Page 17 of Savage Little Lies

Lazy bastard. Cara sensed that immediately. The cocaine is long gone, and probably not to customers. She’s right, I should start piling on interest.

“I’ll give you some motivation,” I tell him before slamming my right fist against his jaw, snapping his head to the side.

Rafael cries out in pain, but I don’t let him fall over. I drag him upright and hit him again, harder.

My knuckles split. His face swells. Blood hits the concrete. I don’t stop until he understands.

Rafael gasps as blood splatters on the floor, staining his lips and teeth. His face is already starting to swell where I’ve struck him, his left eye nearly swollen shut already.

I release his shirt, sending him sprawling onto his back. “Midnight. Come back here with the rest of the cash that you owe me and not a dollar less or the product you allegedly haven’t been able to sell.”

Rafael rolls onto his side and curls up, spitting blood onto the floor with a pained shudder and a weak groan.

I turn around and walk toward Cara, whose eyes are glued to Rafael. “Got anything to say about what you’ve seen today, milaya?”

Cara shifts her attention to me and shakes her head. “No, sir.”

“Good girl.”

I walk past her out of the warehouse, hearing Rafael groan in pain behind me. Hopefully, I got my message through and gave him some motivation.

Cara and I get back into the SUV just as my other men return from their posted stations around the perimeter of the warehouse. I didn’t think I would need them, but you can never be too careful in my line of work.

“Back to the office, Arman,” I tell my driver before looking over at Cara. “You didn’t flinch. Why is that?”

Cara fidgets with the end of her skirt before glancing at my busted knuckles, then meeting my gaze. “Oh, well, um, an old boyfriend of mine from a few years ago used to deal.”

The girl with the strict parents was involved with a criminal boyfriend. I suppose it’s not uncommon for suffocated children to lash out. She can certainly do better than a measly drug dealer, though.

“What happened to him?” I ask, already having a good guess of where he’s at right now.

Cara shrugs as she lowers her eyes. “He was an angry asshole. He started lashing out at me, and it got to a point where I knew that I needed to leave before things got worse. Last time I checked, he had been locked up on a distribution charge.”

A lot of people in the game get caught and thrown in prison, and plenty of them re-offend once they’re released. Only the smart ones are able to get out without catching a charge or getting shot for some sort of unpaid debt.

“He would’ve dragged you down with him. People like that always do,” I tell her. “You were smart to get out while you still could.”

“I’m also not fazed because I trust you,” Cara says. “You’re not going to get caught, so I won’t get caught as an accessory.”

A faint smile forms on my face as I peer out of the window, watching the sketchy warehouse area gradually fade away. “You’re right. I won’t get caught, especially not with your continued help.”

“So, you really think I did…good today?” Cara asks me.

My eyes snap to hers as her question spurs a spark of heat within me. “You did.”

Good girl. Why the fuck did I even say those words to her? The phrase just rolled off my tongue. And based on the way Cara is smiling with pride, I think she enjoys being praised.

I imagine her kneeling. Waiting for more praise. Only mine.

“When we get back to the office, I’ll tend to your knuckles,” she says, snapping me out of my daydream. “I think there’s a first aid kit in the break room.”

I glance down at my hand, seeing the blood and wounds on my split knuckles. I don’t even notice them or the sting anymore, so I’m surprised that she hasn’t already forgotten about the minor abrasions. “Spasibo. Thank you.”

“My pleasure,” Cara replies, her voice bordering on a purr. Or maybe she just naturally sounds alluring.

Whatever the case, any mention of her pleasure heats me up in a way that’s dangerous. The last person I need to get tangled up with is my assistant, the person who keeps my life from falling apart.

Besides, if Annika’s father found out that his daughter isn’t the center of my universe, the alliance would go up in smoke.