Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 90685 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90685 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
“Boss?” Iris says and snaps his fingers.
I’m thankful for the literal snap back into reality. “Right. Setting a trap that will work. Let’s go over ideas.”
It’s a team effort, and everyone throws around possibilities. We need to pick the one that will be most successful in getting Walker to take the bait.
Dylan inches closer and leans in to the point where he’s practically in my lap. “Do you really think this will work?”
“I fucking hope so.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Dylan
Everything is set. All of Trav’s men know their roles. Domino has gone to headquarters to help set the trap, and a few of the other guys are already camping out at our target spot. Once everything is set into motion, Walker and his men could arrive at any moment.
Trav wants this to be over with by this time tomorrow afternoon, but I can’t get my hopes up.
I haven’t even allowed myself to think about what will happen if today is successful or what even successful would mean.
Walker and the Rowling kid in cuffs is best case. Worst case … I don’t even want to think about it.
Trav wraps his arm around my shoulders while we wait for a phone call to come through. “Are you okay? You’re quiet. It’s unnerving.”
“Hey, out of us, I am the quiet one.”
“Not when you’re insulting me. Which is always. So I’m making sure you’re all right.”
I grunt. “I’m fine.”
“Is it the plan? Do you have another idea?”
I shake my head. “It’s not the plan.” It’s what comes after. Succeed or fail.
“Dylan—”
“What are you two whispering about over there?” Iris asks.
“Nunya, so shut it,” Trav says.
“Nunya?” I ask.
“Nunya business.”
I can’t help it. I laugh.
Trav nudges me. “Hey, look at that. I got a laugh out of you.”
Before I can reply, Trav’s phone rings, and Domino’s name pops up on the screen.
“Time to do this,” Trav says and then answers, putting it on speaker.
“What’s up?”
“We have a new development,” Domino says.
They’re both good at keeping their tone flat, like this is any other call to them. Although, in my short experience of being this close to Trav and his guys, name-calling should have happened by now.
“You might need to come out of hiding for this one,” Domino continues.
“What’s the deal?” Trav asks.
“Price. The guy who hired us to follow Rowling for the last year.”
“I remember him.”
“He says he has proof of Walker’s involvement in everything, but he’ll only meet with you to discuss it.”
“He wants to meet face-to-face? He’s never done that before. Our contact has been through calls and texts only.”
“Price doesn’t believe we’ve got nothing on Rowling. Which, he’s correct, but we were under the impression he bought our bullshit. He wants to do a trade. The intel we’ve gathered on Rowling for the info he has on Walker.”
“Just tell me when and where. I’ll meet him. But I’m taking Rodriguez with me. I’m the only one who can protect him the way he deserves to be protected.”
Everyone is in on this call, obviously, and I know Trav is putting on a show for the people listening through the bug in Trav’s headquarters, but my chest warms at his words all the same.
The idea that he wants to protect me himself because the only person he trusts to get the job done is him makes me feel treasured in a way I never have before.
Even if it is a lie and Trav is leaving me with his men to chase down Walker later.
For some reason, I get the impression his words are real. He doesn’t want to leave me here with Saint and Iris, but he’s going to because he needs to make sure himself that Walker is taken care of.
For me.
“Price said he wants to meet where the proof is,” Domino says.
“What does that mean?” Trav pretends like he doesn’t know.
“He wants to meet you at the abandoned warehouses, where the whole situation with Walker and Rodriguez went down. It at least proves he knows what he’s talking about.”
Of course “he” does. Because “he” is Mike Bravo, not Gary Price.
“When?” Trav asks.
“Tomorrow.”
“What time?”
“He’s being cryptic. He said ‘the time it happened once before’ like he’s some Buddhist guru sending us on a quest.”
“Midafternoon,” I say, giving the information only I could know and letting everyone listening in realize I’m here too. In case it wasn’t already obvious.
“Tell him we’ll be there,” Trav says and ends the call. Then his lips gently press against the top of my head. “It’s all set.”
I can’t find my voice.
“By this time tomorrow, you’ll be all mine,” he murmurs.
“Or you’ll be arrested for obstruction of justice, and then the only people I’ll have protecting me are a man you’ve deemed as someone who needs supervision and the overgrown manchild who fell in love with him.”
Iris, who’s sitting across from us, gasps. “I think he’s talking about us.”