Chapter 111Cephus’ POVVito notices the direction of my gaze, catches a glimpse of the fucker’s grin, and smacks him with the back of his hand.The man groans.“What’s your name?” I ask, taking off my jacket and draping it over Katie’s shoulders.She looks up at me, her eyes glinting with disbelief as if she’s never had a man in her entire life doing that for her.My focus moves swiftly to the tattooed man tied to a chair in the middle of the room.One of the guys walks out and shuts the door behind him.It’s only me, Vito, Louie, and Gianni in the room.“Name?” I thunder.The man looks at me like he can’t grasp the meaning of my words.Louie smacks him upside the head, and he reacts, pulling at the ties.That’s all it takes, and the three men in front of me violently push him back, his head lolling from their jabs.I lift my hand, and they stop.“He won’t talk if his jaw is broken,” I say.Huffing, annoyed, they step back.“Name, motherfucker,” I say again.The woman seems frozen in
Chapter 112Cephus’ POVThe only reason you are here, and you’re still alive,” I murmur quietly, “is thatshe is still alive, and I’m trying to figure out what you are to her. Or if you mean anything to her.Capisci?Do you understand? I have no problem scattering your remains in the desert. And no one––and I mean no one––would even find a scrape of you. I’m sure no one would mind that you were gone, either. And maybe I’m going out on a limb here… But people would probably dance on your grave if they knew you were gone for good. So don’t fuck with me or my patience. You’ve already taken up too much space in my life. And I’ve wasted too much time with you. I have better things to do than playing detective with you.”He gasps in my grip before I tear my hand away from him and push him back.Vito catches him so he doesn’t fall backward.It’s a miracle my white shirt is still crisp and not stained.“Why is it a different story?” I ask, falling back into my seat.“She has some problems ba
Chapter 113Cephus’ POVA shower of fists falls over his face, and expletives shoot from her lips while he laughs like an idiot.My jacket slides to the floor as she sinks her fists into his face.I loop my arm around her waist and pull her back into my chest while she kicks him with her legs, oblivious to anything around her.These vile emotions must’ve been bottled up for some time.Her fury is so visceral and raw her chest heaves and her skin burns, and I have to turn her around and lock her in my arms to make her stop.Shame glints in her eyes before she presses her brow against my chest and begins sobbing, which is a whole lot of things wrapped into one.Maybe she’s upset with her stalker, her family situation, or the lack of money.Whatever it is, I press my hand on the back of her head and shush her quietly.By now, Vito has the man out of the chair and his gun connected to his head again.Regardless of how I’d like this evening to play out, we constantly get to the point where
Chapter 114Katie's POVThe rug lining the floor muffles the clicking of my heels as we make the trip to what I believe to be the lobby.The man assigned to take care of me doesn’t spare a glance in my direction.He only shows me the way as we navigate an intricate maze of hallways separated by thick doors.At some point, we are deep in the dimly lit underbelly of the hotel, and I clench my jaw to prevent my teeth from chattering.So many things have shaken me to the core and put a strain on my body.What happened to Beau. The men who came to my rescue and our trip to that room, where I frankly didn’t know what to believe.I didn’t know what to expect.I thought they’d leave us there––Beau and me––and maybe deal with us in the morning.The prospect of being with Beau in the same room scared the shit out of me.I didn’t know how much longer I could rely on these people to create a buffer between Beau and me.I honestly think the more moments like this Beau and I will have, the more ven
Chapter 115Katie's POVMy first trip is to the wall of windows.Oh, how beautiful this is. I have a balcony. A balcony? I can’t believe it. I open the door and walk outside.My heels echo against the concrete, highlighting the quiet evening. Despite the chaos swirling in the city not far from me, the night is silent up here.The view showcases the mountains' outline, the glowing lights of the city, and the stars looking like dust across the sky.It’s not like I’ve never seen a starry sky before, but not from the balcony of a hotel.The lights adorning the balustrade are so pretty.I’ve always liked the strings of lights bringing out the magic of a place in the evenings.I liked them even when I worked at the restaurant.And then I remember Tina loves them too, like so many other insignificant things.I wish I could hear her voice.I wish I could have her here right now.All the precautions taken don’t mean that much right now.All my efforts were for nothing.I was so paranoid about
Chapter 116Cephus’ POVEarlier“I knowwho the fuck you are,” Beau mumbles through his swollen, blood–stained lips.“Then why the fuck are you here?”“I’m not dealing if that’s what bothers you,” he says, desperation beaming in his voice.“Color me unimpressed. I don’t care whether you’re dealing or not. You won’t fuck with my women or threaten me. You’re lucky you’re still alive––I’ve told you that already. But your luck won’t last forever. Do you know why people like you never work for me? Because they can’t get anything done. They always get caught up in some shit. Like you, motherfucker,” I say, washing my hands in the sink and rolling my sleeves down.He’s wrapped in towels as Vito is still very much concerned with the floors more than anything else.“What do you want me to do with him, Boss?”Drying my hands with a towel, I ponder.“Clear the fucking van of those losers and put him in. Let him contemplate his life for a while, then send him home.”I drop the towel on the edge
Chapter 117Katie's POVMy belief that you need a more vicious predator to deal with a predator has just been confirmed.It works despite coming with undesirable consequences.It’s why I’m alive and not tucked in Beau’s car.It’s also why I’m scared. Predators are predators for a reason. They need to feed themselves. All the fucking time. And I’m as juicy as they come. Small, young, vulnerable, inexperienced, and dependent.I depend on other people’s goodwill to survive.And sometimes, like now, I might just reap the benefits of being targeted by different parties.But then I might just need to pay a price.So I’m a little scared when I unlock the door, crack it open, and look through the small opening like he’s there to deliver something.Words of encouragement, news, or a surprise.Good thinking, Car.A surprise. Sure. Why not? Pff.“Yes,” I say, hiding behind the door.He’s changed his clothes. How do I know? They look fresh, not that the others looked bad, but he has that air abo
Chapter 118Katie's POVHe uncrosses his arms and straightens as if getting ready to leave while I suck in a long, tense breath.“All right,” he says, appearing to be set on walking out when I speak again.“Are you working?” I ask.He swings his gaze to me.“Are you working now?” I ask, suspecting that he is.He could also be on his way to a different hotel room where he might fuck someone.I don’t know what makes me think I’m an expert in reading Cephus Salla’s expressions.I guess trying to avoid dangerous situations with my father has sharpened my perception.It's a survival mechanism, I suspect. Trying to stay alive and telling the bad guys from the good guys.I’m not an expert, but I rely on my budding intuition.He doesn’t answer.Or maybe he’s looking for an answer.“Would you mind staying with me a little longer?” I ask in a wavering voice. “I have a hard time falling asleep.”And that’s the truth.These past twenty-four hours have been a rollercoaster. A race for survival. I’