Page 97 of Swerve (Boosted Hearts 1)

He shifted from foot to foot. “What do you want?”

“If you run, I’ll shoot you.”

His jaw went hard. “What the hell do you want?” he repeated.

I kept my hands at my sides and tilted my head to the pictures of Ruby on his wall. “She’s mine.”

The guy’s chin jerked back. “What?”

“You tried to buy my woman, like she’s a piece of fucking meat.” I shook my head. “I’m not real happy about that.”

His gaze slid to the pictures then back to me and I wanted to pluck his eyeballs from his fucking skull.

“She’s . . . yours?”

I stared at him.

He was quiet for several seconds, then squared his shoulders. “Everything has a price.”

I shook my head.

“I’m rich, fucking loaded.” He licked his lips. “I want her and I’m willing to pay. You bring her to me, and you can name it, whatever you want.”

This guy was not only sick, he was insane. Which meant he was also fucking dangerous. “No.”

“I will have her.” The guy tilted his head. “I’ll make this offer only once. You agree, you walk out of here alive . . . you don’t . . . well . . .”

The sound of a gun being cocked behind me explained his sudden show of bravado. The second guard. “You can’t buy me, and you sure as fuck can’t buy her.”

Edwards nodded to the guard behind me.

I dove for the ground as a gunshot rang out, rolling, pulling my gun free as I did, and aimed. But when I looked back at the doorway, instead of the guard, Zeke stood there, his 9mm in his hand, and a body at his feet.

I gave Zeke a nod of thanks and stood. “I don’t negotiate with sick fucks like you,” I said to Edwards. “Now pick up your phone. It’s time to arrange another meeting.”

His face flushed red, sweat sliding down his temples. “You won’t get away with this.”

“Make the call.”

He reached for his phone. “Where and when?”

I rattled off a time and place. “Put it on speaker.”

A woman answered, voice raspy, like she smoked at least a packs a day. It was impossible to miss the desperation in her voice, how fucking happy she was that Edwards still wanted to do business with her. I listened as he set up a meeting with this bitch then disconnected.

“You realize this woman can’t deliver? That she lost her shot when Scott failed to bring in Ruby weeks ago.”

He smirked. “Maybe, maybe not.”

My finger tightened on the trigger.

“Are we calling this in?” Zeke said. “Or are we ending this shit here?”

I wanted to end this motherfucker more than anything. But we might need him. “I’ll call it. Besides the pictures, there’ll be phone records and ties to the site Ruby was on. We’ll get Jude to call Connor, pull some strings . . .”

A gun went off and Zeke’s body jerked back, blood soaking his shirt at his stomach instantly.

I twisted and aimed at Edwards. The guy had moved fast, and now had his own piece pointed my way.