This Is War, Baby - K Webster Page 0,27
to not even want to wait until we leave the parking lot. I’m paralyzed with fear.
The elevator dings and opens to the garage. Several expensive sports cars line the parking garage and we walk to the black, nondescript vehicle that’s running between two rows of cars. A man steps out of the driver’s side and walks toward us. He’s older—reminding me of my grandfather—and wears a tired frown. Gabe pats my ass and shoves me into the arms of the older man.
“Mr. McPherson needs for you,” he says in a whisper as if he doesn’t want Gabe to hear his boss’s name, “to wear this.”
Mr. McPherson? Not Mr. Finn?
My heart climbs out of the pit of my belly and reaches for hope. But when my eyes narrow on the black fabric in the old man’s clutches as he pushes me away from him, I begin to panic about the new monster I’ll belong to.
“W-W-What is that?”
“It’s a special-made respirator, a cloth face mask if you will. Nothing toxic gets in or out. You’ll get used to it,” he assures me with a small smile. It’s then I see he has one pulled down around his neck. Seeing him with one has me reaching for the one that’s mine.
Is the man I’m about to encounter ill? Is he old and frail? I try not to become too hopeful about my escape but these ideas could certainly help my cause.
“Such a good girl,” Gabe praises and discretely grabs my butt. “Always doing as she’s told.”
I slide the respirator over my face and wait for what happens next.
“The five million have been wired to the account you gave us,” the man says. “Thank you for your business.”
My eyes widen.
Five million dollars.
Holy crap.
If Edgar was willing to pay just over a million for me and had such warped plans for me, I can only imagine what sort of intentions this lunatic has.
“Goodbye, Baylee.” Gabe’s voice brings me back to my surroundings. He mouths that he loves me and rage explodes from me. Before I can stop myself, I flip him off and then trot after the older gentleman. Gabe curses from behind me but doesn’t try to touch me. His steps are right on my heels though and that causes me to shiver.
“My name is Edison. Pleased to make your acquaintance,” he says over his shoulder, but doesn’t make any moves to shake my hand. It’s then I notice the black gloves on his hands—probably the easier to strangle me with. “Please, put these on too.” He hands me a smaller pair and I jerk them from him. Once I have them on, he opens the door to the car.
It’s dark inside and I can see the knee of a man sitting in the shadows on the opposite side of the bench seat. I expect to smell cigars or liquor or sex or blood, but am instead met with a clean, sterile scent reminiscent of bleach. Terror threatens to suffocate me and I turn, prepared to run.
Away from this hell.
Away from monsters like Gabe, Edgar, and Mr. McPherson.
Away from pain and impending death.
But Gabe’s thick chest stops me and he chuckles, the sound dark and malevolent. With a flourish of his large hand—a hand that has brought me to innumerable orgasms—he gestures inside of the limo.
“This is War, baby.”
“LEAVE THE SHOES outside of the car,” I bark.
From my angle, all I can see are her silky pale legs that go for miles. She’s a vision. A vision I just paid five million dollars for.
“Please, come inside and sit. I can assure you I don’t bite.”
The disgust in my voice can’t be hidden. I suppress a shudder at the thought of having someone else’s blood inside of my mouth. Images flash through my mind of me tearing at her neck with my teeth—her blood spraying all over my face and expensive suit. If it were to get into my eyes, that would be the absolute fucking worst. There’s not enough water in the world to wash my eyes out with. I’d just as soon have Edison take me to a surgeon and have him remove them. Take my ruined eyes right from my skull. But those bastards might not have taken proper precautions. The news touts all the time of malpractice—surgical instruments not having been sterilized and thus have inflicted patients with fucking awful diseases and infections. Then it really would be time to put that bullet into my skull once and for all.
But where