Page 134 of Forbidden Wish
Swerve.
From nowhere, Jagg wasted no time getting to her, putting her at his back, blocking Swerve’s line of sight… or maybe his angle of attack.
“What do you want? You bring a fucking army?”
“Nothing to worry about, Dunn. We’ll be on our way soon as we get what we came for.”
Ludlow sprang to his feet. “I didn’t say nothing.”
“No one gives a fuck about you,” Swerve said, an irritation in his voice. “Who the fuck are you anyway?”
Below Swerve’s paygrade, or he was good at making a point.
“What do you want?” Jagg asked.
“Your girl there.”
“Not a chance.”
“I’m the messenger, buddy. If the job was killing her, you’d all be dead. She’s gonna come on a little ride with me.”
“I said no,” Jagg growled.
“Shame. Her friend Mila will be disappointed.”
“My guys at the—”
“Yeah, you have guys at the hospital. You got guys to lose? ‘Cause Silvio doesn’t mind a couple of his going to prison for murdering a couple of yours. How are your numbers for a game of tit for tat?” A moment passed. “Don’t want to knock your confidence, but ours is bigger than yours. Way bigger.”
Her brother moved a few feet closer to Swerve. Shit. No, people were in danger. It had never been so real. Swerve. An army outside. And them… Her family. The people she loved in jeopardy because she couldn’t stop asking questions.
“Threatening us isn’t the way to get what you want,” her brother said.
Peeking around Jagg, she wanted a measure on the invader’s mood.
“What is the way?” Swerve asked. “‘Cause I also have to say…” Reaching back, he produced a gun from behind him, from his waistband maybe. His elbow bent, arm loose, the barrel pointed toward the ceiling… for now. “My boss’s problem goes away if I put bullets in you three.”
“Jagg’s guys saw you come in,” she said. “They’d tell cops—”
“Good luck finding me, Funny. You heard what I said about our numbers?” Someone would go down for it. Silvio valued his henchman progeny, unlikely Swerve would see any days behind bars. “She’s wholesome, Dunn. Not your type.”
Did everyone on the planet know about their relationship?
“I don’t want anyone to get hurt.”
“Then your boy there calls his boys off at the hospital and you take a trip with me.”
“Why the hospital? Why would you—”
“You forget what I said? The women still here will pay for every step you take down this path. Your Mila is first on that list.”
“You already tried killing her once and failed.”
“If they meant to kill her, she’d be dead.”
If they meant to… “It was a warning,” she whispered. “Mila was a warning.”
“A glimpse into your future maybe. Though…” He sighed like it was no big deal. “If you don’t give a shit about her, we don’t either. She’s easy to erase. No one would notice if she disappeared.”
