“You shouldn’t bet against my woman, brother,” King taunted as he collected the money off the table and took the other ten Gambler was holding out. He gave half to Crowbar and pocketed the rest.
“How long do we have to wait until we hear from the Banachi’s?” I was losing it. As much as everyone was trying to distract me, it wasn’t enough.
“Leo said he would call back in an hour regardless of what he found out. I told him the sooner, the better, darlin’,” King reassured me.
Meg sat down on his lap and opened the cards. “I can’t shuffle unless ya’ll feel like playing fifty-two card pickup.”
“Give ‘em here,” Gambler grumbled. “They don’t call me Gambler for nothing.”
So here I sat, playing cards while Troy was off somewhere possibly being tortured and beaten all because he was someone I knew.
I’d like my normal life back anytime now.
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Chapter 27
troy
“Leo is on the way over, boss, and he did not sound happy.”
“He’ll see my side of things when he gets here. No one is going to take all that money away from me. Especially that little rat Mark got tangled up with.” I had finally figured out who the hell had kidnapped me. It was Mark’s family. I assumed King’s meeting with the Banachi’s did not go as planned.
Right now I was in a hotel room outside of town, sitting on the bed with my arms tied behind my back; the rope tied to the bed frame. I still had no idea why they thought kidnapping me would help them. I would let them kill me before I told them where Marley was.
“Alright, I’ll wait out front for them.” The guy who had clocked me over the head walked out the door, leaving it ajar.
“Bet you didn’t know what you were getting into when you decided to get your dick wet in that whore,” Pinstriped suit sneered at me while grabbing a briefcase from the floor and setting it on the desk.
“You might want to rethink the next thing that comes out of your mouth if it has anything to do with Marley.” I tugged on the rope on my wrists, trying to loosen it. “Dumb bitch has got you all tied up in knots, too. Must have a magical pussy that one.” He opened his briefcase and pulled out a bottle of whiskey and two shot glasses. If this prick hadn’t kidnapped me and tied me up, I would have given him credit for having a full bottle of booze in his briefcase instead of paperwork.
“She had my son tripping over himself to get to her, too. Fucking foolish.” He sloshed two fingers worth of whiskey in each glass and put the bottle back in his briefcase.
“Your son had good taste,” I muttered.
“That’s where you are wrong. My son had horrible taste. He could have had the pick of the litter in high school and who does he bring home? Some whore from the wrong side of the tracks. The more we asked him to find someone else, the more he dug his feet in and wouldn’t leave her. I never should have given him a quarter of my business.” He shook his head and tossed back one of the shots. “She doesn’t want the money, asswipe.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. Everyone wants money, even your whore, Marley. It’s just an act, I know it.” He grabbed the other shot and drank it down. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and slammed the glass on the table.
“Look, Kevin, Marley doesn’t want shit from your family. She didn’t want it when she was with Mark and she sure as shit doesn’t want it now,” I sneered. I had managed to grab the loose end of the rope and was slowly working it back through the knot.
“Wrong. She wants it. She had Mark pay for her schooling, and he bought her cars and expensive jewelry all the time. I saw the receipts. The web of lies she is spinning wound you right up. She’s a money hungry whore.”
Marley had mentioned the jewelry to me, and she said she would accept it, but never wear it. I had spent a lot of time with Marley the past few weeks, and she didn’t seem materialistic at all. I had to bargain with her to let me buy the black dress at the mall, and it didn’t even cost that much money. Kevin here was a fucking idiot. Just because he was a money hungry asshole, he thought everyone else was too. “Believe what you want, man, but I know the truth.”
He grabbed the glass and threw it across the room, and it shattered against the wall. “No, you look here, man, I want my fucking money, and you’re God damn whore has got it tied up in so much legal tape, I don’t even know if I’ll see it before I die!”
“So kidnapping me is going to somehow help you get your money? Newsflash, asswipe, kidnapping and attempted murder don’t really look good.” I had to keep Kevin talking until I figured out a plan. From what Kevin’s goon had said, the Banachi’s would be here soon. I didn’t know if that was a good thing or not.
