Page 44 of Rough Start

“Because that’s what Max does,” he began and set the muddy towel on the step next to him. “He finds pain points and exploits them to see if people will crumble. Max knew you were studying to be a lawyer, and I guess he decided you were worth more with a law degree in your hand than cash.”

“So what… he’s got some outstanding parking tickets he wants me to take care of?” Her sarcasm was sexy, and the fiery look in her eyes was making it hard for him to keep his distance. Sitting on the church pew with mud-covered feet and soaking wet hair, he had a tempting idea to take her behind the pulpit and give the Virgin Mary a show.

“I’ll give you all the details when we get to Pine Hill,” Kye said, standing. Eliana dropped her chin, her eyes narrowing at him.

“Pine Hill? You’re joking. I’m not going to Pine Hill.” She spat the name of the town as though the very taste was bitter in her mouth.

“You don’t have a choice,” Kye informed her, and Eliana let out a short laugh as if to say, ‘oh yes I do’.

“Kidnapping, is it?” she asked in a huffy and self-entitled tone. “Really, Kye, I don’t need to be a lawyer to tell you what that means if you try to get me to go somewhere against my consent.” Eliana stood too and reached in her jacket pocket to grab her phone. “A perk of being a very good defense lawyer, I’ve got every sheriff's phone number saved and on speed dial.”

“Really?” Kye asked in an impressed tone. “Let me see,” he beckoned. Thinking Kye was challenging her word, Eliana rolled her eyes as she unlocked her phone and pulled up the screen that showed her speed dials. Sure enough, at least a dozen cell numbers to the local, county, and state patrol were cued up. “Impressive,” Kye said shortly as he grabbed the phone out of her hand.

“Hey!” she shouted and reached to grab it, but Kye had turned his back. “Give that to me!” Before she could lunge again, he’d popped the back of it off and removed the battery which he slipped into his pants pocket. Putting the cover back on, he turned back to her and handed it over.

“There you go,” he said with a slightly teasing lilt.

“Kye, give me my battery,” she demanded and held her hand out expectantly. She was five feet and six inches of fuming mad which he found endlessly entertaining. “Now!” she yelled with a stomp of her foot.

“Get it yourself if it’s so important,” he challenged. Eliana eyed him, her throat pulsing as she swallowed hard. Her eyes darted from his down to his pants where she knew he’d stored the battery.

“I’m not digging in your pocket to get my battery back,” she claimed and placed her hands on her hips.

“Then you’re not getting it back,” Kye said plainly.

“I’m not kidding, Kye, give it to me.” The volume of her voice was raised again, and she remained rooted when he stepped toward her.

“You know where it is,” he said in a low tone, his eyes darkening. Eliana swallowed hard again and shook her head. “What are you afraid you’ll find if you go digging around?” His question was exactly what her mind was dwelling on. She knew exactly what she would find, and it likely wasn’t the battery to her cell phone.

“I’m not going to Pine Hill with you,” Eliana stated, hoping to deflect the conversation away to anything that didn’t involve the contents of Kye’s pants.

“If you refuse, there are men waiting at your house who will either force you or shoot you,” Kye informed her. Eliana visibly paled, and she stepped backward only to sit hard on the bench of the pew once again.

“They’re at m-my house?” her voice was trembling, and every instinct in Kye made him want to wrap her in his arms again and chase away anything that was making her afraid. He also knew that he was the only thing standing between her and the business end of a Demon pistol.

“They’re at your house, your office, and probably outside,” Kye admitted. “Max is dead serious about you coming back with me.”

“Dead serious? Is that supposed to be a joke?” she questioned in a fierce tone. Her eyes were shooting daggers, and Kye sat beside her.

“I didn’t mean it that way. Listen, nothing bad is going to happen to you as long as you cooperate. Max wouldn’t have waited all this time if he was just going to put a bullet in your head.”

“Somehow that’s not comforting.”

“There are some guys from the club who got into some trouble, landed behind bars. Max wants you to look at their cases and find a way to get the charges dismissed. He wants his strongest players in the game before…”

“Before what?” Eliana asked in a calmer tone as she met Kye’s eyes.

“I shouldn’t tell you this, but there’s going to be a change of power soon, and Max wants his infrastructure strong. We can’t guarantee that if we have boys behind bars who can share secrets.”

“I get dragged back into this mess so Max can spring his buddies from jail? If he’s so rich, why doesn’t he just hire a good attorney? Or better yet, bribe a judge? If he’s going to send you to threaten my life the day of my father’s funeral, I doubt a little thing like paying off a judge or jury member is beneath either of you.” Her words were harsh, and they stung, but mostly because Kye knew they were true.

“Unfortunately, he tried that. The cases seemed airtight, and no judge wanted to make headlines by overturning two death sentences,” Kye explained.

“Death sentences?” Eliana said in shock. “So we’re talking murder charges. If they’ve received the death sentence, they’ve probably exhausted all of their appeals. How the hell can I do anything about that?”

“Max says…” Kye trailed off. He really didn’t want to have to repeat the words his mentor had spoken. Eliana’s eyebrows raised as her wordless demand for him to continued. “Max says because you’re not just fighting for their lives… you will be fighting to save yours too.” Kye bit his tongue so hard he tasted blood after he’d said it. Eliana immediately took her eyes off him and focused on her folded hands in her lap.

“That’s it then, isn’t it?” she said after a brief silence. “The trap has been set.” She stood and paced a few steps, one hand pressed to her forehead. “If I don’t go with you, I’m dead,” she began, and her bare feet padded on the floor, “but if I do go with you and try to defend a couple of convicted murders and can’t get the charges dropped completely, I’m dead. Either way, I’m dead. Best case scenario I somehow manage to free these men and then I’ve contributed to the release of people who will likely murder again so someone else is dead! Am I right?”