Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 104729 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 524(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104729 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 524(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
“Job done. I have my in.”
“Not the phone, Nix,” he responds, and I feel silly for not thinking of that. “George will meet you at the bar in your hotel. Ten minutes,” my father says before hanging up.
I knew he had men here, but I didn’t realize they were that close.
Knowing what I’m about to do, it makes me feel safer. Knowing George is here will help calm my nerves tomorrow.
After a few more blocks, I’m back at the hotel and head straight to the bar. The woman standing behind it smiles. “What can I get for you?” she asks, her French accent curling around each word. She appears to be around my age, and I wonder what brought her to work at this hotel? Is she a fresh graduate like me, trying to find her place in the world? Or maybe she came here on vacation and fell in love? A million scenarios run through my brain as I realize I haven’t answered her yet. Instead, I’ve been gawking.
“Vodka martini straight up,” I respond before pulling my attention away from her as I wait. I’m halfway through my drink before George sits down. George has been a loyal employee of my father for as long as I can remember. I don’t know him well, but I trust him with my life.
We don’t look at each other as we drink our drinks.
“He invited me to his boat tomorrow,” I tell him, never looking at him.
“When and where?” he asks. His voice is low as though he’s trying extra hard not to alert anyone to the fact we are talking to each other.
I fill him in on the details, and then I turn to meet his stare even though I shouldn’t. “I’m going.”
“Your father won’t like that.”
“It’s on his yacht. He could keep information …”
“Be that as it may, he won’t let you do that.”
“Then we won’t tell him.”
“Nix, you know I can’t do that.” He tilts his head to the side and pleads with his eyes.
“Then find a way to be on that boat.”
“I’ll be there,” he responds, but his voice is tight, and I know this will be no small feat.
“How?”
“Let me worry about that.” He chuckles, and I nod in agreement.
“Okay.”
“I’ll only be there long enough to look around. He must have a place where he puts his stuff. In and out. It will be easy.”
“I’m still telling your father.”
“Fine.”
Then I lift my drink and take a swig. With that out of the way, my nerves grow even more. The plan is set, so now I just need to follow through on it.
6
Alaric
I’m still in the club drinking my scotch when Cristian approaches my table. Placing my drink down, I tilt my head to look up at him.
“You take care of it?” I ask, and he nods. I stand from my seat and move until I’m right before him. “And …?”
“Tom is following them as you requested. They’re at a hotel.”
My brow lifts. “Is that so?”
“They’re at the bar. How would you like me to tell them to proceed?”
“Tell Tom as soon as the girl is gone that I want whoever she was speaking to in the warehouse by the pier. I’ll be there shortly to see what the little dove is up to.”
With that settled, I don’t bother to tell my men I’m leaving. I pay them to watch and follow. When I stride out the door, my men, as expected, flank me. As soon as the warm air hits my face, my caravan of SUVs comes to a stop at the sidewalk; they’re here for me and my men.
I walk toward the second one. Pulling the door open, I step inside and sit. Some of my men go to the first SUV and some to the third. Cristian is the only one to join me, sitting in the front with Peter.
There is no need for me to speak. My team runs like a well-oiled machine. Everyone knows where we are going, what we are doing, and most importantly, who we will torture.
If Michael Lawrence thinks he can make a play against me, he is grossly mistaken.
Sending his daughter in to do his work will be a grave mistake.
Not just for him but also her.
I don’t relish in the thought of killing a woman. In fact, I’ve never killed one. But seeing as he sent her in, I might have to reconsider my stance on that. I govern myself by one strict rule: Never murder anyone who doesn’t deserve it.
Guess time will tell with this one.
The ride to the warehouse at the dock doesn’t take long, and eventually, we pull up to what appears to be an abandoned building from the outside.
I pay good money to keep up the appearance that nothing is here. I also pay very good money to the owner of the building to leave me undisturbed.