Page 80 of Swerve (Boosted Hearts 1)

I stiffened, fingers curling into fists, my anger rising hard and fast. I knew exactly what that meant.

“The power behind that company are . . .” He tilted his head to the side. “Associates of mine. You neutralize them . . . I won’t be very happy.”

The weight of my gun resting against my back suddenly felt heavier. “She’s one of ours, Tomas. These fuckers had cameras in her room, let assholes pay to watch her. You’re okay with that? Family only matters if business isn’t involved, is that it?”

“Watch yourself,” he muttered. “Remember who you’re talking to.”

It took everything in me not to pull my gun and blow the fucker’s head off.

He rubbed a hand over his jaw. “I can give you something that I think will appease your bloodthirsty soul. The names you want, behind Imperious, they just fund the operation you’re talking about. They fund a lot of operations. And as long as they’re getting a return, and there’s no blowback on them, these guys don’t give a fuck about the details.” He tapped his fingers together. “I have no stake in this particular enterprise. You know how I feel about shit like that.”

Tomas may have a large stable of prostitutes, but he’d never forced one of his girls into a damned thing.

“Let me do some digging, I’ll get you whoever was behind recruiting your woman,” he finally said. “I’m going out on a limb here for you, Neco. I hope you understand just how much? If my associates ever found out I gave you these names, it would create . . . problems for me.”

“I understand.” I also knew it meant I owed him big.

“I’m sure I don’t need to say it, but I will anyway. My name stays out of this. And no cops.”

I was fine with that. Whoever he gave me would be taking a ride in the back of the agency van and they wouldn’t be coming back. “Recruited?”

“They have recruiters, people that pick the targets, infiltrate, set up cameras and get out. That’s how they earn their cut.”

Scott hadn’t gotten out. He’d stuck around for some reason like a rotting carcass stinking up the place. It had become more to Scott, personal. He may have put the cameras in Ruby’s room, but my gut told me he hadn’t been acting alone.

“When will you have the names?” I said.

“You’re not going to ask what I want in return first?”

I didn’t bother answering. We both knew I’d do whatever it was he asked. I just hoped since this was a request for “family,” whatever he wanted would be something I could live with.

Turned out I was wrong.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Neco

I stared down at the man lying at my feet, face fucked up almost beyond recognition, arm at an odd angle, piss soaking his jeans, and somehow managed to keep the ice coating my insides intact. I had fought a lot in my life, had won most of the time, had also had my ass handed to me a time or two, but this, this was the kind of shit that haunted my dreams. This poor, dumb fuck had been stupid enough to get hooked up with the wrong people, had thought he could outsmart them, avoid them, fuck knows, but he’d fucked with the wrong man. Tomas never let anyone get away with anything without payment.

I doubted this guy was a sterling citizen, but this? Some guy showing up at his house in the middle of the night and beating the shit out of him? I hoped he’d committed some despicable crime in his life, had done something bad enough to deserve this. I had to believe that, if I didn’t I’d lose my fucking mind.

How many bloody faces had looked up at me in my life, that same look in their eyes? More than I ever wanted to think about, but they were all there. They never left me.

A soft rustling sound had my head snapping up. Standing at the top of the stairs that led to the bedrooms was his woman. I’d dragged him out of his bed, lying beside her a short time ago, threatened her too while I was at it to make sure she didn’t call the cops. The look on her face now made me feel like the lowest piece of shit to ever walk the face of the earth.

“Message received?” I said to her.

She nodded, tears streaking down her face. The sound of footsteps, fast and light echoed off the wooden floorboards.

“No, Eric!” the woman called.

A kid came flying down the stairs, pulling up short when he saw his old man lying on the floor, the rattle of his father’s labored breaths filling the room. He must have only been about five or six. The sick feeling in my stomach intensified and I was close to throwing up.

The kid was scared as hell, staring at me like I was the boogieman come to life. The small boy shook so hard his teeth started to chatter. His mother raced down after him, grabbing him and pulling him into her, with genuine fear that I might hurt her kid.

My own body started to shake. I needed to get the fuck out of here. “Call an ambulance,” I said to her, then glanced down at the boy and back to her. “I’m sure I don’t need to tell you not to involve the police?”

She shook her head, getting my message loud and clear. I’d never hated myself more in my life than at that moment.