Boss Read online

  Her feet were killing her. She stormed through the tables, ignoring the staff asking where she was heading. Boss smiled and raised a glass of wine as she approached his table.

  “Who do you think you are? You’ve just screwed this up for me.”

  “Don’t know what you’re talking about, sweetheart.”

  “Yeah, Killian was just acting out on his own, right?”

  Boss shrugged. “Then you shouldn’t have brought your date to the same restaurant you knew I’d be at. I’d say you were asking for this to happen.”

  She had no clue why she’d arranged it like this, but she couldn’t go back and undo it. Sometimes she couldn’t even understand her own actions. But she had major explaining to do tomorrow with Viko, and her stomach already felt queasy thinking about it.

  “You’re an asshole,” she said.

  He set down his glass and waved for the waitress. “Put this on my tab and call a cab for the young lady.”

  “But—”

  Boss put a finger to his lips to silence the girl’s protests.

  Graciella couldn’t understand why she felt so much satisfaction when Boss blew off his date. The girl wasn’t happy, ready to stomp and pout.

  He got up and headed to the front of the restaurant by himself. Graciella followed after him. Once they were alone and out of earshot of everyone, she grabbed his sleeve. “What gives you the right?”

  Boss stopped and faced her, not intimidated in the least. “I didn’t want to share you.”

  “I’m not yours to claim.”

  Chapter Four

  I’m not yours to claim.

  The words echoed through Boss’s mind as he started to moan. What the fuck had happened last night? One moment he’d been getting under Graciella’s skin, the next total darkness. He couldn’t even remember what he’d said afterward.

  Lifting his arms up, he became aware of the clinking of metal. Glancing down, he groaned. What the fuck?

  As he became more alert, he realized he was on a bed with chains around his wrists. “Fuck!”

  Touching his body, he found that he still had his clothes on but his cell phone, guns, and knives were all gone.

  He couldn’t recall much from the previous night. That was some strong shit.

  “It is a rare occurrence indeed to conquer the great Boss of Killer of Kings.”

  Boss turned to see Viko sitting in the corner of the room, looking calm and relaxed.

  “Your handiwork, I suppose,” he said.

  “I couldn’t resist the chance. I mean, you really did make it so easy.”

  He glanced around the room. No sign of the Widow Maker. “Was I the mark?”

  Viko clucked his tongue. “You know, I admire you. You are such an excellent marksman. You’re the boss of your entire empire, but you really shouldn’t allow a woman to distract you so easily.”

  The television across the room came to life and he saw Graciella lying on a bed. The red dress she’d worn had been removed. She was completely naked and he saw men in the room, waiting.

  “You leave her the fuck alone!” Boss couldn’t contain his rage.

  He and Viko were a lot alike. They both had their own organizations to run, but Boss had morals, ethics, a little of them anyway. Viko always had his own agenda. Where Boss could walk out in the day, be seen on cameras, Viko had to keep to the shadows. He was a wanted man in most countries, but no one could find him. He lived a life of luxury, leaving death and decay in his wake.

  “Where’s Killian?”

  “Oh, don’t worry about him. I’m sure he’s rounding up your men as we speak.”

  “What is this about?” he asked. “You wanted an audience with me, you ask for it, you don’t do it like this.”

  “Boss, I do what I like when I like. Now, I’ve seen the way Graciella has made you behave these past few months. She has certainly gotten under your skin. I gave her a job, and I expected it done to the best of her abilities. She’s amazing at what she does. I don’t have personal experience with this, of course.”

  “You know she was raped as a child. Hurt over and over again,” Boss said.

  “I know her story. It’s why I never killed her. You see, Boss, what you need to understand is I’m the hero of her story. You want to know who helped her? I did. When it comes to her, she is somewhat … like a pet that I just can’t seem to want to kill.”

  Boss glared at him. “Then why are those men with her?”

