was a sense of anticipation, like the dead-eyed girls, the drunks, and the thugs held their breath. Gripping his backpack, he made a beeline straight for his boss.
“Could I steal a minute alone, sir?”
Sucre examined his expression. “Are you worried about something, Brick?”
Of course, he hadn’t missed Olivia’s stark, white face as she sat miserably on Tre’s lap a few feet away. He pretended she wasn’t anything special, though, just another girl scratching an itch for Sucre’s crew.
“My grandmother passed,” he said soberly.
His boss held a hand to his chest. “Did she? I’m sorry to hear it. Sylvie was quite a woman.” He stood. “Let’s talk in my office.”
Dutifully, he followed and closed the door behind him.
Sucre whirled to face him. “I have to say I’m surprised. I thought you might take your stash of money and try to make a run for it.”
“Is that what you thought I was saving for?” He pulled the backpack off his shoulder and emptied the contents on the bed. He’d already removed his keepsakes and stashed them in the truck. “I’ve been saving up to make a proposal.”
Eyeing the money, Sucre folded his arms. “What kind of proposal?”
“I want to buy in. Become a partner in your business.”
Sucre’s eyebrows shot up so high it would have been comical if the stakes weren’t so serious. “You what?”
“I’ve got about forty thousand dollars here. Look, I’m tired of knocking heads together. I’m tired of fighting, but really, how far can I make it in the real world? I tinker with building shit, but who am I kidding? This is who I am.” He deepened his voice. “I know this is always gonna be your business. I was only hoping my role might change. Grow. I’m not getting any younger.”
“Why wait for your grandmother to die to bring me this proposal?” Suspicion laced every word.
He shrugged. “She wouldn’t have approved. I waited out of respect to her, but she’s gone now. I’ve got to do what’s right for me.”
“So, you give me this money. What do you get out of the deal?”
“My cash means you can front more loans. More loans mean more interest. Part of those profits would go to me. Maybe I could help with recruitment.” His face hardened. “But you wouldn’t treat me like one of your employees anymore. No more tests of loyalty. And you will never touch me again.”
Sucre laughed. “What’s stopping me from keeping this money and rejecting your proposal?”
“You’d have to kill me, which would be a waste. I could help you.”
“You’re not understanding me.” Sucre rapped twice on the wall.
“I know exactly what you meant. You and I both know my grandmother’s health forced me into this life. The only way I’m staying in it is on my terms. You could kill me, but you have nothing to make me stay your bitch.”
Tre let himself in, a quivering Olivia, grasped tightly in his hands.
“You sure?” Sucre taunted.
Intentionally oblivious, he scoffed. “You’re trying to throw pussy at me again? Come on, boss.”
“You’re telling me you don’t know this woman?”
He stared at the love of his life with dead eyes. “I’ve never seen her before in my life.”
“You’re saying you wouldn’t care if I left her to Tre’s tender mercies?”
He barked out a laugh. “I wouldn’t wish that sick fuck’s tender mercies on anyone, but I’m not selling my life away for some stranger.” It was a gamble, but
he had few cards left to play. “Let him take her home. Maybe he can get some of his perversions out of his system. He won’t be much good to you otherwise.”
Liv let out an involuntary cry as Tre grabbed her crotch roughly through her jeans. “Does this mean I can have her, boss?”
Sucre stared at the ceiling like a parent would, dealing with an unruly child. “You know it’s not truly a hunt when someone hands you the prize on a silver platter, but fine, take her. Go.”
He wouldn’t let himself watch Tre pulling her away. Instead, he gathered his money and returned it to his pack. “I guess you need time to consider my proposal.”
“No. I accept.” Sucre held out his hand for the backpack, and he handed it over right away. “I think you’re holding out on me a little, though. I thought you had closer to fifty thousand dollars in your old table. What are you doing with the rest of the money?”
“I thought I would put together a special service for my grandma, you know? Even if I’m the only one there, she deserves to have something nice.”
Sucre looked at him with a hint of pity. “You really are a sentimental fool.”
“I thought maybe we could call the whole crew together. Make an announcement. It would mean a lot to me.”
“Sure, Brick, call everybody in. Tell them to get here in the next thirty minutes.”
A half an hour would be perfect.
***
Liv
Liv didn’t expect Jonathan to do anything to tip off Sucre to their relationship. Still, when he acted like she meant nothing to him, it was a knife in her heart. When he’d looked at her, she saw nothing of the man she knew in his eyes. He was empty.
She had no choice but to save herself. You can’t win the prize if you stop running the race. Of course, she couldn’t do it from the trunk, where someone had shoved her yet again. It would have to happen when they got to Tre’s apartment.
Keeping her breathing as even as possible, she worked to stay calm so she could think this through. It would only excite him more if she gave in to her fear.
The knowledge helped her manage a blank look of acceptance when he finally opened the trunk to let her out. His disappointment was evident. Snarling, he yanked her by the arm to the pavement beside him. “Don’t even bother trying to scream. No one here will help you.”
“I believe you,” she murmured. The street was deserted, and she had no illusions someone would come outside if she cried out.
“You don’t seem very scared, Miss Turner. I think I might have some ideas about how to change that. I can be very…inventive.” His gold tooth flashed when he smiled.
“Oh, I’m scared. But it’s different than before. Last time, I was running for my life. I was so sure you would catch me. It was the most terrified I’ve ever been.” She hung her head. “Now I know I’m going to die. I have no choice but to accept it. There’s no chance for escape.”
He slapped her across the face, and tears sprang to her eyes. She allowed them to fall, keeping a look of utter defeat on her face. It had the desired effect.
“You’re ruining it.” He hit her again, and she tasted blood on her lip.
