Free ROMANTIC SUSPENSE : DEATH WHISPERED SOFTLY by Oliver Anderson, Maddie Grace

meditate on a solution, Nilsson, who was standing right next to Steve,  suddenly pulled out a gun, and started to prance around the room like a crazy man, pointing his gun at Steve’s head, then at Ricardo’s and then even at his self! 
    Steve was stunned to see the sight of a gun wielding Gustav cavorting round the room. Then after what seemed like an eternity, he suddenly stopped near Steve and pressed his gun at the temple of Steve’s’ head—a crazed expression on his wicked face. Steve was eye to eye with Gustav, and for one horrible moment he thought Nilsson would pull the trigger. And even as he braced himself for the bullet, afraid for his life, he stood firm. But nothing happened. Gustav Nilsson—who was inches away from Steve—suddenly broke into a loud guffaw that was both, repulsive and sinister.  “Got ya!” he roared and then continued to laugh devilishly. His friend Ricardo seemed equally amused and joined him in his merriment.
     
        Steve knew at that moment that Nilsson was not just highly dangerous, he was also deeply demented! He swallowed hard and took a deep breath to recover from his shock. He was now furious with himself for letting himself get involved with these two crazy and dangerous men.
    But he also knew it was too late to back out. He should have done that before hearing the plan. Now that he knew what Gustav and Ricardo were planning, there was no way for him to back out without having these two dangerous loons gunning for him. He was in and stuck with them. This thought hit Steve hard and he felt crushed. What have I gotten myself into? Is there some way I can get out of this hellish predicament? Should I beat the hell out of here? He rummaged feverishly. But the solution eluded him and he felt beaten. And when finally he managed to recover from the bout of quick and hectic thinking, he noticed both Ricardo and Nilsson were looking suspiciously at him. It was Gustav who spoke first “Thinking of running away with my money Neal?”
    Steve detected a distinct threat in Nilsson’s voice, but managed to look straight into his eyes and snapped “I am not running anywhere Nilsson”.  He had got his second wind and his fury became evident at these two mad men.
    It was obvious that Gustav Nilsson did not like being called “Nilsson”, and he took two steps forward and stood perilously close to where Steve was standing, his face inches away from Steve’s face—their eyes locked.
    Steve was in no mood to back off. He had had enough of these crazed killers and he didn’t care a damn what intimidation they tried anymore. It was Ricardo who sensed the situation was quickly getting out of hand and before it could deteriorate further, he jumped in between the two contending men and separated them saying “Come on guys, we are all friends here, let’s drink to our partnership and success!” And before either Steve or Nilsson could say anything, Ricardo was pouring generous amounts of whiskey in the glasses.
    Ricardo’s intervention proved timely and fruitful. Soon the three men were drinking and the tension that had suddenly cropped up, dissipated considerably. Steve needed the whiskey and drank it in a single gulp, and poured himself another liberal shot. Ricardo and Nilsson drank theirs more slowly.
    Gustav, standing next to Steve with his glass of whiskey, looked at Steve and said in a friendly tone of voice “Sorry Steve, I know you are in this with us and we are all partners. I am not comfortable with strangers and sometimes I lose my patience with them.  But I know you are a man of your word and you will do precisely what you agreed.”
    Steve noticed the change in Gustav’s tone. His oily charm had magically returned. But he was not fooled a bit by Nilsson’s charm and charisma. He knew this man was as dangerous as a Cobra. The only difference between a Cobra and this demented dude was that the Cobra could be entranced!
    He also knew he had to bide his time and watch