  “Oh, Boss, you really need to get a grip. Graciella is a deadly weapon. I can’t keep her here unless she is completely naked. It’s the way we work, unless we meet in public circumstances. The men have dealt with her before, and she is known to snap necks if they even so much as touch her inappropriately.”

  “I was the one who killed her mark,” he said. He had to protect her. Whatever it was that Viko had given him, it was making him very fucking sick.

  “I know you killed the cheating scumbag. He didn’t need to die, you know. I mean, I was going to kill him because he didn’t intend to pay but sometimes I like playing with the men. Just so you know, Graceilla wouldn’t have actually had sex with him.” Viko shrugged. “She’d have worked him up, made him pass out, took the necessary photographs that showed what needed to be seen, and then he’d have woken up with no memory but a beautiful naked woman by his side. She only uses her body if she has to. It’s the one area where she is a master, but I’m afraid no man has ever been able to show her how good it can be.” Viko got to his feet. “I’m bored of this conversation.” He threw the keys at Boss. “Join us when you’re free.”

  Boss didn’t even hesitate unlocking his cuffs and marching toward the door. He stopped, checked the room, and he found what he was looking for. A gun had been left. He picked it up, checked the chamber, and left the room.

  He followed the sound of Viko’s voice and pointed his gun, only to come to a stop when he saw Graciella sitting at the dining room table, two guns poised at her head, and she was still completely naked.

  Her gaze was on him and he watched as she shook her head.

  Poor thing had no idea.

  “We can do this the easy way or the hard way, Boss. I don’t really care which. Just know that you brought this on yourself. We can work together or I can kill you. I honestly don’t mind which it is. I’m game for anything. This is my kingdom though and I don’t take to having a gun pointed at me lightly.”

  He lowered the gun, putting it on the floor.

  “Excellent. Now that we know Graciella isn’t hiding anything, we can get her a robe,” Viko said. “You care to join us, Boss? The drugs I used will wear off even faster with food.” Viko picked up a piece of orange and placed it in his mouth. “Dig in. There’s plenty of food to go around.”

  Boss didn’t expect Graciella to dig in but she did as soon as she had a robe. He watched her eat with relish, not once looking toward Viko.

  “Am I the only person here with any sense?” Boss asked.

  “I’m not going to kill you, Boss. You can eat without worrying.”

  “I don’t want to eat. I want to know what all of this is about.”

  “Eat,” Graciella said. “It’s not polite to ignore offered food.”

  He didn’t pander to anyone’s needs but he did need food. The drugs he’d been given to knock him out had lingered a little too long for his liking. Picking up some fruit, he took bites, being careful and clocking all the available exits and possible difficulties he’d have.

  “So, we have a problem. The drugs,” Viko said.

  Graciella paused. “You know.”

  “Of course, I know. I’ve been tracking them ever since the formula went missing, as did our chief scientist.”

  Boss looked at the two of them. “What do you know about the drugs?”

  “That they’ve crossed the border and are leaving a trail of bodies,” Viko said.

  “I’ve got to clean the mess up,” Graciella said. “You know why.”

  Boss didn
’t like this. “You know about the drugs? The fever? The reactions? The hallucinations?”

  Graciella looked at him and nodded.

  “This is your time to speak up, Graciella,” Viko said.

  “I’ve had enough of your fucking voice!” Boss growled. With each piece of food he consumed, his rage built. He hadn’t let himself be taken in a long time. Being at the mercy of anyone was against everything he stood for. He was the one who went and got his men to safety, not the other way around.

  “Be careful,” Viko said.

  “I’m the one who created the drugs,” Graciella said.

  “You didn’t create them, dear. She was the one with the idea. I just thought it was brilliant, and so I funded and helped to see through to fruition.”

  “It was only supposed to be for the cartels. The ones who dealt in flesh and blood. Who steal boys and girls and destroy them,” Graciella said. “I made a promise to myself during my captivity that if I ever got the chance to kill them, I would. Only, they deal in drugs, and I knew they sampled their own product. The idea was to make a batch that was tainted. The men would die a painful death, but I’d get all of them quickly. They had celebratory parties.”

