Craving My Ruthless Ceo novel Chapter 26

Chapter 26: Paying Off The Bad Guy

Anna’s POV

The neon sign across the street read the Dragons Club. The building looked rundown and terrifying.

I waited with my hands tucked into the pocket of my hoodie. Roman’s driver had texted earlier. Roman had told him to bring the money, and I had sent him the location.

It was safer this way.

I didn’t have a car, and I couldn’t carry over three hundred thousand dollars on a train.

A man stepped out of the dark and walked toward me.

Thomas.

He wore a dark coat and carried a black bag in his hand. His eyes moved around the street before settling on me. I knew right away the bag was the money.

I let out a breath I didn’t know I’d been holding. That was it. Three hundred thousand dollars. Mom and Bianca’ s lives. All zipped up in one bag.

“Miss Winters,” he greeted with a slight nod as he stopped in front of me.

“Thomas.” My voice came out steadier than I felt. “Thank you for coming.”

“It’s all here.” He extended the bag toward me. “Mr. Blackwood counted it himself.”

Thomas didn’t let go right away. His hand stayed on the strap as he searched my face with concern that made

me even more nervous.

“Miss Winters. Are you sure you can get to your destination safely? Do you need me to drop you off?”

My heart jumped. He could tell. Of course he could tell. I was shaking, sweating despite the cold.

“I’ll be alright. Thank you.”

I gave him a smile and tried to make it look real.

He didn’t buy it. His eyes narrowed with the kind of suspicion that came from years of dealing with situations like this.

“Could you please not tell Mr. Blackwood that you gave me the money at this location?”

Thomas gave me a weary smile. “I’m afraid I have to report everything to Mr. Blackwood, Miss Winters.”

Of course he did. I of all people should know how controlling Roman was, how he demanded complete transparency from everyone in his orbit. The irony wasn’t lost on me. I was trying to keep secrets from a man who made it his business to know everything.

“I understand,” I muttered, dropping my gaze.

I adjusted my grip on the bag, feeling the weight of all that cash pulling at my shoulder. “Thank you again, Thomas.”

He nodded once, though the concern never left his face. “Be careful, Miss Winters.”

I turned and started walking, forcing myself not to look back at him, not to let him see the fear that was surely written all over my face. The duffel bag felt impossibly heavy, and as I approached the club entrance, every person on the street seemed to be staring at it, as if they could somehow see the money inside.

Two bouncers stood at the door. One of them stiffened when he saw me. I recognized him instantly. He was one of the men who took my mother and sister.

His eyes locked on mine.

“You’re late,” he scolded. “Drago hates to be kept waiting.”

I lifted my chin, trying to project a confidence I absolutely didn’t feel. “Getting three hundred thousand dollars in cash on such short notice wasn’t easy.”

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Chapter 26: Paying Off The Bad Guy

“That’s none of our business.” He jerked his head toward the club entrance. “Follow me.”

I followed him through the doors, and immediately the assault of noise and artificial smoke hit me like a wall.

Music pounded from speakers that had seen better days, the bass vibrating through the floor and up through my bones.

The lighting was dim and frightening, giving everything a hellish glow.

Strippers danced on a small stage to my left, and men gathered around throwing money at them in a condescending manner.

This wasn’t some upscale rich men’s club. This was exactly the kind of cheap, desperate place where deals like this were made.

The man led me through the main floor, past men who tracked my movement with disgusting interest, past the bar where the bartender didn’t even glance up. We reached a door at the back, and he pushed it open without knocking.

The back room was quieter, though the bass from the club was still audible. And there, sitting behind a desk like this was some kind of legitimate business office, was Drago.

He’d changed since the last time I’d seen him. I barely recognized him now. He’d cleaned up and wore an expensive suit that seemed ridiculously out of place in this dump of a club. Rings glittered on nearly every finger. But you could still tell he was a monster from those devilish eyes.

“Welcome, Anna.” He spread his hands in a gesture of false hospitality. “Do you have my money?”

I tightened my grip on the duffel bag. “Where’s my mom and my sister? I need to see them first.”

Drago’s smile widened, showing too many teeth. He snapped his fingers, and I heard movement from behind a door to my right.

The door opened, and my heart stopped.

Mom and Bianca stumbled out, pushed forward by another one of Drago’s men. They were both tied at the wrists, their clothes rumpled and dirty. Bianca’s hair was messy. She looked nothing like her usual classy, made-up self. Mom had a bruise blooming on her cheek.

A bruise shaded Mom’s under-eye, the kind left by a punch. I swallowed it down. They were alive. That was all that mattered.

“Mom. Bianca.” I stepped toward them, but one of Drago’s men blocked my way.

“Let her see them,” Drago said lazily from his desk.

I rushed forward, dropping the bag as I reached them. “Are you okay? Did they hurt you?”

I tried to put my arms around both of them, but they pulled away from me. Mom actually flinched, her face twisted between anger and disgust.

“Thank your stars you came,” she hissed, cupping my face with no love in her touch. There was no gratitude in her voice, only accusation. “At least you’ve made yourself useful for once to this family.”

The words hurt more than anything. Even now, even here, she couldn’t just accept help without making me feel like garbage for giving it.

Bianca wouldn’t even look at me. She stared at the floor, her shoulders hunched, radiating resentment.

“Now that you’ve seen your mother and sister are safe,” Drago said, cutting through my thoughts, “hand me the money.”

I picked up the duffel bag with shaking hands and carried it to his desk. He unzipped it, and his eyes lit up at the sight of all those bills stacked neatly inside.

“Can we go now?” I asked.

“No.” He pulled the bag toward himself. “I have to count it first.”

“Can’t we at least leave while you count?” Mom’s voice came from behind me. “You have the money. That’s

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Chapter 26: Paying Off The Bad Guy

what you wanted.”

Drago waved a dismissive hand. “Only the both of you can leave.”

Then he pointed at me. “She stays.”

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