Chapter 5 - The Gambit
I stared at Larkin, unable to comprehend the cruel demand he had just made.
His eyes offered no warmth, no secret plan, and absolutely no mercy.
Thomas grinned viciously, keeping his gun leveled perfectly at my chest.
I slowly stood up, my steel-tipped stilettos sinking slightly into the expensive Persian rug.
My hands trembled as I reached behind my neck to unclasp the delicate gunmetal chains holding the dress together.
I had spent my entire life hiding from these monsters, and now I was completely at their mercy.
I let the silk fabric pool around my waist, exposing my bare back and a simple lace bra.
I spun around slowly, offering Larkin a full view of my skin.
There was no wire, no hidden microphone, and no secret recording device attached to my body.
Larkin stepped closer, his knuckles grazing the bare skin of my spine.
A collective breath seemed to leave the room as he pulled the dress back up over my shoulders.
He turned toward Thomas, raising his weapon with blinding speed.
A silenced gunshot hissed through the room, and Thomas's massive bodyguard collapsed to the floor with a bullet in his knee.
Thomas screamed, dropping his gun as he backed away in sheer terror.
Larkin coldly stated that he would never tolerate a gun being drawn on his employees without proof.
He picked up the silver bug from the table, crushing it effortlessly beneath his heel.
He told Thomas to get out of his sight before he decided to aim a little higher.
Thomas scrambled out of the room, leaving his bleeding bodyguard behind.
I sank back onto the sofa, my entire body shaking with a violent adrenaline crash.
Larkin poured a glass of amber whiskey and pressed it firmly into my trembling hands.
He quietly apologized for the humiliation, claiming it was the only way to convince Thomas of my innocence.
Before I could process his apology, his personal phone rang with a blaring, encrypted tone.
Larkin answered it on speakerphone, his face instantly turning to stone.
A thick, heavily accented Russian voice echoed through the quiet study.
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The Russian boss announced that five million dollars had just vanished from the offshore escrow account.
He demanded to speak to the syndicate's accountant immediately, or he would kill everyone in the hotel.
