“King is mine, although at the moment claiming him is iffy,” Meg stood up and headed to the kitchen.
“Trouble in paradise?” Gwen whispered.
“Ha, no. More like Meg is crazy and King just tries to reel her in sometimes.” Ethel whispered.
“I heard that!” Meg yelled. “You’re supposed to be on my side, Ethel, even though he’s your son.” Meg walked back over to the table, handing us each a bottle of water.
“I’m on your side, hun,” Ethel winked.
“No taking sides,” Lo gruffed as he walked back into the common room. “We’re on the same team, babe.”
Meg rolled her eyes but a blush rose on her cheeks. “Stop being nice, I’m supposed to be pissed at you.”
“Try another day, babe.” Lo literally picked Meg up off her chair and sat down with her in his lap.
“Manhandling me now?” Meg whispered, cuddling into his embrace.
“He’s The King?” Gwen asked, her jaw dropped as she looked King up and down. Lo really was something to look at. With his signature ripped jeans and tight tees, he even made me do a double take the first time I met him.
“Just King. You must be Gwen,” Lo held his hand out to Gwen and she just stared at it.
She looked at me, her eyes bugged out. “I feel like he’s royalty. Do I kiss his hand and curtsey?”
Meg threw her head back laughing and King wrapped both of his arms around her so she didn’t fall out of his lap. “You can touch him,” she wheezed, grabbing on to King.
“Babe, you’re crazy,” King laughed, brushing back the hair from her face.
“Now that the introductions are over, do you think maybe we could focus on finding Troy?” I was beyond frantic and here we were, sitting around shooting the shit.
“There isn’t much we can do right now, Marley. We’re waiting to hear back from Leo,” Gravel said, walking out of the kitchen, a beer dangling from his fingertips.
“Are you shitting me?” I slammed my fists down on the table. All eyes turned to me, shocked. “We’re going to put Troy’s life in the hands of man who not even four hours ago was trying to kill me? Are you all insane?”
“Calm down, hun. We’re doing everything we can,” Ethel said, patting my hand.
I snatched my hand away, not wanting to be pacified. “We should be out there looking for him. We should call the god damn police is what we should do.” I pulled my phone from my pocket and fanatically tried calling 911.
Just as I had the dial pad pulled up, King snatched my phone out of my hand and handed it to Meg. She looked at me with sympathy, but shoved it in her pocket.
“You call the police, Marley, we are going to have an even bigger problem on our hands. Just let us figure it out. I promise nothing will happen to Troy.” King leveled his gaze on me, waiting.
Son of a bitch, he was right. I’m sure the Banachi’s didn’t deal with the police well. From what I have heard, they worked above the police.
So what the hell was I supposed to do then? I couldn’t sit around twiddling my thumbs waiting for something to happen. “Fine, no police. Can we at least go and look for him?”
“Marley, where the hell are we even going to begin looking for him? Sit tight, darlin’ and everything will work out.” Gravel stood behind me and rest his hands on my shoulder.
“Oh, I have an idea!” Meg jumped up from King’s lap and ran into the kitchen.
“Ten bucks she’s going for the bottle of Southern,” Gambler said, holding his hand out to Crowbar.
“I ain’t taking that bet. King told all of us how she handles stress. I’m out on that bet, man.” Crowbar held his hands up in surrender and plopped down on the sofa in front of a big screen TV.
“I’ll take that bet,” Slider pulled a ten dollar bill out of his pocket and held it up. Gambler pulled one from his wallet and tossed it onto the table.
“Any other takers?” Gambler looked around.
King pulled a twenty out of his wallet and threw it on the table. “I’ll double that bet.”
“You for or against the Southern?”
“Hmm, I’m going to go against my gut and say she’s grabbing something else.” King leaned back in his chair, kicking his feet back and threw his hands over his head.
“You sure about that?” Gambler asked.
“Yeah, I got faith in Meg.”
We waited, hearing nothing but silence from the kitchen. “What do you think she’s doing?” Gwen whispered.
“Lord only knows with Meg. You stick around long enough you’ll see for yourself.” Crowbar said and winked at Gwen. Gambler elbowed Crowbar and I swear I thought I heard him growl.
Crowbar looked at him like he was crazy and rubbed his arm. “What the fuck, brother?”
Gambler just shook his head, not saying anything.
“Who wants to play Go Fish?” Meg asked, holding up a deck of cards.
“Shit,” Gambler said, throwing his hands up in the air. “You were supposed to be getting a bottle of Southern,” he complained.
“Why the hell would I go to the kitchen to get a bottle of Southern? I would have walked over to your fully stocked bar.” Meg gestured to the bar that spanned on whole wall of the clubhouse.
“Son of a bitch!” Gambler shouted, pissed off.
“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 in 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 on 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 for her 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 deadlock 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 half 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 of getting out of here. I unlocked the deadbolt and 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?”
“Ugh, 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 pin stripe 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 high in the sky 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.
Battling Troy: Devil's Knights Series Page 16
