give me a nice litter of cubs,” he continued, as if they were discussing little more than dinner options or what show to watch on Netflix.
“I’ll what ?” Selina exclaimed, shooting up from her seat, making the wine slosh on the floor. “I don’t think so!”
“ I will treat you well , don’t worry. Anything you want,” he continued, but Selina could barely hear what he was saying over the sound of her heart thumping in panic.
“I’d rather die,” she spat out from behind gritted teeth.
Parker considered her impassively. He was a handsome man, in a scary, rip your throat out kind of way, but that really wasn’t enough for Selina. Not by a longshot.
“Is that really what you want? You never know, I might grow on you,” Parker said coolly. “We tigers have needs… and I believe you will fit well to appease mine.”
Grow on me like a fungus , Selina thought, disgusted.
“You’re insane,” was all she ended up saying, shocked.
“I could track down your whole family and paint these walls with their blood. Is that insane enough for you?” Parker inquired in between sips of his drink.
His tone of voice was perfectly conversational as he leaned back in his seat.
Not this again .
But the threat was still just as effective as when Tom said it.
Selina would do anything to keep her loved ones safe. So she would play along, be the compliant little prisoner.
Just long enough for Parker to let his guard down.
If he ever does.
Quietly, she sat back down, trying to still the shivers that seemed to be wracking her whole body.
Four
Stone
“ H ey , Mike, where you going?” Stone asked as he crossed over the man’s apartment door, lying in splintered pieces on the floor.
Stone shrugged back his shoulders slightly. He might not want to admit it, but it felt good to knock down doors and put the fear of… well, him, back in the local scumbags.
Mike stopped, one foot out the window, to stare at Stone like a deer in headlights. He was a wiry little man with curly, sandy hair.
“Stone, buddy, about that money…” Mike started nervously.
“I know you don’t have any money. You wouldn’t still be living in this shithole if you did,” Stone said, cutting him off.
Mike looked genuinely scared now.
“What do you want then?” he asked, pulling himself back inside.
There was no way he was going to outrun Stone and they both knew it.
“I need to track a phone. You help me and maybe I’ll consider us even.”
Mike visibly relaxed.
“Sure, of course, just give me the number,” he said, fishing a laptop out of the bag around his neck.
Stone had to hand it to the little guy. He’d gotten his stuff together fast.
Guess I’m not the only one breaking in as of late, he thought, considering the destroyed door with some newfound interest.
Perhaps Mike got bulk rates on those things.
Mike was very good at what he did. If only he didn’t like to play cards as much as he did, he might be reliable enough for people to actually hire him without fearing he’d skip out with their money. Which he did, often enough.
Stone had gotten Selina’s number from Joe. Police had only found her keys, her phone was still missing. Most probably her kidnappers had tossed it, but you never knew. The cops had already tried tracking it, but it was shut off. Didn’t hurt to give it another shot, though.
Plus, Stone had learned over the years that sometimes, wanting something enough would be just what was missing. The cops rarely gave a crap and would miss things all the time.
Stone desperately needed a lead, as Joe wasn’t able to give him more than a generic description of the guys that shook them up for money. Thugs like that were a dime a dozen in Chicago.
“So, how you been? You back in the biz?” Mike asked while typing away, throwing wary looks at Stone.
Stone just growled at him.
“Okay, fine, be that way,” Mike huffed with a roll of his eyes.
After a couple more minutes of typing, he motioned
“I’ll what ?” Selina exclaimed, shooting up from her seat, making the wine slosh on the floor. “I don’t think so!”
“ I will treat you well , don’t worry. Anything you want,” he continued, but Selina could barely hear what he was saying over the sound of her heart thumping in panic.
“I’d rather die,” she spat out from behind gritted teeth.
Parker considered her impassively. He was a handsome man, in a scary, rip your throat out kind of way, but that really wasn’t enough for Selina. Not by a longshot.
“Is that really what you want? You never know, I might grow on you,” Parker said coolly. “We tigers have needs… and I believe you will fit well to appease mine.”
Grow on me like a fungus , Selina thought, disgusted.
“You’re insane,” was all she ended up saying, shocked.
“I could track down your whole family and paint these walls with their blood. Is that insane enough for you?” Parker inquired in between sips of his drink.
His tone of voice was perfectly conversational as he leaned back in his seat.
Not this again .
But the threat was still just as effective as when Tom said it.
Selina would do anything to keep her loved ones safe. So she would play along, be the compliant little prisoner.
Just long enough for Parker to let his guard down.
If he ever does.
Quietly, she sat back down, trying to still the shivers that seemed to be wracking her whole body.
Four
Stone
“ H ey , Mike, where you going?” Stone asked as he crossed over the man’s apartment door, lying in splintered pieces on the floor.
Stone shrugged back his shoulders slightly. He might not want to admit it, but it felt good to knock down doors and put the fear of… well, him, back in the local scumbags.
Mike stopped, one foot out the window, to stare at Stone like a deer in headlights. He was a wiry little man with curly, sandy hair.
“Stone, buddy, about that money…” Mike started nervously.
“I know you don’t have any money. You wouldn’t still be living in this shithole if you did,” Stone said, cutting him off.
Mike looked genuinely scared now.
“What do you want then?” he asked, pulling himself back inside.
There was no way he was going to outrun Stone and they both knew it.
“I need to track a phone. You help me and maybe I’ll consider us even.”
Mike visibly relaxed.
“Sure, of course, just give me the number,” he said, fishing a laptop out of the bag around his neck.
Stone had to hand it to the little guy. He’d gotten his stuff together fast.
Guess I’m not the only one breaking in as of late, he thought, considering the destroyed door with some newfound interest.
Perhaps Mike got bulk rates on those things.
Mike was very good at what he did. If only he didn’t like to play cards as much as he did, he might be reliable enough for people to actually hire him without fearing he’d skip out with their money. Which he did, often enough.
Stone had gotten Selina’s number from Joe. Police had only found her keys, her phone was still missing. Most probably her kidnappers had tossed it, but you never knew. The cops had already tried tracking it, but it was shut off. Didn’t hurt to give it another shot, though.
Plus, Stone had learned over the years that sometimes, wanting something enough would be just what was missing. The cops rarely gave a crap and would miss things all the time.
Stone desperately needed a lead, as Joe wasn’t able to give him more than a generic description of the guys that shook them up for money. Thugs like that were a dime a dozen in Chicago.
“So, how you been? You back in the biz?” Mike asked while typing away, throwing wary looks at Stone.
Stone just growled at him.
“Okay, fine, be that way,” Mike huffed with a roll of his eyes.
After a couple more minutes of typing, he motioned
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