“Kidnapping you wasn’t part of the plan, but I have to play the cards I was dealt. Leo owes me a favor since he didn’t kill Marley. If his plan involves you dying, I’m fine with that.” Kevin’s lips stretched into a manic smile. Kevin said he would play the cards he was dealt, but I don’t think he was playing with a full deck.
“You’re fucking crazy. You don’t even have a plan.” I had managed to get the rope loosened, and I slowly slipped my right hand out. I didn’t want to make any sudden movements to alarm Kevin.
“You don’t need a plan when you have the Banachi’s behind you. My grandfather always told me that. I never had to call in a favor to them before, but I’m glad I did. Leo will have all of this cleared up in no time.” Kevin grabbed his suitcase and tossed it on the other bed. It bounced and fell off the side. “Son of a bitch,” Kevin cursed as he turned his back to me and bent over to grab it.
Now was the only chance I would have. I jumped up, tackled Kevin and wrapped my arm around his neck. His arms flailed trying to get a grip on me, but he couldn’t. I pulled him up, my arm still crushing his neck and we stumbled over to the door. I flicked the lock and swung the deadbolt shut.
“Boss, you ok?” I heard the goon holler through the door. The handle jingled as he tried to open it. “Mr. Parks, are you ok?” His voice rose, concerned.
“Mr. Parks is indisposed at the moment,” I yelled. Kevin was still struggling against my hold, but I could tell he was having trouble breathing. That one year of wrestling in high school was finally paying off.
I shoved Kevin onto the bed, face down and grabbed the rope they had used to tie me up. I quickly bound his hands behind his back and tied the rope to his feet. Even if he managed to get up, he would trip instantly. The pounding on the door intensified and I knew it was only a matter of minutes before the door was kicked in.
“Marco is going to kill you once he gets the door open,” Kevin laughed hysterically.
“He’s gonna have to get me first,” I mumbled. I loosened my hold on him and backed away slowly. He struggled, trying to get his arms loose but he couldn’t.
“You won’t get away with this,” he screamed.
“I think I just might, Kevy,” I smirked. “Hey, Marco!” I called over the pounding and kicking he was doing to the door.
“What,” he yelled.
“You kick through that door, I’ll kill Kevin the second I see your ugly face.” I walked to the bathroom, looking for a window, but there wasn’t one. Son of a bitch. I had to get the fuck out of here, but it appeared the only way out was through Marco.
The banging on the door stopped, and I heard mumbled talking outside the door.
Fuck. The Banachi’s must be here.
“Mr. Oliver, I’d like to have a word with Mr. Parks.” I heard a deep voice call from the other side of the door.
“You are so fucking dead,” Kevin laughed. Fucking asswipe.
I didn’t have any other choice. Right now, Leo Banachi was my best bet for getting out of here. I unlocked the deadbolt, handle, and twisted it to the left. I swung the door open, ready to attack if I had to.
“No need to be alarmed, Mr. Oliver. You are who I’m here for, but it’s not for what you think.” Leo Banachi walked through the door with Marco
following behind. Marco grabbed me by the throat and slammed me against the wall.
I gasped for breath and managed to slug Marco in the gut, knocking the wind out of him. He let go of my neck and doubled over, trying to catch his breath. I landed another punch to the side of his head, and he fell over, grasping his head.
“That’s enough Mr. Oliver. I’m sure Marco won’t be making any other stupid moves like that.” Leo leaned down, his eyes connecting with Marco’s. “Will you, Marco?” he asked.
Marco shook his head and stayed on the floor. Leo Banachi was a man who could make even the toughest men cower.
Leo walked over to Kevin and stood over him. “I thought we had discussed things, Kevin, and you had agreed to find another way to get your money that didn’t involve Marley.” Leo’s tone was pure disapproving.
“There is no other way to get my money. Even you said that when we had first discussed killing her. It’s the only way,” Kevin insisted.
