I can’t be held to blame because, in his story, I wasn’t there. Blaming me just proves you know which of us is telling the truth. What really gets me, though, is how the only thing he seems pissed about is the missing product and smearing his name, not the fact his nephew is a pedophile. Honestly, the only people I know who aren’t disgusted by pedos are pedos themselves.” I shrug nonchalantly, but it’s fake. I need out of this fucking place before I do something stupid because I can feel that familiar darkness rushing through me, coaxing me to hurt, to maim, to kill.
“And what would you have done?” the boss asks me, his voice cold but curious.
“I’d have killed Jimmy before his ass hit the chair and paid for the missing product,” I reply. That’s when the boss smiles, and there is nothing pleasant about it. In fact, his smile is the most terrifying thing I’ve seen all night, making my heart beat double time in my chest. He’s looking at me like I’ve surprised him and I’m guessing that doesn’t happen often.
“Reid,” he murmurs, his eyes never leaving mine. The sound of a gunshot rings out around the room, followed by a roar and another bang-bang before a body hits the floor with a thud.
I don’t look to see what’s happening. I don’t take my eyes from the boss, knowing he’s the most dangerous man in the room, even over the guy at my back with the gun.
“There is still the issue of my missing product,” he murmurs, fixing a cufflink on his shirt. “You seem resourceful and I need a new runner while I’m in town.”
I shake my head but suck in a sharp breath when he snaps his hand out and grips my jaw.
“I wasn’t giving you a choice. You’ll do as I ask, and as long as you keep your mouth shut, I let you live.” He shoves me away, hard enough for me to lose my balance and fall backward to the floor with a thud, my elbow connecting painfully with the ground. I don’t show him he’s hurt me; I just grit my teeth and climb to my feet. The boss turns, dismissing me as he walks away, telling Reid to take care of it.
Looking up at Reid, I find his angry eyes blazing into mine.
“You do not want to make yourself appealing to a man like the Zodiac. He wouldn’t think twice about selling you to the highest bidder if it suited him.”
“Thanks for that. Is this the part where I remind you that you brought me here?” I tap my foot and wait.
His hand cups my jaw. Not to bruise like the boss—or Zodiac, I guess I should refer to him as—but in a caress.
“So fucking fearless,” he whispers, taking a step closer. I shrug him off and take a step back. Violence I can handle, but soft touches remind me too much of the hell I escaped from.
He straightens up, his hand falling as the soft look in his eye disappears into a blank one.
“Tonight at 10 pm, meet me in the same spot I found you this morning. Do not make me come look for you, Cherry,” he warns.
“Don’t worry, running and hiding aren’t my style, Reid,” I say, his eyes flashing when I use his name. I spin and walk away.
“Oh yeah, and what is your style?” he calls out.
I stop and look over my shoulder at the beautiful but deadly man standing in front of four dead bodies like he doesn’t have a care in the world.
“I fight.” I grin before making my way outside and throwing up in the rosebush beside the building.
Chapter Six
I should have known there would be a catch. There always is. Instead of just working off the debt for this missing product, I reluctantly became Zodiac’s newest recruit. It kept Megan and me fed, but it meant I wasn’t around as much to keep an eye on her, which is why shit like this happened.
“God damn it, Megan, I told you not to go alone when it’s dark,” I snap at her, making her wince when I touch the cotton ball doused in antiseptic to her lip.
“I know, I’m sorry, okay? But Poppy’s hands are so bad she can hardly move them and—” I dab her lip again to shut her up, softening my voice out of habit despite the fact she can’t hear me.