Jacked Up (Bowen Boys #4)(84)
Maldonado walked to her. “You got him to forget common sense and remain in the open. He’ll come searching for you, and we’ll kill two birds with one stone.”
“Why didn’t you shoot me at the Baile de Diablos? You knew I was the witness. You could have killed me. End of the problem.”
“No, dear. Not end of the problem. It would have made matters worse. Obviously you mean a hell of a lot to Mr. Ayala. If I killed you, I’d have to worry about him forever. I have enough enemies already. I don’t need one as formidable as him. And things have been too hot for me lately, with all the law-enforcement agencies in the US sniffing up my ass. Pretending to be dead and then kidnapping you would solve all of that.
“Men like Alex don’t commit to women. Loving someone is like catching a frightening disease that makes you forget your priorities and self-preservation instincts. He wouldn’t allow it to go on for long, so I knew once he perceived the danger to be over, he would walk out on you, and there it would be my opening to get you. And once I had you, he would willingly come to me. After I’m rid of you two, I might remain dead. Check myself into a clinic in Brazil, get a new face and then travel to Spain and dip my toes into the counterfeiting business in Europe. Much less dangerous for one’s health, not to mention how ridiculous European punishments are. A slap on the wrist, if anything.”
“You’re wasting your time. He will not come for me. He dumped me.”
“Maybe, but as soon as he’s told you are a prisoner, he’ll agree to our terms.”
“Which are?”
“Him in exchange for you.”
“You’ll be waiting for a long time then. He will not agree.”
Oh God, she needed to find a way out. Jack would come for her; he was that kind of man, and no matter how good he was, no one could beat an army.
“You better pray he does, little girl. Things can become rather unpleasant for you otherwise, right, Nico?” he asked, turning to the blond man that had entered the room after Maldonado and had stayed guarding it, his arms crossed over his chest.
He gave Elle a cocky once-over, the icy glint in his eyes all but stopping her heart. “I can get the info from her, no problem. She has more spunk, so she’d be more fun than her supervisor was, but that won’t put us closer to Alex, or bring him here. And working her would entail quite a lot of damage. I believe he will come for her. He fought hard to protect her that day at the Diablos. My face can attest to that. I’m actually looking forward to meeting him again. I have my own score to settle with that bastard.”
Maldonado closed in on her. Everything in her screamed to back down, but she stayed in place, her chin up. “True, such a pretty girl. It would be a pity to damage her looks. She won’t make us so much money then.”
She tried to control her body and not break into shivers, not sure whether she managed it. “You won’t make any money out of me, because you’ll have to beat me to death first.”
“We’ll see. Once we have you hooked on our stuff, you’ll do anything for your next high. Anything. Anybody. As many times as we want. When your looks give out, we’ll harvest your insides. Women are like pigs; nothing goes to waste.”
“My associate is very eager,” Exxum said. “Please think of our offer and act before it expires. Work with us and we might be able to find a satisfactory resolution for everyone, one that doesn’t include your early demise. In the meanwhile make use of the facilities. Take a relaxing bath,” he said pointing at the adjoining bathroom. “Enjoy yourself. Nobody says this has to be unpleasant.”
“Not until the real unpleasantness begins anyway,” Maldonado added, a promise on his smirking face.
“You are not making that appointment, are you?” James asked while Jack loaded guns and clips in a bag.
“I don’t have many options.” As per the instructions on the message Jack had received, he was supposed to be at a convenience store off exit 44, off I-95, alone and unarmed.
“It’s a trap,” Cole muttered, adding to the gloomy atmosphere in Jack’s apartment. “For all we know they might murder you on sight.”
“I know.” Jack would not think twice about exchanging his life for hers, but Exxum wouldn’t honor that deal. He would kill both of them, just to make a point. “We’ll just have to pray you can shadow those motherf*ckers to their hideout and to Elle. Make yourself useful now that you’re here.”
If Jack had his say, the Bowens wouldn’t be there, but as always where this crowd was concerned, he’d had no option whatsoever.
“What about contacting the cops?” Max said. “Tell them Exxum is keeping her against her will.”
Jack shook his head. He knew her well enough to notice she hadn’t been herself, but she hadn’t been wrestling on the tape. Going to the police and trying to explain she hadn’t left with the bodyguards of the richer-than-God bachelor voluntarily was going to be impossible. Like claiming the Golden Boy was selling guns instead of sending humanitarian help. Exxum wasn’t a big narco police were dying to get their hands on like Maldonado had been. Exxum was untouchable.
There was another fund-raiser in two days in Boston, so Exxum would stay close by. According to Jack’s intel, he had several properties around Massachusetts, four of them isolated enough to grant the privacy to serve his purposes; what they didn’t have was the time to check all of them out. And his informants were coming up empty.