“Well, my mind has been changed. I told you I had a meeting with King from the Devil’s Knights, and we were going to have to go about things a different way.”
“If we go through the courts, I’m not going to see that money until I die!”
Leo shook his head and pulled his phone out of his pocket. He pressed a couple of buttons and held it to his ear. “I’m going to need you in here. Things are unfortunately not going how I want them to.” Leo pressed the end button and slid the phone back in his pocket. “Is he tied up tightly?”
“Umm, it should hold him,” I muttered.
“Good. Oscar will be in to take care of Mr. Parks and Marco.”
“He’s not going to be able to hurt Marley, is he?” I asked. I wasn’t exactly sure on what was going on, but from what I gathered, Kevin had gone off the rails, and Leo Banachi was here to clean up.
“I have a feeling Kevin Marks will be going on vacation and coming back with a whole new attitude.” Leo gestured to the door for us to leave. I glanced back at Kevin, feeling bad for the guy for having to encounter Leo’s wrath that was coming to him. We walked out of the hotel room as another man in a pinstripe suit walked by us.
He nodded his head at Leo and quietly clicked the door shut behind him. I heard the locks slide into place and knew Kevin’s attitude adjustment was about to begin.
“You need a ride home?” I finally took a good look at Leo and saw he wasn’t much older than I was. He had your typical business man look to him, but you could also see there was a deadly edge to him.
“Uh, you don’t have to go out of your way. I dropped my phone somewhere, so if I could borrow your phone, I’m sure I can get King or someone to pick me up.”
“I’ll take you to King. I have a business proposition I want to run by him before I head back home anyway. I can kill two birds with one stone this way.” Leo pulled a set of keys out of his wrinkle-free dress pants and headed to a black, sleek Mercedes.
I stood, there not following. What the hell was going on? Ten minutes ago I was five seconds away from getting my head smashed in, and now Leo Banachi was offering me a ride. I glanced up at the sky, seeing the moon up high, and wondered what the hell time it was. Being knocked out and bound to a bed makes you lose track of time.
It was hard to believe earlier today I had told Marley I would be back to her in an hour. I bet she was freaking out, blaming herself for everything. I couldn’t blame her for what happened, though. She didn’t know Mark’s family was going to go completely insane and try to kill her and me.
“You taking the ride with me, or you gonna stare at the sky all night?” Leo called. I glanced at him, the driver’s side door open, one leg in the car, waiting for me.
I glanced back at the hotel room, hearing the sickening thud of Oscar’s fists connecting with Kevin. Things could finally go back to normal. Marley didn’t need to look over her shoulder all the time now, wondering if someone was after her and I didn’t need to be there to protect her.
With everything cleared up, would Marley still want me there?
“You think we could swing by my house?” I asked as I opened the passenger door and looked at Leo.
“I got nothing but time on my hands right now.” Leo slid into the car, slamming his door shut behind him.
I guess it was time to find out if Marley and I were just a one-night stand or something more.
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Chapter 28
Marley
“Call him, now! I don’t care if he’s Leo fucking Banachi! It’s been over an hour since he said he would call.” I was past frantic and scared and had entered terrified and hysterical.
I had only managed to play a half a game of Go Fish before I tossed my cards down and began pacing the room. Ethel had tried dragging me into the kitchen to make more food, but I wasn’t having any of that.
“Oh my god, if you pace that floor one more time, I’m tackling and sitting on you until we find Troy,” Meg called from behind the bar. She had lasted forty-five minutes before she snuck behind the bar and grabbed the bottle of Southern.
“I can’t help it! We’re just sitting here not doing anything! Is this what ya’ll did when tweedle dee and tweedle dumb took me?”
“Ha! No. That could have also been because we didn’t know you were kidnapped until they basically turned you free,” Cyn said from her perch from up on the bar.
Cyn and Rigid had shown up just after the first card game and had jumped in on trying to distract me. King had disappeared ten minutes ago and hadn’t come back yet. I had tried following him down the hallway, but Gravel had grabbed me before I was even two steps down the hall. “Calm down, Marley. King has things under control,” Gravel had said.
