Page 106 of Cruel Revenge
“Sex trade?” There’s venom in her words as she shifts.
Her glare burns into the side of my head, making me feel sick.
I hate that she thinks I’m capable of that.
She shuffles as far from me as the car will allow, disgust in her eyes. “I think you should let me out here. I can walk home.”
“We’re on the other side of the city. You’re not going to walk home.” I clear my throat. “Besides, it’s not the sex trade.”
“You’re not capturing women and forcing them over here to pimp out? You’re not sending them overseas for that either?” She stares at me like she has the power to see straight through me.
And maybe she does.
“No.” I pull the car off to the side, turning to face her. “Not even close. I may be a shit man, but that’s one of those things that I don’t get involved in. Just people who are looking to get into a country or out of it.”
She makes a noise in the back of her throat like she’s thinking it over, taking her time to decide whether I’m telling her the truth or not. “No sex trade?”
“No. I have no interest in that, and I never have.”
Skyla lets out a shaky breath. “Then why didn’t you tell me about this sooner?”
“It’s the part of my business that nobody knows about. Not even Logan.”
“Why doesn’t he know?” Curiosity shines in her gaze as she relaxes back into her seat.
The serial killer judging the smuggler. The irony of our entire situation isn’t lost on me.
I pull back out into traffic. “There are some things I’ve never been able to trust him with. That was one of them. If something went wrong and he decided not to cover for me anymore, then what information do I have to make a deal with anyone about? I’m the top of the food chain.”
She glances out the window. “You know, it’s funny that you’re able to smuggle humans, but you’re not able to move your own product across borders.”
“Which ties back to the entire, what information do I have to make a deal with?” The corner of my mouth twitches as I look over at her. “That, and Grady has connections that I don’t. He’s close with the leader of the cartel down in Colombia and doesn’t worry about getting screwed over.”
“And you don’t think you’d be able to get the same deal?”
“I know I wouldn’t. I’ll be looked at as if I’m going behind his back and turning against him. Loyalty is a big thing to the cartel.”
Skyla nods. “You need to figure out a way to be able to get rid of Grady without losing your own business.”
“Correct.”
I turn onto our street, already thinking of the moment I’ll have her in our room, stripped down in front of me, the last of the secrets between us finally melting away.
My phone starts ringing, Grady’s name flashing on the dash.
I sigh and press the button on the screen, the sound of heavy breathing filling the car.
“Joshua, we have to meet. I don’t have time for your arguments right now, so don’t even think about doing it.”
“I’m out right now with my family.”
“Fuck your family. Get your ass to my house now. We have business to discuss.”
He ends the call without another word.
I sigh and scrub a hand over my jaw, pulling alongside the curb in front of our building.
Skyla pauses after reaching for the handle and opening the door. “Stay alive, okay? I’ve gotten kind of attached to you.”
