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“SAGE ELLIS.” RONALD Santos’s old, crooked eyes raked down Sage’s body. She had to admit, she looked drop dead gorgeous in the champagne-colored spaghetti strap dress with more sequin than Sage weighed. Bowie had offered an incredible wardrobe selection.
And yet, with Santos taking pleasure from her choice in dress, she wished she hadn’t chosen one with a slit up to her thigh.
“Looking fine as usual.”
Luckily for her, he couldn’t feel her heart pounding so hard she hoped it didn’t rip through her chest, or feel the trembles she tried to keep under control, or hear her mind racing a million miles an hour since she’d stepped away from Duke. She felt like she was doing this alone.
Duke is with you.
Santos nodded his head at one of his men who came over and gave Sage a pat down, a little touchier than appropriate, which seemed to get a sick rise out of Santos.
“Please, sit.” He waved at an empty seat across from him and Sage sat down. “What do I owe the pleasure of this visit?”
“You requested my presence, so why don’t you tell me.” She needed to dig out as much information on the situation as she could. Needed to know he was responsible for the shootings without having to come right out and ask. She wanted to walk away from this table alive.
“Don’t play coy with me girl. Either you open your purse, or Scotch will do it for you.” The man who searched her—apparently going by the name Scotch—took a step closer.
Sage unsnapped the button on her purse.
Stay cool.
“I’ve heard my dad owed you half a million.” She took out a hundred-thousand-dollar stack of bills one at a time and lined five in a row on the low glass coffee table as she spoke. “That’s five there, plus you’ll want interest.” She pulled out another hundred-thousand and set it down.
Ronald nodded and his guy walked over, picked one bundle up, flipped through them and moved on until he’d finished all six piles and nodded his approval to Santos.
“I believe that’s it. Unless you had another idea.” He licked his lips making Sage’s insides roll with disgust. She wasn’t sure how any woman had sex with this man.
She stood. “I want your word that my mom and I are safe. No more random shootings. No more snipers.” She set down four more bundles. “This is one million dollars if you let us walk away.”
“How about you stay and have a hit.” His finger touched the table where four piles of cocaine were neatly rowed out. “For the good old times.”
Sage’s body pulsed for the white powder, but that wasn’t her life anymore.
“Do I have your word?”
He leaned back in his chair and folded his fingers together on his lap. “I’ll do you one better, just because I like a woman who pays of her family’s debt.” He snapped his fingers and the man at his side handed him a phone. “I’ll tell you exactly who shot your mom.” He twirled the phone around his fingers. “It’s right here. I can take credit for your father, he owed me, but your mother’s blood isn’t on me.”
“In exchange for what?”
“You’ve laid out a million dollars on my table. Money I’m sure your father didn’t leave to you in order to clear your mother’s name. This time, I’ll give it to you.” He curled his fingers for her to step in.
Against her body’s trembling objections, she moved in until his mouth was against her ear and the name out of his mouth sent chills down her spine.
***
IT ONLY TOOK SAGE’S venomous look to alert Duke that Malcolm Voci had been responsible for Celeste. The biggest loan shark in the city. Dead had undoubtedly owed him money too.
“Get Bowie and Sage out of here now,” he barked at Stone. Things were about to get ugly.
Duke made his way to Malcolm’s table, walked past his guys—who didn’t seem very alert if Duke was able to pass without incident—and gripped the suit-wearing, cigar-smoking prick around the throat.
Duke caught his men move out of the corner of his eyes. He caught Malcolm nod signals to them.
“Are you sure about that? I could snap your neck faster than they could pry my body off of you. Call them off.”
He shook his head at his men and they backed away. Malcolm’s face relaxed but Duke could feel his quivering fear.
“What can I help you with?” he asked.
“You put a hit on Celeste and Sage Ellis.”
“I have a business to run. If I don’t get my money back, there are consequences.” He didn’t have to outright say it. “It’s not personal.”
“It’s personal to me. Give me an amount. Any amount, but I want it paired with Sage and Celeste’s safety.”
Malcom’s devious smirk was what people feared. “Why would I wager with you?”
“Because you know I can kill you right here, right now, and you know I won’t let go until we’ve made a deal.”
His smile widened. The sly smile of a man who never lost. “You’ve opened an endless amount of possibilities for me.”
“And I’m a man of my word.”
“I will take your service.”
Duke didn’t care what it cost him as long as Sage walked away safe.
“Name the day, place and time.”