I had ripped my arm out of his grasp and huffed back to the common room and continued my pacing.
“That’s it, I’m sitting on you,” Meg said, slamming the bottle down on the bar. She rounded the long bar, mischief playing in her eyes and darted at me. I managed to side step her and ducked to the left.
“You’re crazy!” I shouted as I ran around the tables, glancing behind me to see Meg gaining on me.
“Just sit your ass down!”
“I thought we were friends!” Everyone was laughing and shouting at Meg to get me. I repeat, Meg was crazy.
“We are friends. We have to be friends, you’re in love with my best friend.” “What?” I yelled, looking back at Meg. How the hell did she know I was in love with Troy? I hadn’t even admitted it fully to myself yet.
“You love him. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t be pacing around like a mad woman.”
“I barely know him.”
“Like that freaking matters. If I look back at Lo and me, I loved him after a week. Not that I’ll ever tell him that.”
I was close to the front door and figured my only escape was to dart out the door.
Just as I had the handle in my hand, the door burst open and knocked me on my ass.
“Oh shit,” Meg cursed. “That had to hurt.” I heard her mumble.
I looked up to the see who had opened the door and my jaw dropped. Troy was standing over me, a confused look on his face.
“What the hell were you doing standing behind the door?” He asked, crouching down in front of me.
“What are you doing here?” Yup, this whole time I had been freaking out that Troy was kidnapped, and now he was here, and I wanted to know why.
“Um, I thought you might be worried about me.”
“Worried about you? Fuck, she was driving us insane. Thank God you’re back,” Meg huffed.
“Glad to see you’re so concerned, Meg.”
“Hey, I was worried, but it’s not like you’re some defenseless little girl. You’re Troy. I knew you’d find a way to get out.” Meg crossed her arms over her chest and walked over to King, who was talking to a guy I had never seen before.
“You want help up, Sunshine?” Troy stood up and held his hand out to me.
“Ow, my ass is going to hurt for days,”
I moaned as he pulled me up. I rubbed my butt and winced.
“Your ass is getting more attention than me right now,” Troy laughed.
“Oh my God, Troy, I’m so glad you’re ok,” Ethel gushed, walking up to Troy and wrapped him up in a hug.
“I’m good, Ethel. Just a bit sore.” He smiled and winked at me over Ethel’s shoulder.
“Just because Marley got kidnapped before didn’t mean you had to, too,” Ethel scolded, stepping back.
“I couldn’t let her have all the fun,” Troy smirked.
“Are you hungry? You missed dinner. It’s almost nine o’clock.” “I’ll eat in a little bit,” he said, glancing at me.
“I’ll throw something together. Meg has been keeping the kitchen here stocked lately.” Ethel wandered to the kitchen, quietly mumbling under her breath about luncheon meat.
“My turn!” Cyn yelled, running over to Troy. She launched herself at him, and he took a step back as he caught her so they both didn’t fall.
“Good Lord, Cyn,” Troy grunted.
“I’m glad you’re ok, homie.”
“I have no idea why you call me homie,” Troy laughed, shaking his head.
“Cause you’re my homie,” Cyn said like that explained everything.
“King and I knew you’d have things under control.” Rigid walked over and pulled Cyn from Troy. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and rested his chin on the top of her head.
“You’re squishing me.” Cyn elbowed Rigid in the gut, trying to get away from him and almost got away. He swung her up in his arms and tossed her on the couch in front of the TV. Rigid jumped on top of her, and all we could hear was squealing and laughing.
“You think I could get a hug now, Sunshine?”
I tore my eyes away from the spectacle going on on the couch and saw Troy had never taken his eyes off me.
I was two steps away from Troy when King called his name. “Troy!”
Son of a bitch. “I’ll be right back, baby girl,” Troy murmured. He trailed his fingers down my arm as he walked past me, but that was all I got.
Devil’s Knights MC Box Set 1 Page 68
