Page 99 of Saving Grace
“We’ll have to take him on together,” I told Elliot urgently as I cut through his bindings. “You have to suck it up, boss, I’m going to need your help.”
The words barely left my mouth when I heard a crash of the door.
I got Elliot free. “Use the chair!”
But it was too late, The Reaper kicked the door open before we could have jammed it with the chair.
I held the paring knife out.
Ric stood there, fists clenched, glowering at us.
“This is tragic,” The Reaper said. “You could have gotten away, Grace, and I would have enjoyed the chase. Yet, I’m furious that you’d waste your life saving this low-life scum.”
Dammit, I didn’t want Elliot to know yet that I knew his dirty games. But that was exactly what Ric was doing here. He was dividing us.
Before I could move to the side to keep Elliot within my sight, a chair was thrown at The Reaper and my hand holding the knife was twisted up under my chin. I was dragged against Elliot. He was not beaten enough apparently, because he was strong enough to subdue me.
Ric managed to duck the chair, but when he straightened, his face became doubly alert, his eyes contemplating our every move.
“You already knew something, didn’t you?” My boss hissed into my ear.
“You idiot! Don’t you see he’s playing us?” I growled, hoping to salvage this. “We can get out of this.”
Elliot laughed. “Oh, you’ll get me out of this alright.” He tightened his hold around me and addressed Ric. “I’ll slit her throat if you don’t let me go.”
I couldn’t believe this. “You jerk! I was getting you out!”
“What? So you can see me prosecuted along with Hector Vargas?” I could hear the contempt in Elliot’s voice. It was like seeing a mask peel off
“He made a deal with Esteban Moreno,” Ric told me. “But you already knew that, didn’t you?” The Reaper held up the flash drive.Oh shit, I had forgotten that I had it in my pajama pocket and it must have fallen out when he carried me. “He also agreed to turn a blind eye about us bringing the heroin in.”
“She didn’t know that, damn you! That was between us!” Elliot shouted at Ric, backing away with me and letting the knife nick me.
I saw Ric stiffen. Why did he care? He almost strangled me to death, unless he wanted to kill me himself.
“Did you know about the bombing, Elliot?” I whispered. Somehow, I needed to know that my boss wasn’t complicit in the death of more than forty people.
“No,” Elliot said.
“He’s lying,” Ric growled.
“I knew about the heroin and that they were going to get rid of Vargas’s old cronies, but I didn’t know they going to blow up the Atlanta airport.”
“Deal with the devil, Elliot?” I said bitterly. “I hope your conscience burns you for an eternity.”
“So dramatic,” Elliot drawled not sounding remorseful at all. “How does it feel now, Ric? If I’d known how obsessed you were with Grace, I would have offered her to you sooner.”
“He’s obsessed with killing me,” I retorted. “In fact, he tried to strangle me.”
Ric’s eyes flashed at my statement, but he didn’t say anything.
“Shall we try out your theory?” Elliot goaded, enjoying the sudden shift of power. “Ric, should I slit her throat or would you kick those car keys over?” The Reaper didn’t hesitate and punted the set of keys a foot from where Elliot and I were standing.
“Don’t put another mark on her or I swear I’ll tear you apart, limb from fucking limb,” he growled.
“I guess you’re wrong, Gracie, the man is obsessed with you,” Elliot said. “Now, be a good girl and pick up the keys and put them in my pocket. Don’t try anything stupid or I might just stab your kidney this time.”
What an asshole! I couldn’t believe I had contemplated saving his life.