Chapter 74
Three seconds crawled by. The expected blow never came. Lucas’s arm hung frozen in mid–air. Sophia’s eyes followed his palm upwards, where a metallic arm materialized behind her, clamping down on Lucas’s wrist with a vice grip.
“Ow! Ow! Ow!” Lucas’s face contorted in pain. A sickening crack echoed through the air.
Jason reached around her with his other hand, pulling Sophia into a protective embrace. He observed Lucas’s agony with a chilling Indifference. “She’s no longer a Taylor. You might have asked my permission before getting physical.”
Caught in Jason’s grip, Lucas shrieked apologies between pained yelps. “I’m sorry! I won’t do it again! Please, man, let go!”
With a single, forceful jerk, Jason flung Lucas onto the hardwood floor. A big guy like him, sprawled out like a ragdoll.
Without a glance at her brother, Sophia whipped her head around to face Jason, gritting her teeth. “You promised to clear his debts!”
Jason bristled at the accusation. He never broke his promises to her. So why the sudden doubt? “If I hadn’t paid that debt, do you think he’d still be breathing, let alone hitting you?”
Sophia paused, then reluctantly slipped out of his grasp. Her eyes landed on Lucas, still writhing on the floor. “Then why does he need another ten million?”
Jason furrowed his brow, equally confused. He’d tasked Eric with keeping an eye on the gambling addict, but somehow, in just three days, Lucas had managed to rack up another ten million in debt. This kind of spending spree wouldn’t last, not even for the wealthy Wilsons.
Suddenly, Jason stomped his foot down on the back of Lucas’s hand, twisting it with a sickening crunch. Lucas let out a bloodcurdling scream, sounding like a pig being slaughtered. “Didn’t Eric warn you about gambling?” Jason’s voice was a low growl. “Why didn’t you listen?”
wasn’t gambling!” Lucas gasped between breaths. “This is an investment gone bad, not gambling debt!”
Investment? This muscle–bound simpleton was playing with investments? No wonder he was drowning in debt.
“Get out,” Jason spat. “Don’t darken your sister’s doorstep again. She’s a Wilson now, and the Taylor Group is out of the picture.”
Lucas scrambled to his feet, a pathetic look plastered on his face as he turned to Sophia. “Sis, you gotta help me! This time it’s different–it’s an entrepreneurial venture! I’m turning a new leaf, I swear. You can’t just let me get whacked!”
Before Sophia could respond, Jason’s icy stare landed on Lucas, sending him scrambling out the door. Sophia watched him go, a cold smile playing on her lips. Karma was a bitch.
Ten million dollars. Just the thought made her head throb. Where would she possibly get that kind of money? Even pimping herself out wouldn’t be enough. She might pull in a few grand, but at what cost? Her body was already wrecked. A bitter laugh escaped her lips as she turned towards the dining room. She thought, ‘I’ll just take things one step at a time. If I can’t come up with the money and Lucas ends up dead, it’s on him.”
Just as she took a step, a powerful hand clamped down on her arm, spinning her around. A man’s knobby fingers, surprisingly strong despite their casual grip, encircled her wrist. She struggled, but it was futile. Her eyes met his, and a flicker of apprehension danced within their cold depths. “What?” she snapped.
Jason’s voice was calm, almost too calm. “Whope you’ll reconsider my offer from yesterday. If you agree to stay, I’ll handle Lucas’s debt
gain.”
Was this a threat? Was he using Lucas to keep her from working at that club? Was it even concern? She craved to see him grovel, to watch him crumble. A ten–million–dollar solution? “Why settle for one man when I could have a thousand?” she challenged, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Find a rich clieht at the club every night. Sounds way more appealing than watching you cuddle with your old flame every day.
The flicker of hope in Jason’s eyes vanished like a snuffed candle. His grip tightened around her wrist. “So, you’d rather become a… aa common whore?” His voice was laced with disgust.