What's Your Price

“I do what I have to do,” he said.

“You can be open with me.”

He stopped and turned toward her. “Like you’re open with me?”

“I have been open with you about everything.” She tucked some hair behind her ear. “I honestly don’t know what this is. You’re giving me mixed signals. If you just want to fuck, say so. I can handle that. It’s easier.”

Gabe pressed her up against the nearest tree. He grabbed her arms and held them above her head. His cock thrust against her stomach. “I do want to fuck you, Laura, but I want so much more.”

“Then why are you being so difficult?” she asked.

“You don’t want to hear everything straight away, Laura. Some things have to be earned.”

He let go of her hands and pressed a kiss to her nose.

She stepped away from the tree at the same time as him.

“Are you trying to—”

“Get down!”

Gunshots rang out a second before Laura was thrown to the ground. Screaming erupted and Gabe covered her body. She pressed her hands to her ears. She glanced left and right. Gabe got up, and she saw he held a gun in his hand and he was firing at someone.

Her entire body shook.

It seemed to go on forever.

Even as her ears rang, the gunshots ceased and then Gabe was by her side. He grabbed her arm. “We’ve got to go.”

She didn’t fight him as he pulled her across the park.

“What about the others?” she asked.

“They can be dealt with later.”

“Gabe, what’s going on?”

He marched her back to where their car was parked. He pushed her into the backseat and then the guy she’d come to realize was Felipe sat in the driver’s seat.

“Take her back to my place.”

“Wait, Gabe. I don’t like this.” She tried to roll the window down. Felipe pulled away and she looked back behind her toward Gabe. The sound of sirens filled the air. Her heart raced. “What is going on?”

Felipe said nothing.

Her questions fell on deaf ears. She kept on looking back, trying to make sense of what had just happened, but nothing.

They’d been shot at in the park.

She held her hands out in front of her and saw how much they shook. Fear ran down her spine and she struggled to focus.

“Will he be okay?” She slapped the chair. “Answer me. Will Gabe be okay?”

“He will be more than fine. He has men who will do anything to protect him.”

“Really? Like take a bullet?”

Felipe didn’t say anything else.

Clenching her hands into fists, she tried to remain calm, but it wasn’t going to happen. They were shot at while walking in a park. The way Gabe reacted suggested he was used to it.

She ran her hands over her face, trying to clear the fog from her brain, but it wasn’t working. If Gabe was in danger, she wanted to be there to help him.

Felipe arrived at Gabe’s apartment building.

“I want to go home.”

“Miss, if I take you home, it’ll be my head. Mr. Moore gave me an instruction. Please, don’t be difficult.”

She could leave or run, but she had a feeling Felipe wouldn’t let her.

After climbing out of the car, she followed him to the waiting elevator.

He stood in front of her, keeping her close. His hand was perched inside his jacket, letting her know that at a moment’s notice, he could shoot anyone he believed to be a threat.

****

Screams filled the warehouse.

Deathly silence followed as Gabe stared at the man he’d just tortured. The mafia didn’t like how he controlled his own turf. Today, they’d tried to make a show of force, and well, he was one man down, while they were six men down. This one he’d just taken, a capo. One of the soldiers had given away his location.

He tapped the dead man’s head.

“I want the head cut off, put in a box, and mailed to the Boss with the message that if any mafia scum enter my territory again, this is what will happen. I don’t care.” He stepped back and wiped the blood from his fingers.

He didn’t have a change of clothes.

“Felipe called,” Andrew said. “She’s at the penthouse, but she’s not happy.”

Gabe nodded. Going out with her, being seen with her, had always been a risk. In his world, no woman had ever lasted more than a couple of fucks. Laura was already different, and his enemies were sniffing around her.

He had a leak somewhere, and he’d find it.

With how accurate the mafia men were today, he had a feeling it was one of his closest men. It wouldn’t take him long to find the mole. Once he did, he’d make an example of him. Men could be easily turned. Money, position, power, they were all relevant.

As he looked at his men, his suspicions rose. The only man he trusted was Felipe. The man had sworn his loyalty to him. They were more than employer-employee. They were brothers. They’d found each other on the street. Felipe had been kicked to the gutter as well.