Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 70370 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 281(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70370 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 281(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
I was confused by his words. “Part in what?”
He shook his head and walked out of the room. Before I could move, the door opened and someone else walked in.
Ivan.
For a moment, our gazes clashed. His triumphant, mine furious. I began to step forward, and he held up his hand. “I suggest you take a seat.”
“I suggest you go fuck yourself.”
He began to laugh. “I like your humor, Mr. Vulpe.”
The door opened, and Alex and the man who had been with Ivan the first time walked in. They all sat at the table. I remained standing.
“Whatever this is, I am having no part of it.”
I headed to the door, Ivan’s voice stopping me. “You will not be able to leave until I say so. I have gone to a great deal of trouble and expense to get you here, and I will not be denied.”
I opened the door, finding three men facing me. Their arms were folded in front of them, and they were all armed. Roman’s guards had been armed as well, but I wasn’t—at his request. I now understood why. Furious, I shut the door and returned to the table, sitting.
“You have ten minutes.”
“I have as much time as I want,” Ivan responded. “I paid for the whole day.”
“What do you have on Roman that made him cooperate?”
“Information on the family he keeps so safely protected.”
Internally, I swore. This whole day had been a setup. My gut had been right. It also made sense why Roman appeared so anxious as the day grew longer, and his constant calls to his wife.
“Why not just set up a single meeting? Why all day?”
Ivan smirked. “I enjoyed watching you act like a bodyguard. You’re very thorough.”
“I was paid to be. If, however, I had known it was paid by you, I would have refused.”
“Then you understand why I had to leverage Mr. Brock’s trip. Aside from his family’s welfare, I knew he would hate to have some of his contacts refuse to deal with him.”
I narrowed my eyes. He had that sort of power? Who was he?
“What is your name? It’s not Jones.”
He smiled. It was threatening in its intensity. “Ivan Petrov.”
The name meant nothing, but once I could get in touch with Damien, it would.
The door opened, and a waiter wheeled in a cart. He set up a coffee service, complete with sandwiches, then left.
“Help yourself,” Ivan said, pouring himself some coffee. Alex grabbed a sandwich, chewing fast, staying silent.
I shook my head. “I have no desire to eat with you.”
Ivan shrugged, not put out.
“I want you to reconsider my offer. In fact, I’ll add a bonus and more work.”
“Not interested.”
“You haven’t heard my offer.”
“How did you find me?”
“Your reputation precedes you.”
“My reputation is not well-known.”
He smirked. “It is to some.”
He held out his hand, and Alex pulled a file from his bag. He slid it my way. I opened it up, shocked at the images and information it contained. Remnants of a past I didn’t want to think of. I was no longer that man, existing on grief and anger. I had moved past it.
I pushed it back. “I am not that man anymore. I don’t do jobs for hire.”
“I suggest you reconsider.”
“And once again, I suggest you fuck off.”
He didn’t react.
“There are a lot of explosives specialists. Go hire one of them.”
He regarded me impassively, sipping his coffee as if we were having a friendly chat. “Not with your talent.”
I was angry and tired of his games. “What is it you want done?”
He leaned in, the gleam in his eye malicious and intense.
“There is a situation. I need it eliminated. I need the deadly ghost to handle it.”
That name from the past rocked me, but I kept my voice level. “Not good enough. What situation?”
“A storage facility. Highly protected. I need you to go in and plant a bomb in plain sight. Walk in with it, walk out without it. Detonate it immediately.”
“What?”
“Everything and everyone in that building must disappear.”
“You expect me to murder people?”
“I expect you to do exactly that. And you will.”
My stomach turned. I had never killed innocent people. I saved them. “No, I will not. I don’t kill blameless people.”
“They aren’t blameless to me.”
“Your opinion on this doesn’t matter. I refuse.”
“Are you so certain of that answer, Mr. Vulpe?”
“Yes. Find yourself another gun for hire.”
“Have you nothing to lose?”
Sofia’s image flashed in front of me, but I kept my face neutral. “No.”
His voice was soft. “Are you so certain of that?”
“Yes.”
He crossed his legs, swinging his foot. “There are worse things that can happen to your gym aside from some water.”
Sudden rage hit me, but I refused to let him see it. “So that was your handiwork?”
“I wanted your attention. You have more time on your hands now.”
“Not for you.”
“And no place to display your pretty little pictures.”