isn’t here?” I quickly asked Decker under my breath as the man approached. This could’ve all been a waste, an opportunity for them to get fifty grand and for me to host another funeral.
“Let’s wait and see,” Decker replied just as quietly right as the man stopped in front of us.
“Are you Blakely?” the guy asked. He had a surprisingly high-pitched voice that reminded me of a mouse. I was too scared to answer him, so I simply nodded. It felt like the hinges in my neck were rusted from the stress blanketing my bones. “Come with me,” the man demanded.
Decker and I followed him to the elevator and got inside, where an elderly couple and a young businessman on his cell phone joined us. It was so painfully mundane and crowded. I wanted to scream that we were in danger and warn everyone in this damn hotel what was about to transpire. However, I kept my lips sealed shut. Decker’s words were on repeat in my mind.
Exchange the money. Get Dad. Get out. No hero shit.
One by one, everyone got off the elevator except for us. They were off to do whatever it was people without threats over their head did, while we headed to the top floor. The penthouse suite awaited us, and the man guiding us looked at Decker curiously as we ascended.
“The boss isn’t going to like that you brought someone,” he observed.
My retort was full of venom. “Well, I don’t like that he’s got my father.” The words tumbled past my lips before I had a chance to realize how stupid they were. If we wanted to get out of this alive, we needed to keep a calm head. Decker grabbed my hand and squeezed, a confident reminder that he was with me but also annoyed by my outburst.
The man guiding us simply tipped his head back and laughed in a high-pitched giggle that ultimately ruined his badass persona. “Oh, he’s going to have lots of fun with you. I hope he lets me watch,” his mousy voice replied.
The doors opened to the penthouse suite before I could ask what that meant, and we were shoved inside. Men with large guns flanked us the moment we entered the lavish room. Decker stared at the weapons strapped to their chests with trepidation. I briefly wondered if he was remembering the night he was held at gunpoint, and hated myself for putting him in this position.
The penthouse had marble floors and large windows surrounding the living room, giving an unobstructed view of Memphis. On an eclectic blue velvet couch sat a man who was eating popcorn and watching TV, laughing at whatever was being said on the screen.
“Boss, she’s here,” our escort said. “It seems she brought a friend.”
The man on the couch sat up and turned to look at us, a wide grin taking over his face, which showed off a gold front tooth. He looked just as terrifying as the rest of them, but there was an extra sense of sinister cockiness to his body language that made every hair on my body stand up straight. His eyes were an icy shade of blue, and he was wearing dark sweats. “You made it,” he observed while eyeing the briefcase in Decker’s hand.
“Who are you?” I bravely asked while fighting the urge to tap my fingers against my thigh. I didn’t want to show him even an ounce of anxiety. I knew men like this; they got off on the fear they commanded from their victims.
“You can call me Boss,” he slyly responded. I didn’t like the authority in his tone or the implications of his name. I used to believe that all humans were capable of redemption, but there was a flaw in that logic. Not all people were human. Humanity was a gift not everyone readily accepted. Instead, they filled their hearts up with venom instead of empathy. This man wasn’t human; he was evil.
Without acknowledging the money, Boss simply snapped his fingers, and one of his men walked forward to yank it out of Decker’s grip. I couldn’t hold back my rage. There was no negotiating, no talks. He just plucked the insane amount of cash from Decker’s hand with an assuming wink. “Hey, we had a deal!” I yelled. Boss didn’t seem fazed, he simply watched as the briefcase was opened up for him, showing off the numerous stacks of cash inside.
“Guess you really are a genius,” he said before picking up