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)
“This is why …” Tears well in my eyes.
Lifting his hand, he reaches across the coffee table and takes mine. “I was never embarrassed by you. You are my daughter. Maybe not by blood. But because I loved you, he couldn’t know about you.”
The love and devotion I have for this man makes me stand and start pacing. I am now where he was only a few short minutes ago. Nervous energy courses through my body as I think of what all this means.
I walk back and forth a few times, but no words form in my mouth. They feel dry as though I am chewing on sand. But I need to say something. Ask something. “And now? Does he know?”
“I have no reason to believe he does.” Behind his words is doubt.
“Why does he hate you?”
He shrugs, but I level him with a stare. He needs to tell me. Whatever it is, I need to know.
“Because he thinks I murdered his brother.”
It doesn’t surprise me to hear my father has killed someone. Michael Lawrence is a ruthless man, but from the way he looks at me, I don’t believe he did it.
But I still ask, “Did you?”
He looks at me, eyes widening. “No.”
That makes me stop pacing. I nod to myself, knowing there is only one solution. “Then we must stop this war.”
“Trust me, I’ve tried. There is nothing I can do. We are well beyond him listening or believing.”
We both sit in silence, and a million thoughts run through my brain. My knee starts to shake from nerves, but I squash it down. Inaction is not feasible, and even if I’m not sure about my idea, I have to voice it. “Then I guess there is only one thing we can do.”
“And that is?”
“Make him.” My lips part into a large smile. My father doesn’t return the sentiment, instead choosing to give me a look that says, Okay, captain obvious, but how.
“How do you suppose we do that?”
“Leverage. Take everything from him, and once we burn him to the ground, he will.”
“By then, it will be too late.”
“Why?” I ask.
“There is no way to get close enough to him.”
More ideas start flying through my mind, but they are darker and dirtier, and I’m so sure my father will hate every single one.
“I can. He doesn’t know me. No one does. I can get the information you need.”
“Phoenix.”
“No, Dad. Don’t Phoenix me. This is my choice. I’m not the little girl you sent away. Let me help you.”
His lips form a thin line as he stands and starts pacing again. He doesn’t like the idea, but at least he’s considering it.
“I don’t want you to get hurt,” he implores.
“I won’t.”
“You don’t know that …” His hand reaches up to pull at his hair. “Alaric Prince is out for revenge. He is the worst of men. I should know.”
I move around the fallen desk to where he stands so I can get closer to him. When I’m directly beside him, I look up at him. “Don’t doubt me.”
“I don’t. I just can’t—”
I can see the love, fear and desperation deep in my father’s eyes.
“Trust me. Believe in me. Let me help you.”
Let me save you the way you did me.
“Okay.” And with that, we seal my fate and the fate of Alaric Prince.
I will find the leverage needed to bring the enemy down. No matter what.
2
Alaric
With business settled in the States, it’s time for a change of venue. My guns are secure—or better yet, the AK-47s I stole from Michael Lawrence are secure in Cyrus Reed’s estate.
Normally, I wouldn’t store my guns outside my warehouses, but since I lifted these off the competition, I can’t have them in circulation yet. The voyage from Cyrus’s to the Caribbean only takes a week, but it’s the perfect opportunity for me to relax before work picks up again.
I’m headed to the Bahamas first, then making stops and detours along the way. At some point, I need to go to Venezuela and then while in South America I’ll schedule the rest of my meetings.
But it’s not just business for me on this trip. I plan on indulging in a few pleasures.
Which is why I’ll kick off my trip in the Bahamas.
Mathis has opened a new club at the large hotel on the island, and he’s throwing a gigantic party next week.
It’s an excellent place to hold a few meetings.
One might not think of a club as a suitable location to sell guns, but I have found since taking over the business that clubs are the perfect place. Women, booze, drugs, and guns are, in fact, the perfect mix.
Men are more apt to spend when a pretty young thing is grinding on their dick.
* * *
By the time the yacht docks, I’m ready to let loose. I used my time at sea as an opportunity to schedule meetings for this weekend, the first one being with Xavier. He wants fifteen thousand guns for a government coup.