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)
“It’s only days away.”
“Your point?”
He makes a frustrated sound and rather abruptly hangs up. I have that effect on some men. I’ve already dismissed him, refocusing on Kane. “I need to get Tic Tac here where he feels safe. The minute we lured him to the city, we left. I’ll have him stay with Lucas.”
“And that will make him feel safe?”
“If you have Enrique stay with them.”
“You’re really trying to get rid of Enrique, aren’t you?”
I see no reason to pretend otherwise, which makes my answer a simple, “Yes,” and then I move on, “which reminds me. Where are Kit and Jay?”
“I sent Jay to check into a hotel. He’ll be back. Kit’s staying out of our hair, but he’s here, securing the property. He’ll be waiting on us to take us to the press conference.”
“Securing the property from Ghost,” I say flatly.
“From whoever the fuck dares try to enter. Apparently, you’re about to invite Elsa over to kill you.”
“I need her to actually be able to get in if we’re that lucky.”
“That means Ghost can get in,” he counters. “Hard no.”
“We’re already locked down like Fort Knox. Easing it right now would be better than aiming higher.”
“When there’s a threat, you change things up; you don’t give them the chance to know what you do not want them to know. Ghost studies his targets.”
“I’ve told you, I’m not a target for Ghost.”
“I might be. He’s obsessed with you. Maybe he wants me out of the way.”
“No,” I say immediately. “It’s not that kind of obsession. It’s—it’s just not.” I wave off the topic. “I need to call Tic Tac. Can you get a chopper set-up for him and have the men with him escort him?”
“Is Jack coming?”
“I cannot believe I’m even saying this.” I down the contents of the whiskey glass. “Yes. We’ll bring Jack. I cannot believe I’m even saying this.”
“You just said that.”
“It’s worth repeating. He’s smart, too smart for my own good at times, but Tic Tac leans on him, and we need an extra brain on this.” I grab my coat. “I’ll call Tic Tac on the way to the press conference. I really need to get there and talk to Andrew in advance. Knowing my dumbass brother, he hasn’t even thought of the potential that Elsa might show up at the press conference with her sniper gun.”
Kane responds to my concern by calling in discreet manpower and reinforcements, which is fine by me. Maybe they’ll kill her so I don’t have to, because this isn’t going to be pretty.
Chapter Twenty-Five
A few minutes later, I’m in the back of the SUV, and the instant I connect with Tic Tac, he’s at me again. “Enrique is holding a gun on Lucas. You know that, right?”
“He deserves it. He kidnapped Pocher’s head of security. Apparently, he wants to die, and it might be me who kills him, so you can’t hold that against me. It’s easy to see he deserves it. You do not. We’re bringing you here with us. You’ll be as safe as a baby kangaroo in her mommy’s belly.”
“To stay where?”
“With Lucas and Enrique and a team of Kane’s people.”
“You mean a team of cartel members?”
I bristle at that. Kane is not the cartel, and I don’t have to look at Kane to feel his agitation. “Are you putting in a special request for cartel members? Should I tell Kane you want the nastiest cartel members possible to guard you?”
There’s a moment of silence in which I can feel Tic Tac’s panic before he bursts out with, “No. No. No. Stop it, Lilah. And don’t go telling Kane I said something I didn’t say.”
“You said—”
“I didn’t. I didn’t. I’m fine with Lucas and Enrique. And now for a poorly timed request. Can Jack come? He’s been here with me all this time, diving through the files.”
“You need me, Lilah,” Jack calls out. “I’m your secret weapon.”
That makes me feel like I’m being stabbed in the eye over and over. “Tell him to shut up or I’ll say no.”
“Quiet, Jack,” Tic Tac whispers, a plea in his voice that drives home how rare his earlier outburst was with me. “He’ll behave. And he’s helpful.”
“How?”
“You know what, Lilah, I need for once. Can you not give me what I need?”
“I need to know where every one of the six people on my list, outside of the VP, is right now.”
“I texted you that hours ago. The two that are not the VP and not going to the party were highlighted.”
“Just tell me.”
“Congressman Stevens is in her home state of California. Senator Soto is in her home state of Texas. Soto has a husband who’s a retired Navy SEAL and two brothers in the Army. She’s well-known for her love of guns.”
“I like her already, but she’s a hard target. Elsa won’t go after her first. Stevens is another story.”