Deadly Games - Cate Noble [89]
“Hey, Gena, come grab a couple of these.”
When she came around the back of the vehicle, Harry grabbed her by the arm and pointed his gun at her. Before she could react, he pulled her back toward Rocco. The other man flanked Harry.
“What the hell?” Rocco dropped the phone. “What are you doing, Clay?”
The driver pulled a handgun as well.
“Three against two,” Harry said.And they don’t know about Edguardo. “So listen up. I’m not out to hurt either one of you.”
“Fine,” Rocco said. “Let her go and deal with me.”
“Shut up and listen,” Harry snapped. “Because her life will depend on it. I represent someone who is interested in the formula for SugarCane. I realize Minh Tran has made the same demand, but from what I’ve been told, Tran doesn’t have adequate leverage. You get the formula for me and your wife goes free.”
“You’re suffering from the same delusion as Tran,” Rocco began. “I wish I knew who had Rufin.”
Harry sneered. “I happen to know you took Dr. Rufin off the deck of Jengho’s Jaded Lady in Bangkok harbor. Now here’s the deal. You get Rufin to cough up the formula and then take out a personal ad in theWashington Post. ‘To Gena’ with a contact number. You have thirty-six hours. No tricks.”
“Thirty-six hours? From here?”
“There’s a mining office down the road.” Harry began backing up, tugging Gena along.
“No!” she said. “I won’t go.”
“You will. Watch.” At Harry’s nod, the other man pointed his gun at Rocco. Gena stopped struggling. “That’s better,” Harry said.
He pulled Gena around to the back of the van and shoved her into Edguardo’s open arms. She started to scream but Edguardo quickly silenced her.
“You hurt her and I’ll kill you!” Rocco shouted.
“I’ll look forward to it.” Harry tossed him a bottle of water, then climbed in the backseat. “Stay hydrated. Thirty-six hours.”
The driver spun away, spraying Rocco with dust and gravel.
“How are you two doing back there?” Harry leaned over the seat and looked at Gena.
Edguardo had her pulled across his lap. She struggled and he released her. But she didn’t go far, trapped between Harry and Edguardo.
“I don’t think she’s happy to see me.” Edguardo pulled out a pair of handcuffs. “Let’s make certain that you don’t get any bright ideas about running off again.” He lunged for her.
Gena kicked Edguardo, catching him off guard and landing a blow to his testicles.
“Bitch!” Edguardo quickly overpowered her and pinned her wrists in one hand. He slapped her repeatedly, while cursing at her in Spanish.
That Gena continued to fight back amazed Harry. He’d slapped Gena around plenty, but she’d been so pathetic, so willing to suffer that it had grown boring.
Watching her fight Edguardo made Harry wonder if this woman was the same one he’d been married to all those years ago.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Four Years Earlier
Arlington, VA
The showdown at Melita’s had been brutally disappointing. Stupid Gena had let him down again.
Harry sat on the sofa and watched her crawl— crawl—across the floor.
“Would you like another drink, darling?” he asked.
She shook her head. “No … more.”
“No more what? Lies? No more sneaking around?”
“No more drinking.” She misplaced her hand and pitched forward.
“We both know you don’t mean that. Tomorrow you’ll wake up and remember the baby. And it will all start again.”
“The baby.” Gena started to weep, right on cue. “I lost the baby.”
Harry got up and moved to the bar, freshening his drink, ignoring Gena’s hysterics.
Alcohol affected people differently, but once you knew their basic pattern it could be exploited with ease. Gena had a low threshold.
Of course, she’d been taking “nips” from her mother’s flask since she was twelve. That had been Millicent Armstrong’s way of easing her daughter’s nerves before a pageant. Apparently, Gena had come to hate vodka after that, turning to wine in college.
Harry had introduced her to Sloe Gin Fizzes. That he’d spiked the gin with grain alcohol meant Gena’s threshold was hit faster.
Drunk, she was completely malleable. She’d believe anything, do anything. And never remember a