Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 72692 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 363(@200wpm)___ 291(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72692 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 363(@200wpm)___ 291(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
I sit up straighter, even though I’m on his lap. “No one’s taking advantage of anyone, Nicolette, and you and I have a lot of catching up to do.”
Nicolette blinks. Lyam laughs out loud, and Fabien clears his throat. “Tell us what happened, Lyam. Fill us in.”
Lyam straightens in his seat. “Nicolette, Savannah, you’re family now. No reason to hide anything.” He strokes his damn snake. She practically purrs.
I sit still, listening and hoping that the damn thing can’t reach me.
“First, I want to know how much you two know.”
Nicolette’s eyes widen. “About what?”
“Who we are. What we do.”
Nicolette looks at Fabien. He shrugs. “Go on.”
Nicolette smiles. “You guys are a badass crime ring. No one fucks with you. You’re friends with the Rossis. You help their Italian wine business as a front, and God knows what you do behind the scenes. Fabien’s like the C.E.O., Thayer’s the scary one who kicks ass, and Lyam’s the smart one who knows all about operations and computers and shit like that.”
Lyam’s eyebrows rise. “That’s a little more than I thought you’d know.” He turns to me. “You follow?”
I nod. “Of course.”
“I have networks I run. Servers,” Lyam continues. “I’ve got spies and accomplices from here to the States, throughout Southern Asia, and in multiple cities throughout the world. If I want to flag someone or something, it’s done. So as soon as you became an eyewitness, I put out feelers. Someone saw you. That someone asked around, looking for answers. Your waitress at a nearby restaurant pulled your tab, where you signed your real name and used a credit card tied to your real address.”
Fabien curses.
“It was only a matter of time,” Thayer says placidly. I look at him in surprise. His grip tightens on me. “We knew they’d find her. She’s too difficult to hide. She doesn’t blend in like other girls.”
He runs his hand down the length of my thigh, out of the sight of the others.
“You act like you expected this,” Nicolette says, her tone hard.
“I did,” Thayer responds. “Why do you think I brought her to a place where I was most feared?”
The Savage. They call him The Savage.
My heart beats rapidly.
It’s time I found out why.
“Where you’ve got the most control,” Lyam says as if he understands this perfectly. “Of course. So rumor has it she’s been traced back to us.”
What has he done?
“Is Maman safe?” Fabien asks.
“Yes.” Thayer’s voice rumbles behind me. “I’ve had her moved and tripled her guard. No one will touch her.”
I feel the wall of his chest at my back, the tightness of his arms around me. Thayer’s a fortress no matter the threat.
“It looks like they circled Paris first, but the second trip, they took Cousin Milo with them. They interrogated and beat him and dropped him back on our doorstep. He won’t tell me what he’s confessed.”
Oh my God. One person dead, another in hiding, and a third beaten because of me? Where will this stop?
Fabien nods. “I’m not worried. They took him because he’s an easy target, but even he doesn’t know where you are. We’ve done well not to disclose the information on your whereabouts.”
Thayer nods. “Only members know about us.”
I turn to them. “What about the new hires, though? Were they all members?”
Lyam nods. “Yes.”
The doubts I had before resurface now that I know those women, the ones who applied for the job of willing servants, are already members here.
“Well, how do you know that the members don’t talk, though?” I mean, that part seems obvious, I would think.
“They sign nondisclosure agreements when they join,” Thayer says. “And failure to abide by the agreement brings…” he pauses. “Serious consequences.”
So they rely on the Gerard family name to ensure safety and anonymity. I make the logical conclusion that fear of Thayer has a lot to do with this.
“There’s no real way of being completely bulletproof.” His grip tightens, and I feel the hidden implication. Which is why I’m here.
“Get Milo on the phone,” Thayer says.
“No need.” Lyam clears his throat. “I had him brought here.”
Thayer gently puts me on the floor in front of him. “I’m going to have a talk with him.”
“Thayer,” Fabien says in a warning tone. “Don’t overdo it.”
Thayer shrugs. “Of course not.”
Even Lyam’s on his feet. “Thayer, for real, man—”
“I said I won’t overdo it,” Thayer replies. “Now you two do your fucking jobs. My sources say they went after our old stomping grounds. They found no one there but they asked around. Likely knew that we’d relocate.”
“Did anyone tell them anything?”
“We don’t know. Savannah, you’ll come with me.”
Nicolette pales. “Thayer, you can’t take her with you. Not if you’re going to—if you’re—”
“I’ve got this, Nicolette.” Thayer’s voice is like ice. I stare at him and then my sister on the screen. “She’ll be safe.”