Total pages in book: 26
Estimated words: 24027 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 120(@200wpm)___ 96(@250wpm)___ 80(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24027 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 120(@200wpm)___ 96(@250wpm)___ 80(@300wpm)
“No, it’s fine,” I reply. “I don’t mind that you heard.”
“I think he’s in on it.”
“Who?” I ask.
“Geoffrey.”
I feel the urge to snap but suppress it. “Evie…don’t.”
“Callum, I’m good with these things,” she replies. “Please don’t dismiss me so quickly. I know you think I’m just a girl and you know better than I do—and you probably do. But at least think about it.”
She comes up to me and presses a palm against my chest. I feel the tenderness, the warmth, the concern there, and I know that even if she’s wrong, she’s only doing this because she cares about me.
“All right,” I reply, forcing a smile. “I’ll think about it. But right now, I have to go to the museum and assess the damage, and I need you to stay here. Shawn will attend to your every need. I’ll be back shortly.”
I lean in and kiss Evie on the lips, and despite the situation right now, simply having her here is making me feel infinitely better about things. I leave her in the bedroom and make my way down to the car where Geoffrey is waiting. I hold out hope on our way to the museum that at least some of the pieces will be salvageable, but once we arrive, I see the truth: Everything is ruined.
“Insurance should cover the investment,” Geoffrey says.
“But not the appreciation,” I say, eyeing the slashed canvases and shattered frames. “Or the upsell. Useless for laundering purposes now.”
My mind drifts back to my conversation with Evie while we stood here and how quickly she realized what I was doing with these pieces. Of course I’m not upset at the loss of the actual art—it was garbage anyway—but this invasion into my organization cannot stand. This mole must be found out and dealt with immediately.
She really is quick…maybe I shouldn’t dismiss her so quickly.
I turn and glance over at Geoffrey, who’s doing something on his phone. He doesn’t seem to be acting out of the ordinary this morning, but Evie said he was behaving strangely when she ran into him in my room.
Why don’t I want to listen to her about him? Simply because I trust Geoffrey blindly?
Blind faith is not a good quality for a man in my position.
And after all, her father was a man whose judgment got me out of many a tight spot. Maybe hers could do the same.
“You sure got on this quick,” I say. “How did you notice this so soon?”
“Hmm? Oh, I came by this morning to check on some things,” Geoffrey replies. “The damage was hard to miss.”
“Some things?” I ask.
“Just some tax documents related to the building,” he replies, clearing his throat. “Just wanted to make sure everything was in order.”
Repeating words, I think. He’s lying. Why?
“I see.” I nod. “Well, good thing. Glad you caught it. Come on. Let’s get out of here.”
I’m silent for the ride home. Sitting beside Geoffrey feels awkward and foreign now that I know he’s lied to me. There’s a chance he lied about the reasons he came to the museum this morning because he was hiding something from me like a girl he doesn’t want me to know about, or some side business he wants to keep private, but the chances of that are slim to none. The chances that he’s the mole in my operation are basically one hundred percent now.
Evie saw it when I couldn’t.
Christ, not only is she gorgeous and makes me happy, but she’s also proving to be an important partner to have by my side.
When we arrive at the house, I turn to Geoffrey before he can shut off the car. “I need you to go out and pick up some roses for Evie,” I lie. “Two dozen white should be enough.”
“You don’t want me to order them?” he rightly asks.
“No, I want you to go pick them up for me. Make sure they’re nice and bring them back quickly.”
Before he can respond, I get out of the car and head up the steps to the house. He pulls away as one of my men holds open the door for me. Upstairs, I find Evie waiting in the bedroom for me.
“You were right,” I tell her. “It’s Geoffrey. He must be working for Carl, my main rival. Either that or he’s making his own play against me.”
Evie’s eyes narrow. I can see her anger at someone going against me, and this only strengthens the bond already growing between us.
“I’m sorry. What are you going to do?”
“Well, I can kill him,” I sigh. “Or I can keep him around and try to investigate—see who he’s working for and working with. See if this goes any deeper into my organization.”
“Does he like young girls?” Evie asks. “Because I may have a friend who could help us with this.”