Decker and I followed him to the elevator and got inside, where an elderly couple and a young businessman on his cell phone joined us. It was so painfully mundane and crowded. I wanted to scream that we were in danger and warn everyone in this damn hotel what was about to transpire. However, I kept my lips sealed shut. Decker’s words were on repeat in my mind.
Exchange the money. Get Dad. Get out. No hero shit.
One by one, everyone got off the elevator except for us. They were off to do whatever it was people without threats over their head did, while we headed to the top floor. The penthouse suite awaited us, and the man guiding us looked at Decker curiously as we ascended.
“The boss isn’t going to like that you brought someone,” he observed.
My retort was full of venom. “Well, I don’t like that he’s got my father.” The words tumbled past my lips before I had a chance to realize how stupid they were. If we wanted to get out of this alive, we needed to keep a calm head. Decker grabbed my hand and squeezed, a confident reminder that he was with me but also annoyed by my outburst.
The man guiding us simply tipped his head back and laughed in a high-pitched giggle that ultimately ruined his badass persona. “Oh, he’s going to have lots of fun with you. I hope he lets me watch,” his mousy voice replied.
The doors opened to the penthouse suite before I could ask what that meant, and we were shoved inside. Men with large guns flanked us the moment we entered the lavish room. Decker stared at the weapons strapped to their chests with trepidation. I briefly wondered if he was remembering the night he was held at gunpoint, and hated myself for putting him in this position.
The penthouse had marble floors and large windows surrounding the living room, giving an unobstructed view of Memphis. On an eclectic blue velvet couch sat a man who was eating popcorn and watching TV, laughing at whatever was being said on the screen.
“Boss, she’s here,” our escort said. “It seems she brought a friend.”
The man on the couch sat up and turned to look at us, a wide grin taking over his face, which showed off a gold front tooth. He looked just as terrifying as the rest of them, but there was an extra sense of sinister cockiness to his body language that made every hair on my body stand up straight. His eyes were an icy shade of blue, and he was wearing dark sweats. “You made it,” he observed while eyeing the briefcase in Decker’s hand.
“Who are you?” I bravely asked while fighting the urge to tap my fingers against my thigh. I didn’t want to show him even an ounce of anxiety. I knew men like this; they got off on the fear they commanded from their victims.
“You can call me Boss,” he slyly responded. I didn’t like the authority in his tone or the implications of his name. I used to believe that all humans were capable of redemption, but there was a flaw in that logic. Not all people were human. Humanity was a gift not everyone readily accepted. Instead, they filled their hearts up with venom instead of empathy. This man wasn’t human; he was evil.
Without acknowledging the money, Boss simply snapped his fingers, and one of his men walked forward to yank it out of Decker’s grip. I couldn’t hold back my rage. There was no negotiating, no talks. He just plucked the insane amount of cash from Decker’s hand with an assuming wink. “Hey, we had a deal!” I yelled. Boss didn’t seem fazed, he simply watched as the briefcase was opened up for him, showing off the numerous stacks of cash inside.
“Guess you really are a genius,” he said before picking up a pile of money and sniffing it. His low, slow inhale was almost erotic in nature. I could even see from where I was standing a few feet away that his pupils were dilated with sensual glee. He was a conceited man that got off on the smell of cash, and a fleeting thought flickered through my mind: He was Mama’s type.
When Boss was done inspecting the cash, he set it back in the briefcase before standing and stalking over to me.
My teeth chattered. Beside me, Decker went hard with tension, every muscle in his body was flexed and ready for action. I could feel the wave of protective energy flowing between us. Decker was still holding my hand, but he kept his vice-like grip on my nimble fingers. My bones could have cracked from the pressure. “I thought I told you not to tell anyone,” Boss said while looking Decker up and down. He seemed unimpressed with my bodyguard.
“I didn’t tell anyone. He found me and refused to let me go alone.”
“You must be pussy-whipped or stupid. I’m not sure what’s worse,” Boss said to Decker while looking him up and down with annoyance.
“Why are you doing this?” I found the courage to ask. Boss turned his attention back to me, his smile disarming as he took a step closer.
“We don’t tolerate deserters in my gang,” Boss began, “If we offer you protection on the inside, then we demand that you work for us on the outside. Your father broke our code and had a debt.”
I wanted to stare at the watch on his wrist, mostly to gauge how much time had passed. How long would it take the police to show up? I noted once more that we’re in the penthouse suite, which occupied the very top floor of the hotel. Whenever the police arrived, these men would have plenty of time to know if we had ratted them out. We were stuck.
I wanted Boss to keep talking, to waste as much time as possible. The longer he was rambling, the longer the police had to get to us. “I paid his debt,” I gritted.
The man laughed. It was a sinister sort of sound that felt chilling and cruel. “If I’d known you’d bring it so willingly, I would’ve asked for more. Maybe I should ask for more.”
“I’m not bringing you another cent until I see my father,” I said in a louder voice full of false bravado. Boss must not have liked my snarky words, because he snapped his hand out to wrap his fingers around my neck. I tried to jerk away, but he squeezed, locking me in place with his steady grip. I tried to heave in gulps of air, but my lungs couldn’t expand. Grinning at my struggle, Boss then pressed even harder while staring me in the eye.
“The way I see it,” he began as Decker took a step closer. He was on the verge of beating Boss to a pulp, despite the men surrounding us with guns. I could feel the angry energy hammering throughout the room. “You’re not in any position to be making demands,” Boss said. Decker lifted his hand up to yank him away, but a man clutching a pistol aimed at him, halting Decker in his tracks. Meanwhile, my vision was fading to black.
One second. Two seconds. Three seconds. I felt my legs go numb. My chest was on fire. When he finally let go, I gasped for air and fell to my knees, coughing and sputtering the moment I hit the ground. Oxygen had never tasted so sweet. My lungs flexed as tantric air filled me up like a placebo for dopamine. I’d never felt so thankful for the ability to breathe.
The relief was short-lived though, because Boss then threaded his fingers through my hair and yanked me hard. I felt clumps of my blonde strands disconnect from my scalp at the jerking movement. Tilting my head up to look at him, the man called over his shoulder while keeping his eyes on mine. “Bring me, Frank,” he ordered in a bored tone as if all of this was a regular occurrence.
Three men disappeared into a side room, and within moments, I heard shuffling behind the door. Grunts and moans then erupted from the room, and moments later, they emerged from the shadows while dragging my father’s broken body. Dad’s hands were tied behind his back, and his shirt was coated with fresh blood. There was a bandanna tied over his mouth, and my heart sank the moment I saw him. When our eyes connected, Dad growled and started thrashing. I wanted to rush over and help him out of his restraints, but Boss’s hold on my hair kept me in place. Despite being tied up, Dad still managed to fight though.