“Go ahead. Get it over with.”
He’d already pulled back his hand for another strike when he froze, then dropped it to his side. “You know what we need here? A little drama. A little…anticipation.” He tipped up her chin with a crooked forefinger. “Nobody likes when a party ends too soon. How about we make it a little more interesting? Build in a little foreplay, heh?”
Her eyes widened. Oh God, was he talking about sex? Her arm ached as he curled his fingers around her bicep again and dragged her toward his apartment. She cursed herself for the hundredth time for ever coming here in the first place. Tre pushed her inside, then leaned against the front door. She stood frozen in front of him.
“We’re gonna do exactly like we did last time. I’m gonna give you a head start to run. Then I’m gonna chase you. And when I catch you,” he laughed low. “Well, there won’t be a single part of your body that doesn’t know it’s been conquered.”
He stepped away from the door. “Last time, I gave you three minutes, and you escaped me, but this time I know you better. It won’t happen again.” He stroked his hardening dick through his pants with the heel of his hand. “You ready, baby? Three minutes. On your mark. Get set. Go.”
Unwilling to waste a second, she ran out of the door like a shot, making a beeline to the burned-out building. It was probably the first place he’d check, but she’d be a sitting duck if she stayed out in the open.
She went in through the same blackened doorframe as last time. At least she knew some of the terrain. Her heart beat in her ears as she hoisted herself through the hole in the ceiling of the back bathroom. Thanks to Eduardo’s punishing calisthenics, this time, she could climb up on her own.
There was no source of light except for the few places illuminated by the setting sun’s rays trickling in from the charred patches in the structure. She’d lost her phone around the time someone snatched her from her apartment. Her eyes were slowly adjusting, but she saw little more than large shadows. It would have to be enough.
She stepped carefully, all too aware the floor beneath her could be unsound. Digging deep in her memory, she searched for Jonathan’s warning.
The third floor, he’d told her. The center of the hallway was bad.
She needed a way up there.
Her eyes picked up more of her surroundings. Now she could make out the location of the doors and the scurrying movement of the rodents at her feet. She had no time to be squeamish.
The ceiling above her appeared to be intact, so she left the room behind, searching for a way up. She found it in the fourth room she tried, climbing up from a countertop still covered with dishes and trash, which crunched under her feet.
Part of the wood broke away in her hands as she tried to hoist herself up, but eventually she found a beam solid enough to support her weight. Finally, she made it to the third floor. And now she could hear Tre moving below her, whistling the same slow melody as before. If she ever made it out of here, she’d never listen to the Rolling Stones again.
Squinting down the long hallway, she could see a few holes in the flooring, maybe two doors away; she needed to get Tre to walk on the bad stretch. But how? The only way he would charge through would be if he was chasing her, but that would put her in the danger zone first. Unless…
She eyed the ceiling speculatively.
If she could get to the fourth floor, she could come back down on the other side of the hallway. Use herself as bait. She had to move quickly. It would only work if she made it into place by the time Tre got to the third floor.
She needed a place to climb.
Praying for a miracle, she hurried into the apartment directly across from her.
***
Tre
Tre congratulated himself on the idea to let the pretty teacher run. It was so much more fun when they ran. He could imagine how quickly her heart beat, how the fear overwhelmed her.
He was hard as a rock right now; his cocked throbbed in his pants. The first thing he would do when he caught her was fuck her senseless. No doubt he’d fuck her again when he got through with her. Anticipation zipped through his veins.
He had no doubt Miss Turner returned to the same hiding place as last time. He could hear her movements echoing in the walls. She scurried above him.
He used his phone as a flashlight, trying to find a way up. There. In the bathroom.
Goddamn this place was nasty. It smelled like an old campfire and a sewer combined. There was shit in the toilet, most likely from squatters. Probably the same idiots who left their needles on the floor.
This girlie would to pay extra for making him get his hands dirty. The only mess he liked was the kind he made himself. He wiped his palms on his pants once he was firmly on the second floor, then ran the beam of his flashlight across the room. No sign of her, except an unmistakable trail
left behind on the sooty floor.
She’d been here.
He cringed when he got to the kitchen where she’d hiked herself up to the third floor. Roaches covered the old dishes on the counter, and he refused to look any closer at what else was there.
The wood broke apart in his hands when he started to climb. It took longer than he wanted to make it to the next level, but he wouldn’t give up on his prey. He’d punish her for making him do all this work.
Going still, he listened for a sign of her location, but he heard only silence. Maybe she was hiding. No, the trail was still there, moving out the door.
A thump jerked his attention away from the floor to the end of the hall, where the teacher cowered. She dashed into the open door next to her, and he picked up speed in pursuit.
It only took three long strides before his boots broke through the fragile floor. His body hit the ground before he had a chance to scream.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Brick
The thirty minutes after Liv and Tre left were the longest of Brick’s life. He focused on his breathing as he waited for Sucre’s entire crew to arrive. Every fiber of his body strained to go after his woman, but he had to trust his failsafe would come through, or all of this would be for nothing.
There were dozens of guys in the organization, from the dealers to the pimps to the bookies, and the muscle, like himself. By the time Sucre set, about forty guys had gathered in the bar, all loyal to the boss, all curious about why he called them.
They gathered around Sucre at his throne and Brick in his chair beside him.
“My friends. I’ve brought you here for a very special announcement.” All eyes followed Sucre as he rose to his feet. No one noticed the extra men, all clad in leather, creeping in around them.
“Brick has been an important part of this organization for the past fifteen years. He’s worked by my side, earning my trust, following the rules. Starting tonight, he is becoming something more. He’s not merely a collector or a punisher for wrongdoing. Tonight, he takes his place at my side as a partner.”