Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 92702 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92702 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
“Patience, brother,” Josef murmurs, still staring at me. “You’ll get what you want. Young Enzo here isn’t foolish enough to make a mistake like harming our Elena.”
“She is unharmed,” I confirm. “A slight bump on the head, but as you can see, it hasn’t affected her.”
“So?” Josef folds his arms, his feet planted at shoulder width. “Are we making an exchange, or are we not? I have nothing else for you. And if you are looking for revenge, you’ve come to the wrong person. I can only say it so many times. I had nothing to do with the old man’s murder.”
The guards draw their guns when I tighten my grip on Elena’s arm and jerk her slightly closer to me. All eight of them have their eye on me. Alicia’s soft gasp rings out behind me, followed by Prince’s equally soft grunt as if he is forbidding her from moving or reacting.
Now I know what I’m up against, which of course, was the plan all along. To draw them out, count them, and be sure of what we’re up against.
“I’m nothing if not a man of my word.” With that, I release her, and she runs to her father. “Take her, and get her out of here,” I call out as the man wraps his arms around her and leads her to one of the cars. Immediately, he puts her inside and pulls away without hesitation. Smart man.
“See?” Alvarez gloats. “I knew you could be reasonable. It’s not that difficult. Now, why don’t we put all of this behind us once I hand this loser back to you to do with as you wish? And we can both go on our merry way.”
“That does sound like a good idea,” I muse. This bastard. He’s so full of shit I’m surprised he can move. “My family has been through a lot. Too much, if I’m being frank.”
“There’s no reason not to be. And I know losing your mentor, the man who raised you, must have been difficult. But I am not your enemy in this. What would I have to gain by killing him? It makes no sense and only causes turmoil. Now…” He offers a shrug and a smirk. “I wouldn’t call myself a foolish man, but I’m no one’s idea of an evil genius. And I don’t get off on killing. I had nothing to gain. I hope you see that now.”
He gestures toward Frankie. “I give him back to you alive as a gesture of goodwill. I didn’t want to take the pleasure of dealing with him away from you.”
“That was very thoughtful of you. But I have to admit, it isn’t Frankie I’m most concerned with now. Don’t get me wrong,” I add, glaring at the beaten, bloodied man as his head swings back and forth between us. “We’re going to have a long talk, and he’s going to tell me everything he knows. But I’m still worried about one thing. Maybe you can help me with it, being as experienced as you are.”
“Please, by all means. What can I do to help you?”
“You can return everything given to you upon my marriage.”
He blurts out a disbelieving laugh. “You can’t be serious.”
“You made that agreement under false pretenses. You pretended to be Alicia’s father because it served your ends. And because you wanted to get your hands on what she took from the warehouse that night.”
His eagerness betrays him. Let him pretend all he wants, but he isn’t nearly as calm and cool as he pretends. “Where is it?” he barks, and now the mask falls off completely. No more pretending to be the gregarious, experienced adversary. “It belongs to me. It always has.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of it.”
“You couldn’t possibly know what to do with that product, how it’s manufactured, any of it.”
“But I can find out, can’t I? And I’m already in the process of doing so. I sent a sample to a laboratory, and they’re working on the chemical composition as we speak. Before long, I’ll know exactly how to replicate the product.”
“But it’s mine!” Spittle flies from his lips, illuminated by the headlights behind him.
“Relax,” I tell him, savoring his rage for as long as I can. “It’s not like you’ll be around to do anything with it, anyway.”
And that’s when I withdraw my gun and lodge a bullet between his eyes. He didn’t even see it coming.
Alicia’s soft scream as his body hits the ground only punctuates my satisfaction.
As predicted, the remaining guards raise their weapons, but I hold up a hand. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” I call out over their grunts of surprise and anger, and as if by magic, a series of lasers appear, bright red in the darkness, their points trained on the chests and heads of the men now aiming their guns at me.