Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 69330 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 347(@200wpm)___ 277(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69330 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 347(@200wpm)___ 277(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
Joss scrubbed a hand over his face. “What did he do?”
“The bruises she has could’ve only come from a boot.”
“That fucker.” Joss pressed the button and reached for the sugar. His fingers tightened on the pot. “We can’t take him out, not until he’s led us to Godfrey, but when he has, I promise you that you can kill him yourself.”
“You need to know I went to see him last night.”
Joss set the sugar aside and pressed his palms on the counter. “You did what?”
“I told him what I’ll do to him if he touches her again. I may not be able to kill him yet, but I won’t stand by and let him hurt her while I bide my time to break his neck.”
“Why are you telling me?”
“You’ll probably pick up the footage of me entering the building on the satellite feed.”
“Cain won’t be happy. If he finds out, he’ll pull you off the case.”
“He doesn’t have to know.”
Understanding made Joss’s eyes swirl with a broody light. “You’re asking me to wipe out the feed.”
“Joss…” He adjusted the patch over his eye. “That time on the boat with Clelia, before she jumped, do you remember?”
Joss flinched. “Of course I fucking remember. I try hard not to. Why bring it up?”
“I didn’t understand why you reacted the way you did. You wanted to bite off my head for smiling at her. When Cain asked if you could kill her if needed, I thought you were going to explode. There was nothing you wouldn’t do to save her. Am I right?”
“Yes,” he hissed. “I loved her since forever, even before I knew it myself.”
“Then you’ll understand how I feel about Sky.”
“Fuck, Bono. This is bad. She’s not Clelia. She’s our enemy. She’s working with the man who’s going to kill us all if Sky’s prediction comes true. When that happens, not only are we fucked, but so is the world.”
“How long have you known me?”
“Long enough.”
“Trust me, Joss. Don’t let Cain pull me out. Not yet.”
“I’m going to talk to you as a friend, not as a boss. Don’t let what happened back in Africa dictate your actions, because no matter what you do, no matter who you save, you can’t bring Lydia back.”
“This is not about her.”
“Isn’t it?”
“Let me fight this war like you fought the war we were in with Clelia. I give you my personal permission to take me out the minute you believe I’m not capable of making a rational decision.”
Joss hung his head, his long hair obscuring his expression. When he finally lifted his face, his steel-gray eyes were troubled. “Don’t fuck this up. I won’t enjoy killing you.”
“I’ll do my best. Just promise me if I die before I get a chance to kill that fucker you’ll take care of him.”
“You’ve got my word.”
“May I borrow Lann for a couple of hours?”
“What for?”
“I want to put a lock on Sky’s door.”
“How am I supposed to explain that to Cain?”
Bono winked. “I’m keeping our source of information safe.”
“Don’t forget, Cain can see what goes on in your mind.”
“I’ve got nothing to hide.”
The look Joss gave him said he disagreed.
When her last fortune-telling session was over, Sky pulled a coat on over her club outfit and hurried to the internet café on the corner. Checking that no one was following, she slipped inside, paid for a local call, and dialed Frans from a private booth.
“I’m sorry,” he said, sounding despondent. “Doumar is clever. He takes precautions. I lost his tail.”
She rested her forehead against the cold glass of the booth and closed her eyes. “We’re not getting anywhere.”
“I’m really sorry.”
She swallowed down her tears. “It’s okay, Frans. I know you’re doing your best.”
“For what it’s worth, I’m going through the preprimary school records.”
“It won’t help. Doumar would’ve lied about Niels’s date of birth. Thanks, anyway.”
“Do you want my guy to hack his phone? If I explain this is a special case, maybe he’ll give us a discount.”
There was no way she could afford Frans’s hacker. They’d already been through this. “Don’t worry.”
“What will you do?”
She inhaled deeply. “I’ll call you when I have more money.”
“Take care.”
“You too.”
She hung up. Leaning against the wall, she closed her eyes and fought the despair raging through her. She couldn’t give up. If Frans couldn’t find Niels, it was time for more desperate measures. She didn’t have the luxury of time any longer.
Back at the club, she did something she’d never done before. She stole money from Doumar. A lot of money. When he found out, he’d kill her. She only hoped by then she’d be long gone with Niels, leaving the club and Godfrey’s sinister ambitions far, far behind.
She had one hour before they were due to leave for their meeting with Godfrey. Making up an excuse of going out for a banana-coffee shake, she walked to the corner and hailed a cab. She gave the driver the address of a spy store.