A little lie doesn’t hurt

Helping Mr. Gang Leader

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Chapter 6: A little lie doesn’t hurt

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Hagrid pressed further into Gianna’s personal space and Gianna had no idea what would happen next, only that it probably wasn’t going to be good.

Whenever anyone from Infinite came around, it never was.

“I assume you’ll answer my questions now?”

Gianna breathed in deeply, then gave a nod.

A dubious smile stretched its way out across Hagrid’s face. “Good. Very good. Let’s get started.”

It was like this:

You had to either be completely oblivious, or incredibly stupid not to understand who owned the area.

Gianna had grew up in one of Sangrid’s most affluent neighborhoods. She had gone to private school, and rarely been exposed to the underbelly of the city. But even she, at least vaguely, had known about the gangs.

And she had heard rumblings of Infinite.

Infinite.

All the gangs were a little different, with specific ways of running things, different rules, and methods of operation. The last thing Gianna had wanted to do was get into bed with any of them, but more specifically Infinite and its reputation.

But the rent on the building for the clinic had been more than reasonable, it was in the perfect location, and Gianna wasn’t scared to stand her ground if she had to.

But Infinite.

They weren’t like what Gianna had heard about Mariposa, and not just from his brother, or about the fringe gangs like V.

Infinite was headed by a strict, staunchly territorial and no-nonsense man named Maddox. Gianna had met him, and his right hand man, Clyde on several occasions, and absolutely not known what to think right up until she realized the depth and severity of the danger she was in.

And that was before Gianna had even been exposed to Hagrid, who was Maddox’s enforcer who had an affinity for punishing people who stepped out of line.

Gianna paid a tithe to the gang, a monthly increment for so called protection, but more for her own from them than anything else. And there was absolutely no getting around it.

Hagrid had often remarked about her attractiveness. No doubt at the first missed payment, Gianna would end up disappearing from public view and cycled into the rumored prostitution ring they handled.

Gianna understood that to be a fate worse than death.

And now she had Hagrid sitting across from her, looking absolutely relaxed, if a little too pleased, holding Gianna’s wrist in one hand and tapping out an odd tempo with the fingers on his other. They’d migrated to the kitchenette just a few minutes ago, and Gianna’s guests were certainly making themselves at home.

“Relax,” Hagrid said, all sly and coy as if she didn’t understand what would happen next if it went bad for even a second. “I’m just going to ask you a few questions about the guests you’ve decided to keep, and if you answer honestly and correctly, nothing bad will happen.”

Behind them Gianna could hear Hagrid’s men rummaging through the cabinets, likely eating whatever they could find.

“Like the kind that break in and startle me?”

“Like those.”

She gave him a grimace. “The same that eat my food and prowl around like thugs behind me?”

Hagrid suddenly looked less pleased. But a second later he called out. “Hey, you guys, search the place. Take the men. Saint, you stay.”

Feet shuffled on linoleum.

“Now,” Hagrid continued, his attention back on Gianna, “would you believe me if I told you we’re been having a termite problem as of late? All kinds of vermin that doesn’t belong has been seeping into this territory, and naturally, Maddox is worried.”

Gianna wanted to snort--maybe so hard she gave herself a nosebleed.

Hagrid added. “These snakes and rats are slipping between our fingers whenever we try to catch them, and making things very difficult for everyone. Recently, we were certain we had a cap on the problem. Until, as fate would have it, they gave us the slip one final time.”

“I don’t know what this has to do with me,” Gianna said carefully. “Other than the fact that I pay your boss a significant amount of money to make it safe for me to have this clinic. I pay, every month, exactly on time, and I never miss a payment. I’m never short and I rarely have grievances. Wouldn’t you say this is true?”

Hagrid ignored her question and instead posed, “These rats ran away, leaving a bread crumb trail of panic and blood, and do you know where they ran to?”

Oh god.

Suddenly Gianna understood.

“What I really want to know,” Hagrid said, his fingers pressing almost painfully into the pulse point on Gianna’s right wrist, “is why Mariposa ran right to your clinic? And did you treat their wounds?”

Her heartbeat was thundering so bad in her head that the thumps were almost enough to knock her off balance.

“I don’t have any idea what you’re taking. Honestly. Mariposa?”

Hagrid made a clicking sound with his tongue, something that was likely supposed to sound disappointing, but only came out gleeful.

“Was I not clear enough with you before? Lying is naughty.”

Then Hagrid was squeezing even harder.

He was crushing Gianna’s wrist in a matter of seconds, causing significant pain.

Gianna refused to cry out in pain, but the grip was nearly unbearable.

“I’m not lying,” Gianna grit out.

“Then you’re saying that you didn’t have late night visitors?”

There was no way she wasn’t going to bruise. And worse than that, Gianna’s chest was aching something fierce with her heart overworking itself.

“That’s not what I’m saying at all.”

She forced herself to stop and take several deep, even breaths. She needed to be calm. She needed to be smart. She couldn’t afford to mess up.

“Then,” Hagrid said, and his grip finally relented enough that he could probably feel Gianna’s pulse again, “Go ahead and tell me about what we both know I’m talking about.”

Gianna nodded down to her wrist and gave Hagrid her most scathing look, refusing to cower. “If you’re attempting to discern whether I’m telling the truth or not, taking my pulse won’t work.”

Hagrid chuckled. “It hasn’t failed me before.”

“But were you trying to monitor the heartbeat of someone with a heart condition?”

Looking past Hagrid, Gianna told the man who’d remained behind.

“I have medication in here, if you want to check to be sure. I have a heart condition that often causes my heartbeat to be irregular. It had nothing to do with whether I’m telling the truth or not.” She looked back to Hagrid. “But by all means, continue holding my hand if that’s what you truly want to do.”

Hagrid release her wrist with a grimace and Gianna spied the red, agitated skin immediately. She was right.

It was going to bruise, and then she’d have a hell of a job trying to explain the finger sized bruises.

“Tell me about Mariposa,” Hagrid commanded. “And know that my patience and cordiality is gone.”

“I have no idea who Mariposa is,” Gianna lied to him swiftly, “Other than the things I’ve heard about them. And when men broke into my clinic and set off my alarm, I had no idea who they were until much later. Yes, there were people who broke into my clinic, that much is true. But it’s not like I sheltered them. I’m not stupid. This clinic belongs to Infinite, not Mariposa.”