Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 114819 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 574(@200wpm)___ 459(@250wpm)___ 383(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114819 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 574(@200wpm)___ 459(@250wpm)___ 383(@300wpm)
“Uncuff me,” Dev demanded with outrage, jerking at the cuffs again.
“Not gonna happen. The world’s falling down around you and you pull another stunt?” Cash said and used unexpected force when pushing Dev’s chest down on top of the hood.
What the fuck was happening?
Shanna came into his line of sight and began reading him his rights.
“Stop messin’ around. Nobody has time for this,” he barked at both Shanna and Cash.
“If you cared about anyone other than yourself, I wouldn’t have to do this,” Cash said, one strong hand on the center of his back, keeping him in place. The other patted him down. Not in the good way he’d just imagined, but in an authoritative kind of way, looking for a weapon. Cash pulled out the small set of keys. “What’s this in your pocket?”
“The fuckin’ reason I called you out here, but now I see I should’ve just loaded the shit up, grabbed the girls, and taken the fuck off,” Dev bellowed, anger filling his soul.
The weight of Cash’s body pressed against his when Dev bucked to be released.
“Do you understand your rights?” Shanna asked.
This moment spiraled into the memory of what they did to him the night they made him join their federal team and comply with a bunch of bullshit directives. He never voluntarily obeyed anything, ever. He was never going to. They should have fucking figured that out by now.
Their department was above the law, meaning Dev was now above the law…
He instantly stilled.
Cash and Shanna were messing with him.
Instead of saying any of the crass shit he wanted to, he focused on the reason they were there in the first place.
“One of those keys opens the entry door over there,” Dev explained, nodding in the direction of the standard door. When Cash paused in his manhandling, Dev added, “I promise you’re gonna wanna see what’s in there.”
Cash grabbed Dev’s bicep, none too gently, hauling him toward the door. He stumbled in his steps.
“This better be good.” Cash growled the threat, dragging him along.
Shanna came with them from behind. Dev’s chest was pushed up against the door. Cash’s body pressed him there. It took Cash a second try with a second key for the door to unlock.
“Goddammit, Dev,” Cash said, looking down the dark empty hall.
“The light switch is on the wall to the right, right inside the doorway. The second key opens the door to the left,” Dev explained.
Cash followed the directions, pushing him through the door first. He stumbled over the threshold plate.
Shanna followed from behind.
“Wait, before you open this—”
“You get no say in anything ever again,” Cash barked. “There’s no way I’ll trust anything you say.” Cash’s tone was cold and hard. His request to see Cash’s face when he opened the door died on his lips. Instead, Dev craned his neck to see Cash’s reaction. With quick, efficient movements, Cash unlocked the door then shoved it open. The lights automatically lit in the same sequence as before.
“Jesus,” Cash exclaimed and did the same thing Dev had done. He stood completely still while absorbing what he saw.
“What is it?” Shanna asked. Dev took the first step inside for Shanna to better see. “Is it all money?”
“The missing money,” Cash murmured.
“There’s ten pallets. The pallet in the middle on the other side is about three-quarters of the way full,” Dev explained.
Cash finally glanced over at him then stuck his hand inside his slacks pocket, pulling out the handcuff key.
He made quick work of releasing Dev as Shanna passed by them. Her steps were careful as if there might be some sort of booby trap. “I walked the length of both sides. I didn’t trigger anything.”
“So all this money’s secured by two basic locks?” she asked, having the same unbelievable reaction Dev had.
“Tank’s oldest boy has taken the lead to cover his dad’s position at the lumberyard. He came over to see why I was here…” he started to explain how the storage facility was connected to the protection of the lumberyard, but Cash interrupted him.
“Did he see this?”
“No, I had just found it,” Dev said. “And went to call you guys. Well sort of in that order. Close enough. They confirmed the storage unit is on club property.”
“There’s no rhyme or reason to the money on the pallets,” Shanna said, flipping through the top of one wrapped pallet. “These are mostly smaller bills, but there are hundreds mixed inside. How did you know this was here?”
Fuck. He didn’t pre-think an answer to that obvious question. Indecision only lasted a fraction of a second before he decided on the truth. Seemed straightforward enough. “Mom said she thought Dad was hidin’ somethin’ here. She gave me the key at the hospital.”
Cash started down the line of pallets and glanced back at him. “Why didn’t you tell me?”