Kane's Ransom: A BWWM Mafia Romance Novel by Samantha Westlake Page B
Authors: Samantha Westlake
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vibrating phone. "I don't recognize the number," she said, glancing back up at Killian. She moved back a little closer to him, and he hated the little surge of pleasure as he felt her thighs lean up against his legs once again.
"Answer it," he assured her, reaching out and patting her upper arms with his hands. "Just stay calm. Ask why Marcus is in trouble, why he owes them a debt. Tell them that you want to pay, you'll do anything to help your brother, but you don't have a lot of money. Be open with them, try to be honest."
She nodded, taking a deep breath. "You can do this," Killian told her, trying to inject as much conviction into his words as possible.
"I can do this," Alicia repeated, although she still sounded doubtful.
And then she answered the phone, lifting it up to her ear. "Hello?" she said, managing to keep the quiver in her voice to a minimum. Killian squeezed her shoulders again, hoping that he was managing to pass some of his belief into her.
He leaned a little closer - only so he could try and hear the voice on the other end of the line, he told himself. Not because he still wanted to stay close to this woman, to somehow try and bring back the moment they'd almost shared just a few seconds previously.
Alicia caught his movement, and she lowered the phone, putting it on speaker. Holding it out on her palm, she leaned back against Killian, back against his chest.
"This is Marcus's sister?"
From the way that Alicia stiffened, Killian guessed that this was the same voice that had contacted her previously. "Yes," she replied. "Listen, is my brother-"
"He's still alive - for now." The voice cut her off impatiently. "About the money-"
Killian could feel Alicia's reluctance to speak up, but he gently tightened his grip on her shoulders again. She needed to be the one to push for more information. If he said anything, he'd give away to the kidnappers that someone was helping Alicia, that she'd told someone else.
If they knew that fact, her brother might not live to see the sunset.
But Alicia managed to speak up again, despite her evident fear. "Please, why does my brother owe you money? What did he do?" she asked, her voice plaintive and pleading for answers.
The voice at the other end of the end went silent for a moment, but they didn't disconnect. Killian took that as a good sign, and he sent mental signals to Alicia to wait, letting the silence build up.
"He fucked up a deal with us." It was hard to tell for certain through the low quality connection, but the voice sounded annoyed at having to share this information. "He was supposed to run a package for us, but he pussied out at the last minute, left us holding the bag. He lost us a lot of money, and now, he's gonna lose his life for that mistake unless you pay up for it."
Supposed to run a package, Killian thought to himself. That meant drugs. It sounded like they'd tried to recruit Marcus as a drug mule, and for whatever reason, he got cold feet. Now, unable to get their hands on the drugs, the Mob had decided to try and recover some of their lost money - and send a message to the rest of their mules at the same time by showing what would happen to anyone who dared to back out on them.
He felt Alicia swallow, and pulled his thoughts quickly back to the present. "I know that you're upset," she quavered, "but you have to understand that I'm just a waitress - I can't just go take out a hundred thousand dollars from my bank account. I don't have anything close to that much, but I can maybe come up with something, and I'll give it all to you. Please, my brother means everything to me-"
"I don't give a fuck," the voice cut in harshly, silencing her. "Listen, bitch. Either you pay up, or your brother dies. Simple as that. Now, if you do somehow manage to get your hands on the cash, call this same number. We'll pick up and tell you how to get the money to us."
The voice started to say another word, but then paused and coughed a few times, rough hacking
"Answer it," he assured her, reaching out and patting her upper arms with his hands. "Just stay calm. Ask why Marcus is in trouble, why he owes them a debt. Tell them that you want to pay, you'll do anything to help your brother, but you don't have a lot of money. Be open with them, try to be honest."
She nodded, taking a deep breath. "You can do this," Killian told her, trying to inject as much conviction into his words as possible.
"I can do this," Alicia repeated, although she still sounded doubtful.
And then she answered the phone, lifting it up to her ear. "Hello?" she said, managing to keep the quiver in her voice to a minimum. Killian squeezed her shoulders again, hoping that he was managing to pass some of his belief into her.
He leaned a little closer - only so he could try and hear the voice on the other end of the line, he told himself. Not because he still wanted to stay close to this woman, to somehow try and bring back the moment they'd almost shared just a few seconds previously.
Alicia caught his movement, and she lowered the phone, putting it on speaker. Holding it out on her palm, she leaned back against Killian, back against his chest.
"This is Marcus's sister?"
From the way that Alicia stiffened, Killian guessed that this was the same voice that had contacted her previously. "Yes," she replied. "Listen, is my brother-"
"He's still alive - for now." The voice cut her off impatiently. "About the money-"
Killian could feel Alicia's reluctance to speak up, but he gently tightened his grip on her shoulders again. She needed to be the one to push for more information. If he said anything, he'd give away to the kidnappers that someone was helping Alicia, that she'd told someone else.
If they knew that fact, her brother might not live to see the sunset.
But Alicia managed to speak up again, despite her evident fear. "Please, why does my brother owe you money? What did he do?" she asked, her voice plaintive and pleading for answers.
The voice at the other end of the end went silent for a moment, but they didn't disconnect. Killian took that as a good sign, and he sent mental signals to Alicia to wait, letting the silence build up.
"He fucked up a deal with us." It was hard to tell for certain through the low quality connection, but the voice sounded annoyed at having to share this information. "He was supposed to run a package for us, but he pussied out at the last minute, left us holding the bag. He lost us a lot of money, and now, he's gonna lose his life for that mistake unless you pay up for it."
Supposed to run a package, Killian thought to himself. That meant drugs. It sounded like they'd tried to recruit Marcus as a drug mule, and for whatever reason, he got cold feet. Now, unable to get their hands on the drugs, the Mob had decided to try and recover some of their lost money - and send a message to the rest of their mules at the same time by showing what would happen to anyone who dared to back out on them.
He felt Alicia swallow, and pulled his thoughts quickly back to the present. "I know that you're upset," she quavered, "but you have to understand that I'm just a waitress - I can't just go take out a hundred thousand dollars from my bank account. I don't have anything close to that much, but I can maybe come up with something, and I'll give it all to you. Please, my brother means everything to me-"
"I don't give a fuck," the voice cut in harshly, silencing her. "Listen, bitch. Either you pay up, or your brother dies. Simple as that. Now, if you do somehow manage to get your hands on the cash, call this same number. We'll pick up and tell you how to get the money to us."
The voice started to say another word, but then paused and coughed a few times, rough hacking
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