Damn Good Reasons **DISCONTINUED - SEE NEW VER!**

Chapter 8 - Unfinished Business

"Wait here," he said. He walked far away to the other side of the room and then disappeared through a door.

"This place stinks of money," I whispered, more to myself than to Ace.

"Yup," he replied, gazing around himself. "And money is power."

Two men walked through the doorway that Lorenzo had just departed through. The one on the left was tall and slim, and the other was built like a brick shit-house.

Ace's smugness seemed to dissipate, and he straightened his posture. "Diego..." he murmured. "Wasn't expecting to see him."

"Who?" I whispered.

"The boss. On the left. Carl's on the right."

Tall and slim, Diego was middle-aged and dressed formally in an expensive-looking, white suit. He walked towards us with purpose and without emotion. His brown eyes were set so deeply into the dark sockets of his skull, they looked black. They were hard, hard eyes, firm, fearless and uncompromising. They locked onto me as he strode across the floor, and I tried to avoid them by gazing at the nearest painting.

"Well, I'll be damned. Cassie," Carl said in a deep, smoky voice as they reached us.

I was surprised that he seemed to know me, and I didn't know how to respond. He looked slightly younger than his boss but was dressed just as sharply, and his dark hair was slicked back into a low ponytail. Carl's frame was broad and his shoulders were like basketballs. I figured that when Diego needed muscle, he called on this guy.

Carl slipped out a thick envelope from the inner pocket of his jacket and gave it to Ace. "I'm sure you can see yourself out."

Ace looked at me and I at him. "I'll wait in the car," he said. And then he walked away, envelope in hand.

I was horrified. Furious. He said he was going to be there with me. I felt like he'd just fed me to the wolves.

"This way," Carl gestured.

They led me up a grand, antique staircase to the second floor and into a small sitting room - small for a place like this. I was asked to sit on a white loveseat that had gold trimming while Carl and Diego sat in single chairs of the same style, opposite it. Diego relaxed back with one hand on each of the chair's arms and crossed his legs in front of him. He stared at me without a glimpse of emotion. I bet that not even the funniest joke in the world could've made him crack a smile.

"So, Cassie, how you been?" Carl asked.

My mouth felt dry as I opened it to answer. "Surviving..."

"It's been a long time since we last spoke."

"Yes... yes, it has."

"A long time maybe, but don't think I've forgotten about our deal."

"Deal?"

"You said you would bring me Lewis and in return I would give you your freedom from him."

"Oh... well about that... I don't know where he is... right now."

Carl and Diego glanced at each other.

"And what about the money?" Carl asked.

"Um... money?"

"Cassie, you said you had it somewhere safe."

I went cold. Ace never said anything about any money. I wasn't prepared for this. I supposed he didn't know. It was too difficult to pretend I knew what they were talking about, so my only option was to tell them the truth. "The reason I don't know where Lewis is, is because... he tried to kill me."