Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 78799 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78799 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
“I’m going to take this.” I push away from the table and as soon as I walk to the other corner, I feel her eyes on my back.
I answer the phone. “How’s paradise?”
“Not great,” X complains, and I have to hold back my laugh.
“How’s Lula?” I can’t resist the jab and then I hear a growl on the other end of the line.
“I’m calling for a reason.” He ignores the question as I glance over to Berkley. She cuts her eyes away quickly and goes back to writing in her notes.
“Let me have it.”
“I looked into the files and found out who the guys were that Kade got tangled up with.” He sighs and I can hear him pacing in what’s most likely his office. “It’s a guy named Peter Guzik.”
“Never heard of him.”
“Yeah, me either. But apparently he reached out to Kade with some business idea and Kade thought it would be a good opportunity for us.” X sighs and I know he’s trying to control his anger.
“He only wants what’s best for us,” I remind him and there’s a long pause. “Tell me the rest of it.”
“From what I found out, Peter threatened Kade after he pulled out of the deal and then Kade kept digging. The feds got involved and Peter tried to have Kade silenced with the car accident.”
“Damn.” It’s all the stuff we knew, but hearing it again this way makes my chest ache. I can’t imagine what I’d do if I had lost my brother.
“Since the accident Peter has gone underground. But one of the contacts at the FBI messaged Kade and told him that there’s been a price put on his head. On the head of any Warsaw family member.”
“Fuck,” I whisper, glancing over at Berkley again.
“Vaughn.” Xander’s voice is soft, and for some reason it grabs all of my attention.
“Yeah?”
“They know you’re in London.”
“What?” My voice is too loud for the quiet space and Berkley looks around like she’s checking for the librarian.
“It was on the FBI report. They know about you, and they know about Berkley.”
“Oh God.” My stomach drops and my heartbeat speeds up.
“I don’t know how much time you have, Vaughn, but you’ve got the best of our security there with you and I know you’ll keep her safe.”
I swallow, unable to form words.
“Just get back to the island as soon as you can. They still don’t know about it.”
I find comfort in knowing that my family is protected, but the fact that Berkley is so exposed here is making me anxious. I need to get her to a safer place and not one with so many access points. She’s only got to take her exams at the end of the week, so it’s just a few more days before we can be out of here and on the island.
I take a deep breath and nod to myself. We can do this. I can do this. “Don’t worry, I won’t let anything happen to either of us.”
“Just keep your eyes sharp, baby brother.”
“You can say you miss me,” I tease, needing to lighten the mood. It may not be the safest place for us here, but we’ve got security, and Berkley has me.
“Like a kick in the balls,” he says, and I can almost hear a smile in his voice.
“Speaking of balls, how’s Lula again?”
“Goodbye, Vaughn,” X says right before hanging up.
I end the call and the heavy cloud comes over me as I tuck the phone in my pocket and go back to the desk. Just then the librarian walks over to our table and opens her mouth with what I know is going to be a scold.
“Save it, we’re leaving,” I tell her, holding up my hand. “I’m hungry.”
Berkley hides her smile as the old librarian huffs away from us, seemingly upset she didn’t have the chance to kick me out.
“I’ve never seen Mildred so worked up,” Berkley says as I take her bag from her and then grab her hand.
“Normally old ladies like me, but it’s hard to charm them when I can’t talk.”
“Funny, because it’s usually your mouth that gets you into trouble,” she chides, and without thinking I swat her playfully on the ass as we exit the library.
She squeals as I pull her to me and I see our security there out of the corner of my eye. There’s not a moment we can have without the threat looming over us, now more than ever.
I just need a little longer and then we’ll both be safe.
CHAPTER FOUR
BERKLEY
Vaughn drops things in the cart as we move down the aisle. When he’s not looking I grab some items and put them back. We aren't on the island anymore and he isn't feeding a small army of people like he’s used to. Though as I watch his giant form move about the small grocery store I’m sure it takes a lot of food to keep him built as he is.