Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 51900 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 260(@200wpm)___ 208(@250wpm)___ 173(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 51900 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 260(@200wpm)___ 208(@250wpm)___ 173(@300wpm)
“Because as we’ve established, I know you, which means you’re not going to hear what I’m about to say to you. You have the attention of not one, but two lethal killers.”
“Three if you count Elsa, though I’m not sure I have her attention yet.”
“Lilah.”
“Kane.”
“My father and Ghost aren’t just killers. They’re intelligent, calculating, successful killers, and that success stretches over time. They have staying power. And the biggest mistake you will ever make is to think they are like anyone you have ever faced.”
“If I underestimated even one of the people I have faced, I’d be dead. And that whole Enrique tattling to daddy thing is not cool. If he chooses the wrong moment to defy me, that can get us killed.”
“Cut him some slack, bella. Enrique knows the brutality of my father. He’s seen it firsthand. I understand why he wanted to call me, and you should as well.”
“He called you because he was afraid you’d kill him if he didn’t.”
“I might have, if I wasn’t too dead to get the job done. My father loves a good distraction to a murder. Enrique knows that. He was as concerned for you as he was for me.” There’s a knock on the door, and his scowl could burn a hole in Hell.
With a Spanish curse, he releases me and heads for the door, rubbing the back of his neck in the process. I grab my phone, dismissing the topic of Enrique as I eye what appears to be ten thousand text messages from Tic Tac that started out normal and reasonable.
All three of the targets not attending my father’s party are in DC. Maryland is less than an hour away. I’d expected Elsa to be in DC; only DC will be locked down after a director, one of their own, was murdered.
Maybe the party isn’t in play after all.
I scan a few more messages. Chief Houston is asking about Murphy and the status of the case. DD, the ME on Murphy’s case wants to know if I want to join in the autopsy. The ME in the Gomez case is asking the same thing. There’s nothing from that little dweeb Lucas.
I’m back to more messages from Tic Tac, noting the rising level of agitation—I need help, answer your phone, and for once answer your phone. Where is Lucas? is another theme.
“The sketch artist will be here in thirty minutes,” Kane informs me, stepping back into the room. “I told them to just have him wait, maybe give him that damn strawberry pie. I can’t believe you got him pie, Lilah.”
“That pie is so good, it distracted him. He forgot to try to kill me,” I joke, and then on a serious note, “I don’t know if he’s really going after my father. I think it was a distraction.” My cellphone rings in my hand, and I glance at the caller ID. “It’s Tic Tac, and he’s losing his shit on text message. I have to take it.”
I plop down in the chair behind me and hit “answer,” and before I can say a word, I’m blasted. “I thought you were handling Lucas?!” His voice squeaks with panic, and I’ve heard a lot of things from Tic Tac before, even panic, but never with the Mickey Mouse voice.
“What is going on with you, Tic Tac?”
“I don’t know, Lilah,” Tic Tac says, snark in his tone. “I’ve been shuffled all over the place, threatened, scared, and bodies are dropping like flies. Is Ellis dead, or dirty, and I’m now on his shit list?”
“Ellis isn’t coming after you.”
“You don’t know that.”
He’s right. I don’t know much. And we’ve been at this way too long, with too many lives on the line, for me to feel like I’m the stupid one right now. “You need to take a deep breath, Tic Tac. I am not going to let anything happen to you.” Kane sits down in the chair next to me and makes a motion, encouraging me to add, “Neither is Kane.” Which reminds me of just how far I went to protect Tic Tac. “I called freaking Rich for you, Tic Tac. Do you know what hell that brought on me?”
“I’m sorry if hell rained down on you for saving my life, Lilah.”
I scowl. “What is going on with you? I think I need to meet this guy you’re dating. You’re just plain snarky these days.”
“I’m not dating anyone, remember? We broke up because he couldn’t take you calling me at all hours of the night. This job is going to kill me. I don’t want to die.”
“You’re not going to die, and when this is over, I’ll call your man and promise him to not call at all hours.”
“You’d be lying.”
“I’d mean it when I said it.” My phone buzzes with a call, and I glance at the caller ID and show it to Kane, who smirks. He knows what’s coming, and it’s not gentle. “Enrique is calling, Tic Tac. He’s with Pocher’s security guy. I’ll explain later, and you can continue being cranky when I do.” I disconnect and then hit the speaker button to answer Enrique with, “Is he on the chopper?”