Total pages in book: 142
Estimated words: 132031 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 660(@200wpm)___ 528(@250wpm)___ 440(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 132031 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 660(@200wpm)___ 528(@250wpm)___ 440(@300wpm)
“We have a cover planned for you. Something hastily thought through. If you think of anything better, we’ll consider your ideas.” The iPad had a giant crack down the center of the screen. He powered it up, glad to see it still worked, and went through the files, searching for the one they had prepared for Dev. “What’s said in this room, stays in this room.”
Whether Dev understood or not, he held more power than he recognized. Days ago, Cash had started the document of considerations for Dev to become a contracted informant with the government. Cash knew what he wanted to add to the list of stipulations Dev required and began to fill them in.
“You’ll have a substantial salary for helping us. You’ll have to reduce the time you spend in the tattoo parlor, probably by half. We’ll need your focus elsewhere.” Cash walked toward Dev who rose to his full height. He wrote one hundred thousand dollars in the blank space and turned the screen to Dev.
Dev stood motionless, staring at the screen. “More.”
“It’s a couple of months of work. Max,” Cash explained.
“More,” Dev demanded, crossing his arms over his chest. His voice was strong. He stood with his shoulders back. His guarded gaze spoke of many possibilities. Cash guessed his daughters were his biggest concern. It could be the vengeance he planned to enact on his father. They’d have to wait and see. “If I’m about to piss off a bunch of clients who’ve been on my schedule for months and take the hit on all those badass reviews about to come, you need to double that total with an option to re-up if this goes longer than sixty days.”
Cash gave in with a nod. It seemed reasonable to him. Or not, who cared.
If the theft on this case did in fact reach substantial totals, they’d owe Dev a gratitude.
“Once I have your signature, if things get dicey, we take you and your daughters into witness protection. It’s also an option for you at the end of the operation. You good with that?”
Dev stared at him. One brow lowered the other raised.
“What?” Shanna’s hand came to Dev’s shoulder, encouraging him to voice his concerns. Dev shrugged it off with a disgusted roll.
“I want all evidence of my children belongin’ to anyone but me destroyed. All of it. Gone. Never to be seen again. Of course, my old man doesn’t want the girls, but the risk is too great and he’s a fuckin’ pedo. Tena was fifteen. My mom was about that age when he met her. Abi and Mae will never be anywhere near that club.” Dev’s arms tightened over his chest, his fists tucking underneath each bicep. “If I can make any changes to their DNA records, I want it permanently made. If not, I’ll be takin’ measures into my own hands. Just so everyone’s clear.”
“Of course. That’s not a problem.” Cash nodded to Shanna, pretending he knew those conditions were easily executed. “Go see if Joe can take care of that for us.” When she went out the door to find Joe, he turned back to Dev. “What else do you want?” he asked.
“I want full custody of the girls. Tena’s out without drug testin’, parentin’ classes, and wearin’ more clothes around them. The classes are a thing, right?”
Cash nodded as he wrote, but again, he wasn’t certain. He’d make it happen. “What about Keyes?”
“I want Keyes solid. Whatever’s goin’ on, him and that dude are out of the crossfire. Keyes is the best person any of us will ever know. I guarantee he’s not involved in whatever you’re lookin’ for.”
“Done. What else?” Cash had already added that condition, plus adding professional security for the girls. No more prospects lurking around a backyard. He glanced over at Dev, their gazes held.
The deep connection they had shared had truly severed.
What he wished for more than anything was that Dev used his snarky attitude to ask for their relationship to continue. He’d grant that request in a second. Let Dev use his body to take his frustrations out on.
~~~
Maybe for the first time in his life, Dev’s ability to think was in massive overload. Nothing computed properly inside his head.
Had he covered all the bases for Abi and Mae?
He needed to be clear-headed to figure this shit out.
One thing he was for fucking sure about was the clarity he had in wanting to wrap his hands around Cash’s neck and squeeze the life out of him. He envisioned blocking the airflow so completely that those motherfucking sorry eyes bulged out of their sockets.
At least he wished he felt that way and that pissed him off too.
Before anything more than meaningful hate came to his mouth, he cut his gaze away from Cash. The hurt ran too deep to think of anything more.