Total pages in book: 125
Estimated words: 122074 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 610(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 122074 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 610(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
He almost had me believing him. Almost.
“Who told you about the rumors?”
He went still again. “Why?” More wariness.
“Who told you?” I was firmer.
He didn’t reply, his mouth thinning.
I was losing my patience with him, and I didn’t want that. The game would stop being fun. Because of that, I went over and pressed a button. “Bring me his phone.”
“What?”
I waited.
“What are you doing? You can’t get into my phone.”
The door opened, and Elijah handed me first his phone, and then my programming equipment.
“What are you doing?! What is that?” Worthing was starting to struggle, trying to get free. The chair scraped against the floor.
I ignored him, giving Elijah a nod that he could go back out. I spoke as I plugged my equipment into the phone. “Do you know my first business that I ever started?”
I enjoyed asking people that question.
“What does that have to do with anything? Stop fucking with my phone! That’s my phone—”
Beep, beep, beeeeeep!
I smiled, showing him his own screen as my program found the passcode. “It was cybersecurity. I know a thing about passcodes and passwords and firewalls.”
“Don’t! Ashton, please. Come on—”
I tuned him out as I went through his phone log first.
There was the call to Walleye, and after that, six calls to his partner. That was expected. A Laila popped up three times. But right before his call to Walleye, I knew that number. He didn’t have it saved, but it didn’t matter. I held up the screen. “I know who that is.”
Nicolai Worthing.
He cursed, slumping back against his chair. “I know where you’re going, but it wasn’t Nicolai. He would never hurt Justin. Ever. I mean it, Ashton.”
I didn’t care what he had to say. I’d find out one way or another, and I switched over to his messages. Some sexting with Laila, but nothing else incriminating. “Don’t you have a wife and kids?”
“How the fuck you know about them?”
I gave him a look, raising one eyebrow.
He cursed under his breath. “We’re divorced. She’s in California. And save your breath, I know you don’t go after kids. That was the deciding factor why I went on your payroll. I never would’ve if I knew you used kids like the cartel.”
Yes. That was our one redeeming quality being in the Mafia business.
I pressed a button, and Elijah came back in. I handed everything over to him. “Clone his phone. What else did he have on him?”
“You want me to bring it in here?”
I considered it. “No, but reach out to Shorty Easter. Tell him I want to see him.”
“You? Not—” He motioned in the direction of the house. “You know.”
“I want to see what he says to me.”
“What do you want to do with Detective Dick back there?”
Him? I narrowed my eyes. “Didn’t think I’d be gambling today, but I’ve decided to play a hand. You know my little surprises, my newest little invention?”
“The tape?”
I gave a nod. “Put a tiny piece on the detective’s gun, where it won’t be found.”
Elijah shot me a look, nodding.
The door shut, and Worthing’s head moved back, waiting. He swallowed, but a wall slammed over his face. “I know your games, Walden. I’m not going to give you the satisfaction of begging. You want to kill me, set off this war again, go ahead.”
I took my knife and knelt, cutting through his zip tie in one swipe.
He quieted.
His gaze shot to me, watching intently with the second zip tie.
I moved behind him and did the last two.
He shoved off the chair and was reaching for his gun when he cursed, remembering we’d already taken it. “I want my gun back.”
I took the knife out of the wall. “I want you to go back to your cousin and ask who told him about Shorty.”
“Are you serious? Your guys jumped me, brought me wherever the fuck we are—and trust me, I will find out—and now you’re giving me orders?”
“I’m not killing you.”
“And you’re joking?! If I didn’t know your men would swarm in here in two seconds, I’d pummel your face into the pavement right now.” He cursed again, eyeing the door. “I’m still half a mind of barring that door and going out with a bang.”
I smiled. “Now you’re being foolish, thinking you could pummel my face into this pavement.” I gave him a wink. “Want to try? I’m game. I’ll even tell my men to only come in if you’re winning.”
He swore, rolling his eyes. “So twisted in the head. I never understood you.”
“Cheer up. You’ll probably live.” I smiled.
He was back to scowling at me. “Why do you want me to ask Nicolai about Shorty Easter?”
“Because before your man got to her apartment, a bomb had been placed on her door.”
His scowl vanished. “What?”
Some might say it was a stupid move, having a cop kidnapped, but not me. Not with this life, and like Worthing thought he knew me, I also knew him. For a reason that I wanted to investigate at a later date, he was worried about Molly.