Total pages in book: 144
Estimated words: 135382 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 677(@200wpm)___ 542(@250wpm)___ 451(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 135382 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 677(@200wpm)___ 542(@250wpm)___ 451(@300wpm)
He wasn’t going to let O’Donnell hang up. Not until he knew what was going on. “Wait. What kind of danger is she in?”
“Don’t worry about it, mate. She’s here in Dallas and I’ll take care of it. You don’t have to be involved at all. I can see that now.”
“I want to know what’s going on. Damn it. Tell me.” He wouldn’t be able to do anything until he knew she was safe.
There was an arrogant huff over the line. “You can’t be bothered to even listen to her voice mails, you don’t deserve to know what’s happening in her life. Even when there’s an army out there looking to kill her. Bye, Brody. Hope you’re happy with your choices later in life. I made a mistake by calling you. I should keep this in the family and you are not in my family. Stay away from her.”
The line went dead.
There was an army looking to kill her? What the hell was happening? O’Donnell couldn’t leave him hanging like that.
Brody immediately called the number back. It went straight to voice mail. Bastard. He tried to pull up Steph’s number. He’d erased it off his phone and she hadn’t called him in months. The lift doors opened and Damon Knight stepped out. It was always odd to see his normally perfectly dressed boss in workout clothes, but Brody didn’t give it too much thought. All he cared about was what Damon could give him.
“I need Steph Gibson’s phone number.”
Damon’s gaze sharpened on him. “I thought that was over.”
He didn’t have time to argue, but Damon was his boss and Brody owed the man. “Yes, of course the op is over, but I heard a rumor that she’s in trouble. I want to check it out.”
“I wasn’t talking about the op. I was talking about the affair you had with her.”
Did everyone know? Could not a single person keep their mouth shut?
Damon’s lips curved up in a smile. “I know what you’re thinking. You’re blaming the rumor mill. Normally I would as well. Not this time. You’re to blame that particular secret got around. You get chatty when you’re drunk. If it helps, I think you’re wrong to believe you’re not good enough for her. Women tend to know what they want. When we tell them what they want, it’s called Mansplaining and it tends to get a bloke in trouble. Like when you kindly attempt to help your wife through those first few months of pregnancy by giving her scientific facts about why her hormones are out of balance. Spent a week on the couch for that. Apparently walking off morning sickness isn’t a thing.”
“Her phone number?” He didn’t need to hear about Damon’s problems with Penny. Even Brody was smart enough to know that when a woman was pregnant, a man should rub her feet, throw food at her, and pray he survived.
“Ms. Gibson’s?” He pulled his mobile out of the pocket of his sweatpants, flipping through the contacts there. “I’m sure I have it somewhere. You said she was in trouble? I think you should call the Dallas office. According to my records, Liam O’Donnell is her primary contact.”
Yes, and that had grated on Brody when he was in Sierra Leone with her. He’d been her constant companion, her guard, and her cover, and yet he hadn’t been in charge. Not really. Every move he made had to be reported back to O’Donnell, who acted like her dad or something. He’d never truly been in command. “I need to talk to her.”
“Here she is.” Damon turned the phone his way.
He wasn’t wasting a bit of time. He simply took the phone from Damon and pushed the button to connect.
It wasn’t more than one ring before a masculine voice answered. “Hello?”
That accent was fairly thick. Definitely European.
Brody froze for the second time. “I’m looking for Stephanie Gibson.”
A chilly chuckle came over the line. “Yes, well, aren’t we all? Are you a friend of hers? Because we would really like to know where the bitch is.”
“Who is this?”
“Let her know she can run, but she can’t hide. I know what she has and I’m going to get it back one way or another. I’m going to give her everything I promised her. Tell her if she turns herself over I might go easy on that boy of hers. What did she call him? Nate. Yes, Nate. If she makes me come after her, all bets are off. I’ll kill him, too. Real slow like. She’s got twenty-four hours.”
The line went dead.
Brody immediately tried to call it back. It went straight to voice mail.
What the hell had she gotten herself into? And who was the “boy” that man had mentioned? Had she taken a lover? Someone named Nate? Of course she had. She’d talked that night about how she was sick of being alone and she needed someone in her bed. It had been him for one night and now she’d found someone else and they were both in trouble.