  “It went wrong,” Viko said. “Our facility was ransacked. The scientist involved disappeared along with the product. We believe he stole some of the formula and has been working to branch it out.”

  “Wait, hold on a minute. You’re telling me the drugs that are now killing people came from you?” Boss asked. “Why would they sell this shit if it’s killing people?”

  “I guess they thought they might have been able to change it, I don’t know. I’m not a scientist. I don’t know how this works,” Graciella said. “It’s why I’ve come to you.” She turned to Viko. “We’ve got to stop this.”

  “I warned you, Widow Maker, that you’d make a move you’d regret. Every single death is on your hands.”

  “Now wait just a minute,” Boss said.

  “I have my sources looking into this. Your debt to me just doubled, Graciella. Know this, you will be indebted to me for the rest of our life. After last night, you better hope you don’t fail me again.”

  ****

  Graciella paced in Boss’s office. The room was massive. This wasn’t how she wanted this to go down. She’d hoped to be able to deal with the drug problem herself but now it was taken completely out of her hands, and she didn’t know what to do.

  He’d been so angry with her.

  It doesn’t matter. Whatever he thought about her, she’d deal with it.

  The drugs had been a stroke of genius when she had control of them. Now, they were a royal pain in the ass. With Viko helping as well, she didn’t know if having the Circle of Monsters involved would be a good idea.

  Boss finally arrived and any remains of the drug he’d been given were gone. She’d been given the same drug. The side effects weren’t exactly refreshing. She liked to be in control at all times, and being drugged put her in a bad place.

  He wasn’t alone as he entered the office. Killian, Bain, and El Diablo all entered.

  She looked at her brother. A part of her wanted to run into his arms and pretend the last couple of decades hadn’t happened, but she wasn’t a little girl anymore. Hadn’t been for a long time. He couldn’t help her fight the demons that plagued her every single day of her life. Pushing her hair off her face, she was very aware of the fact she still wore the robe Viko had given her.

  Being naked in front of men didn’t affect her. She’d long gotten over the fear and worry of being near a man. Viko didn’t trust her but then, she’d never really given him a reason to trust her.

  “Graciella,” he said.

  “El Diablo.” She rarely called him by his given name and she knew it pissed him off. He gritted his teeth.

  “You’re not keeping out of trouble?”

  “I have a problem with finding trouble.” She shrugged.

  “Enough. Tell me it worked,” Boss said.

  She looked at Boss then at Killian.

  “It worked. We can hear him and we know where he’s going to be and when.”

  “What exactly is going on here?” Something was going on and she didn’t know what. She hated being kept out in the dark.

  “Do you want to tell her?” Boss asked.

  She turned to her brother.

  “You don’t really believe Viko got the better of Boss?”

  She looked toward Boss. “You planned this.”

  “All down to the little details of being captured.”

  Killian shrugged, a guilty grin on his face. They were all in on this bullshit.

  “So the little whore you were with, that was all part of the plan?” she asked. She hated how jealous she sounded. Not that it mattered to her what Boss was doing or with whom.

  “She was just a little fun. What we’ve got now though, that is what’s important,” Boss said.

  “It all was a lie.”

  Fuck, she couldn’t believe this. She actually believed Viko had outsmarted Boss. She should have known better.

  “I’m always one step ahead of you, Widow Maker. You shouldn’t underestimate me.”

  The fact Boss had been working on his own plan pissed her off even more. She’d been played, kept out of the loop, and no one did that to her.

  “Well, I see you have everything in order. You don’t need me.” She walked toward the door only for her brother to step in her way. “Move.”

  “You’re upset.”

  “You don’t know me, brother. You don’t know what I’m capable of. Move.” She snapped the last word, but he shook his head. “I’ll hurt you.”

