Chapter 5
MELANIE.
MY WOULD–BE TORTURERS DIDN’T LOOK TOO HAPPY,
I mean, it’s not like I expected them to offer us tea and a tray of cookies, but they say if your work doesn’t make you happy then you shouldn’t be doing it.
One of them flicked a switch and light filled the room. It didn’t take long for my eyes to adjust.
“Well hey there. Fine day for a bit of torturing, isn’t it?
Not that I would know, seeing as you’ve so kindly bound me to a chair in some underground chamber.” I said cheerfully. my eyes automatically scanning them and their body language for any weaknesses I could use to my advantage.
From somewhere near me, I heard Enrico groan “Dear God, she’s going to get us killed.”
“You seem awfully chatty. Perhaps you can make this quick for all of us and tell us what we need to know. I’m sure we all have things we’d rather be doing the lady said, taking the charming route while the man scowled behind her and did his best to look intimidating.
It seemed to work, as Enrico sounded plenty intimidated when he spoke “Look, I have no part in this. This is all just a big misunderstanding. I’ve worked for him for eight years, I’m trustworthy. Let me speak to him, he’ll understand.”
The man walked over to him and leaned in “Fucking traitor. It’s always the ones you’d never suspect. Why did you choose to partner with her? Who do you really work for?”
I blinked as the word ‘partner‘ registered in my head and I almost laughed out loud “Why would I work with this sniveling dirtbag He’s got coward written all over him.”
This earned me a glare from Enrico before it clicked that my words could possibly save him from an unnecessary death and he swiveled his head back to face the scowling man,
“You see
The man reared back and punched Enrico squarely in the face before leaning in again, ignoring his groans of pain “That was just a warm–up. Lie to my face again and I’ll ruin his… The words were directed at me.
Well, things are certainly getting interesting.
JORDAN.
I STARED AT THE JEWELS IN SILENCE.
The little bitch had jumbled them all up in the pathetic satchel she’d carried and it had taken minutes of careful maneuvering to detangle all the little chains through which some of the pieces were looped.
Blaine did a low whistle, “Those are some pretty shiny baubles. Mind if I have one? I’d impress some lucky lady“. As he talked, he reached for them and I had to do myself the indignity of slapping his hand away “Fuck off”
I don’t know what I’d expected to feel when I finally had them
Some rush of emotion, maybe?
Something like what was described in all those cheesy books my mother used to read to me. Staring at them now, I felt nothing but an idle curiosity as to where the woman who’d birthed me was and what she was doing.
Vith a little sigh, Topened up the velvet lined box I’d prepared beforehand and put them all in, not without having to snatch our or two from Blaine and demanding he empty his pockets just in case I’d missed any. I wouldn’t put anything past the cherky bastard.
I carried them over to my office safe and locked them in it for the time being, intending to transport them to my villa when
For now, I let the anger I’d tamped down through a little as I placed a call ordering the men who’d brought her in to get here now.
Chapter 3
They arrived in under five minutes, further proving my earlier conclusion about their competence. I needed to know who the little pendeu bally enough to steal from me was and I needed to know now.
“Well Who is she? Who does she work for?” I demanded as soon as they entered. They exchanged a glance before the slightly less built one decided to take one for the team.
“Sir. We have tried to get information on her and nothing is turning up. No prints, no identification. It’s like she is a ghost.” He said
“Well we know she isn’t a ghost seeing as she is alive and kicking in our basement, don’t we? I growled and he quickly nodded in affirmation
Then find her. I don’t care whatever means you use. Run deeper scans, go underground, whatever. Just, Find. Her“. I said through gritted teeth, trying to hold on to the last of my control.
“Will do, sir” they said in unson and I dismissed them with a flick of my wrist before walking to my built–in bar where I poured myself a stiff shot of bourbon
It burned my throat on the way down but I paid it no regard as I made to pour myself another before Blaine snatched the bottle out of my hands
Gone was the mischievous glint in his eyes as he regarded me with a frown “You need to stop. You’re making yourself look weak in front of the people who work for you with the way you’re getting agitated. Your enemies will get wind of how important those jewels are to you and then we’ll have an even bigger mess on our hands. Pull yourself together. It is not like she is the first to try to steal from you.” He said.
He’s right. She isn’t the first, not by a long shot, even though others quickly realize their folly way before they get near the target. What Blaine neglected to mention is she isn’t the first to try, but she’s definitely the first to succeed.
I’m no misogynist, but the thought of being bested by a woman, especially one who seems so familiar yet I can’t place her. iris me to no end.
supposed to be, I am untouchable.
At the same time, I’d built my empire to global recognition by being smart and ruthless and making the hard decisions. Not by freaking out when someone tries to steal a family heirloom and half succeeds.
I’ll do what I’ve always done make an example out of whoever dares cross me and remind my rivals why precisely I’m at the top of the game
I abandoned the bar and instead turned on the TV connected to all the CCTV cameras on all 30 floors of my office building
I selected the frame marked “Basement” and enlarged it, watching in satisfaction as one of the interrogators I sent down threw a punch at her face. The bruises and blood visible on her showed they’d been working on her for some time, and
Virt
I moved closer, just in case my eyes were deceiving me, and started to swear in Spanish.
“Dios mao, she was laughing”
I stared in utter disbelief as she threw insults at Nadia, goading her into taking swings at her and then laughing like she’d just heard the world’s funniest joke which just made Nadia hit her more and harder each time and even from this distance, I could tell she
Blaine convulsed with silent laughter beside me and while I did not find this funny, I couldn’t help but feel a grudging respect for the crazy girl with a death wish
That is, until I caught a slight shift in her body language and a movement that had me running for the doors.
