Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 78825 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78825 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
My stomach lurches. First, the attack on me. Now, women are being arrested and brought up on charges. What will happen next? Is this, like the plane, a deliberate attack?
When we step into the hallway, Fabien hangs up the call and curses.
“How is she?”
“I don’t know. I spoke to Gwen, and she seems to think Cosette is fine, but the rest of the girls are understandably upset. We’ve increased security so there are no other assaults, but these arrests aren’t random.”
I wonder how he knows, what evidence he has. I wonder what he’ll do about it. I don’t push for answers, not yet, because the halls are crowded, and I reason if he wants to tell me something, he will.
We round the corner to take us to his room when someone calls his name.
“Fabien!” Chance and his brother Milo stand by the entrance to the house.
He raises a hand in greeting as his phone rings again.
“Mon Dieu,” he growls. “I need to take this.”
“Of course.”
He ducks into a nearby doorway for privacy as Chance and Milo make their way toward us.
“Chance, give us a minute, will you?”
“You think I’d miss the open bar?” he says with a wink at me. He’s skeevy as hell, but I don’t want him to leave, because that leaves me alone with Milo.
I need the information, though. We have to fly back to Corsica, and Fabien’s occupied, so this is on me.
“I’ve been thinking,” Milo says as he approaches me.
“Have you? Congratulations.” I know I have to get this information, but I’ll hold his attention longer if I needle him a little.
“Very funny, Nicolette.” He looks over his shoulder, not very good at hiding the fact that he doesn’t want to be caught by Fabien. I don’t need to be saved, and I don’t need to be rescued, though. If I’m going to steal that talisman worth so much money, I can handle a seedy cousin. “My brother says he saw you in Corsica.”
“Oh? Interesting. Are we here to talk about your brother?”
“You’re hilarious.” Milo seems to be losing his patience, but the way he keeps looking around us makes me think he’s worried about Fabien catching him. “My brother knows where you came from.”
“And?” I don’t look away or even blink.
No shame.
If Fabien can roll with this, so can I.
“And,” Milo continues, his cheeks reddening. “I just want you to be careful.”
Oh. Sure, that makes total sense. Jerk.
I give him a smile.
“Thanks for worrying about me. Have you given any more thought to what Fabien offered?”
He sighs. “Are you still off the table?” Approaching footsteps make Milo almost jump.
I lean in and whisper, “What do you think?” I give him a broad wink.
Fabien will kill me for playing along, but I didn’t tell him I was or wasn’t off the table. I’m only teasing right back.
Leaning closer to me, he reaches a hand toward me.
I take a step back, as Fabien arrives. He cuts his eyes at his cousin.
“You’re standing too close to her for me. Back the fuck up.”
Milo backs up, his hands raised. “Alright, alright, relax, man.”
Fabien grunts.
This is getting us nowhere. We need Milo, and we need his intel. We do not need to be pissing him off or playing games.
“I’ve thought about your offer,” Milo says in a low voice, looking around the room. “I think if you got this talisman, it would go down in history as one of the biggest heists ever known to Corsica.”
Fabien grunts like the total caveman he is.
“So I’ve decided I’ll help you out, and I’ll change my conditions. I won’t touch Nicolette. She’s yours, fully.”
“So generous of you,” Fabien deadpans. “What do you want?”
Milo looks around. “I want you to promote me and I want the money, too.”
A muscle twitches in Fabien’s jaw. “Is that all?”
“I know you won’t give me Nicolette. I want one of the women as mine.”
Of all the—
“Deal’s off,” Fabien snaps, and takes a step toward him.
Milo backs up. “Okay, okay! Then one of Thayer’s. You make that deal with him or I tell you nothing.”
One of Thayer’s…women?
Fabien closes his eyes briefly and his nostrils flare. He’s trying to gain hold of his temper. After a few long seconds, he opens them and gives Milo a curt nod. “Fine.”
It seems Fabien would give him anything he wants as long as he keeps his hands off me. I’m not sure how I feel about that. On the one hand, I like that I’m off limits. On the other… does he have such little value for women like me that he’d broker them in a deal?
“Deal.”
My stomach plummets.
He isn’t a good man.
Why did I ever tell myself he was?
I realize with a start that Milo is talking, and I need this information now. No matter who Fabien is… no matter what we agreed to… I need that money. I didn’t come this far not to get it.