Chapter 122
Chapter 122
JULIAN’S POV
We pulled up in front of my place just as the sky began to turn a darker shade of orange. The ride had been tense, silent, and filled with Emma’s constant glares at me from the corner of her eye. I didn’t care much. I had a job to do, and no matter how uncomfortable it made her, I was going to see it through.
I got out of the SUV first, then walked around and opened the door on her side. She hesitated, probably weighing her chances of making a run for it. I wasn’t taking any risks. I grabbed her by the arm–not too rough, but firm enough to let her know she wasn’t going anywhere.
“I see,” she said as her eyes scanned the house from the outside, her tone laced with disgust. “So you’re also part of them.”
I frowned. “What are you on about this time?”
She snorted, eyes narrowing. “You’re one of those rich sons of bitches who think they can do whatever they want just because they’ve got a fat bank account. You think money buys everything–including people.”
I didn’t answer her. It wasn’t worth arguing. If that’s what she wanted to believe, fine. I had bigger things to worry about. Besides, provoking her would only waste more time.
I tugged her gently but firmly toward the house. The front lights were off. Good. My mom was probably already asleep upstairs–one less thing to deal with. I didn’t want her catching me dragging someone into the basement like I was part of a damn cartel.
Wait… I paused mid–step. Was this technically kidnapping? I wasn’t asking for ransom. I wasn’t planning to hurt her–just get some answers. Once we had what we needed, we’d let her go. Right? Yeah. That’s what we’d always agreed on. Olivia would be the one handling the talking anyway. She had a way of digging into people’s heads.
Still… I couldn’t shake the unsettling thought.
We moved down the hallway quietly, passing the room where the other two were still being kept. Emma’s gaze naturally drifted toward it. I stopped deliberately, just so she’d see it. She needed to understand this was real–this wasn’t a game.
“You thought I was bluffing?” I asked, watching her reaction closely. “So much for ‘I’ve never seen them in my life.””
Her face twitched. Anger? Guilt? Maybe even fear. I didn’t wait to find out. I gave her a gentle shove forward and resumed walking.
There was no way I was keeping her in the same room as the other two. That would be a mistake. If they started comparing stories, they’d figure out we used the same tactic on them. And once that happened, convincing her would be almost impossible.
I opened the door to the room right next to theirs. It was plain–just four walls, a small window, and a single lightbulb overhead. No bed, no comfort. It was temporary. It had to feel temporary.
She looked around in disbelief. “No bed?”
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I smirked. “Do you plan on staying here forever?”
She shot me a glare, one of those smug little looks meant to get under your skin. I didn’t bite. Instead, I turned around and pulled the door closed b me, locking it with a quiet click.
“I’ll deal with you in a second,” I muttered under my breath as I headed back upstairs.
Ron and his guys were still outside, and I figured I owed them a word of thanks. Even though I was paying them for their services, what they did tonight went beyond the usual contract. When we first planned this out, I never imagined things would escalate to the point of anyone getting hurt. That kind of risk wasn’t in the agreement they signed–but they showed up anyway and saw it through to the end.
That meant something.
I stepped out into the crisp evening air. Ron stood casually against one of my cars, a cigarette hanging loosely from the corner of his mouth. I noticed he
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Chapter 122
wasn’t smoking it inside the house like he used to when we first started working together. At least he finally respected my “no smoking in the house. rule. Progress.
“How are the rest of the guys?” I asked, approaching him.
Ron exhaled slowly before answering. “They’re alright. Just a few scrapes, nothing serious. One of them took a small cut on the arm, but nothing we haven’t dealt with before:”
“My maids are gathering your gear. They’ll bring it out in a bit,” I said, glancing toward the house. “Figured you guys wouldn’t want to leave without your toys.”
“The same gear you’s
u said there was no point bringing?” he asked with a smirk, raising a brow.
I chuckled, knowing I’d walked into that one. “Yeah, yeah. Fine, I was wrong, and I’m sorry. You happy?”
He flicked the ash off the tip of his cigarette. “And?”
I rolled my eyes, sighing. “And if lever need you guys again, you’re free to bring whatever damn gear you want. No complaints from me.”
“Now that’s what I like to hear,” he said, satisfied, his smirk deepening.
I extended my hand to him, genuine appreciation behind the gesture. “Thanks for the assist. I mean it. I don’t think I would’ve been able to bring any of these people in if it weren’t for you and your guys.”
Ron clasped my hand firmly. “Anytime, Julian. Just getting business done.”
I nodded. “Speaking of business–my account officer will transfer the remaining balance to your account first thing Monday morning. Everything as
agreed.”
“Perfect,” he said. “Then I guess this is where our contract ends. Been good doing business with you.”
I gave him a respectful nod. “Once the gear’s with you, you’re all set to go. I need to head back inside, but I appreciate everything you’ve done.”
As I turned to leave, Ron called out with a smirk, “Şend my regards to Olivia.”
I didn’t bother turning around. “That’s not gonna happen,” I called back, shaking my head as I made my way to the door.
He was joking—but even so, it stirred something in me.
Maybe it was my protective instinct kicking in as Olivia’s brother, But it was more than that. I wanted the best for her. She’d been through too much already. Ron was a great guy in his own way–loyal, competent, dependable when it came to operations like this–but his line of work, his past… it wasn’t something Olivia needed right now. She deserved peace, not more chaos.
I stepped back inside, already thinking ahead to what needed to happen next. Emma was secured, but the hard part was still ahead. Getting her to talk.