  “Then hurt me. I promised to protect you.”

  “And you fucked that up,” she said.

  He jerked as if she’d slapped him. “But I can protect you now.”

  “Ask your boss if I need protecting. I don’t need any man.”

  “You need to tell us about the drugs, Graciella,” said Boss.

  One moment it was Widow Maker, the next Graciella.

  “Do you realize what you’ve done?” she asked. “You think Viko doesn’t know?”

  “I’d say with the fact he’s got two women with him and he’s fucking them into oblivion, I’d surmise he doesn’t know.”

  She shook her head. “You have to agree to work with Viko.”

  “I don’t work with anyone like him.”

  She growled. “You’re going to get yourself and everyone killed. Do you realize that? Do you have a clue how dangerous this all is?”

  “Killian, Bain, Xavier, leave.”

  “I’m not leaving,” said Xavier.

  “I need to talk to my guest alone.”

  “How about I leave and then you can deal with whatever shit you’ve got going down. You don’t need me,” she said.

  Boss ignored her.

  The men left, one by one until she was alone with Boss once again.

  “You should know by now I always have a plan to get what I want. I’m meticulous when it comes to details. I don’t make mistakes.”

  “I don’t have to listen to any of this crap.” She crossed her arms over her chest.

  “Those drugs are killing innocent people. I had no idea you were the one responsible. You need to tell me what you know.”

  She’d been heading for the door but she whirled around to scream at him. “You know everything I know. I haven’t got some secret I’m hiding from you.”

  “Really, what about the fact you were the one responsible for bringing the drugs into this in the first place?”

  “It was a big fucking mistake. I know that now. You think I want innocent people to die? I don’t. I mean, they can’t be so innocent if they’re taking drugs.” She needed to be cold, to not think and feel. “I don’t have to justify my actions to you.”

  “You’re right, you don’t, but this is going to be a shitstorm. Cases are increasing, Graciella. People are dying.”

  “I’m handling
it.”

  “By going to men like Viko?”

  “He’s not as bad as he seems,” she cried out. “Why am I even justifying these actions to you? I don’t need to explain any of this. I made a decision years ago and it has come to bite me in the ass. I don’t need you or your men, I’ll handle it.”

  “Like you handled your mark last night?”

  She took a step toward him. “Be careful. That was the only time you get to fool me, Boss. Do not mistake me for some kind of damsel. You crossed the line. I don’t want anything to do with you.”

  He grabbed her arm as she made to leave, capturing her close.

  “If you come and work for me, you wouldn’t ever need to use your body. You would be safe.”

  She shook her head. “You’re wrong, Boss. This is the worst kind of business to be in. I know that, you know it. I’m going to end up dead like all of my other marks. My days are numbered and after everything I’ve done, a quick death would be a mercy to me.”

  “You’re not dying.”

  “Look at my record. I’ve killed so many people. The drugs, you think that is the worst thing I’ve done? It’s not. From the moment I was taken, I was lost. I’m not a good person.”

  “If you’re not a good person, why are you trying to locate the source of the drugs? That was why you broke into the police department, wasn’t it? You wanted to determine if the drugs were back? Is that why you’re still here? Or is there another reason?” he asked.

  He was so close.

  His lips—all it would take was her to lean in and she’d kiss him.

  She’d always hated kisses. They were normally wet and disgusting, giving way to a man’s need. Boss’s kiss hadn’t been gentle or fumbling. He knew what he was doing and he’d taken complete control. It was the first and only kiss in her life she’d really enjoyed.

  Viko had once made her kiss him. That had been one of the payments he’d required. A single kiss. It was many years ago, but the one she’d given him made her feel nothing. Boss made her feel and she couldn’t have that.

  “What’s the matter, Boss? Do you think I’ve come to stick with you? That you can hold all of my attention?” She pouted. “I’m here to do a job and when it’s done, I’m out of here.”