Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 91212 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91212 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
"Only a hundred bucks?" I ask.
The men across the table both smile.
"A hundred thousand. If you don't have it, then I'll front the money," Senator Dyer says.
"No," William growls.
"Your father was a dear friend of mine—"
"I'll pay it," I interrupt.
William can get as mad as he wants, and it won't matter. I need Sadie home, and if it takes all of my savings, then I'll spend it. And when she's back, I'll hog-tie her and carry her to treatment my damned self. It's about time someone forced her to do the right thing. She doesn't have to be happy about it, but there's a part of me that imagines she'll be grateful for the help in the long run.
"I'll want frequent check-ins. I want to know what progress you're making on finding her," I demand.
"We'll keep you as informed as we possibly can, but we operate on a need-to-know basis. There may be sensitive details that you'll never be privileged to," Mr. Anderson says, topping it off with a kind smile, as if it will take the sting out of it.
My lip twitches in irritation, but the longer I stare at him, the less I feel like he's saying this just because I'm a woman.
"We'll need DNA from you two," Mr. Yarrow adds as we stand up.
"The hell you do," William quickly says.
"If we find her in less than savory conditions, we'll need to have it for familial comparison," he continues. "We only need a sample from one of you."
I dip my head in agreement, knowing I'll do anything to bring my sister home.
Chapter 5
Ace
"He's had to shoulder a lot of things being the head of the family," Senator Dyer says in explanation after Cora and William leave.
"It's my understanding that Cora is the oldest," I argue.
"Yes," Senator Dyer says to me before turning back to Kincaid. "It was great seeing you again."
Not many people know it, because it was kept out of the news, but Cerberus worked a quick rescue case for Senator Dyer's niece, who had gotten herself into some trouble down in Tijuana several decades ago, and that's the man's connection to the club.
We both shake the man's hand, staying quiet until he leaves.
"The brother," Kincaid says before I can get it out.
I nod. "Oh, there's definitely some animosity there."
"We'll need to follow all leads, but Max can handle a lot of that. If we run into an issue we can't handle—"
"You'll need to find a different source for information. I don't want the Agency knowing what I'm up to."
Kincaid narrows his eyes before speaking. "Something I should know about?"
I shake my head. "I think that young punk-ass kid they promoted instead of me is out to get me."
"Because he suggested a vacation after years of not having one?"
I don't answer.
"Hasn't he been your supervisor for a while?"
"Are you checking up on me?" I ask, wondering if this was a bad idea in the first place.
"I notice signatures on the paperwork that slide across my desk, Ace," he explains. "Want to get back to this case or have you changed your mind?"
I pull in a deep breath.
"Sorry," I mutter. "Hazard of the job."
"Maybe you need a different job if the one you have makes you think everyone is out to get you. Maybe a place on a team you can trust is a better fit?"
He doesn’t press the issue, but I know it isn’t just a simple thought either.
"William Preston, Jr.," Kincaid says as he opens the file folder on the table. "Aspiring politician. No doubt the man was being groomed for greatness before his father's untimely death."
"There have been stranger cases than sibling rivalry," I add.
"Exactly," Kincaid agrees. "Like I was saying, I'll see what Max can dig up and if he doesn't find any skeletons, we can always make a call to Blackbridge."
"I'm still a federal agent," I remind him.
"Okay?"
"I don't think Wren Nelson does everything above board."
I've heard of the IT specialist who works for Deacon Black in St. Louis. His name has the ability to put fear in the hearts of many agents and a level of envy from other agency data techs, as if the man is a myth they can only hope is real.
"We'll cross that bridge when we get there."
"We have to cross the bridges without ICE's help, and that means we have to be careful," I remind him. "I wanted to take an extra job not land myself in federal prison."
"We're looking for a missing girl," Kincaid says. "We're not trying to take down a drug cartel in the middle of Times Square. So what do you say?"
"Family feuds aren't really my thing," I mutter. "What are the chances we end up finding her under an alias in some forced drug treatment or hell, in an insane asylum after a lobotomy?"