Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 66977 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66977 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
Snatching my hand away is attached to a high pitch croak, “What?!”
“Not actual bait, Angel Cake.”
“What?!”
“Mind bait.”
“What the fuck does that mean?!”
“Is that country slang for a headache?” Blu needlessly needles prompting Slater to toss him a glare across the room.
“You really want a bruise on your other leg?”
He presses his lips tightly together and offers up both hands in submission.
“While interrogatin’ the assailant, I managed to extract financial information regardin’ payment-”
“Allowing us to possibly follow the money,” my other guard informs at a lower volume.
“-as well as the device in which he had been assigned to use for communication with the person who theoretically hired him. We’re havin’ it cloned for use and trackin’ and are settin’ up a package pick up of ‘Songbird’ for tomorrow tonight. Word around the office regardin’ whether or not this kidnap attempt was a failure or success is mixed, and we’re gonna use this mixture to our advantage. Seventeen, I need you to put out a vague branch memo regardin’ her missin’ status, that way, whoever the inside person is doesn’t tip off the person we’re communicatin’ with about delivery. We’ll stage it to look like Arley’s been successfully captured by tyin’ her up and takin’ a focused picture of mostly her face and hands in the trunk of the transport vehicle.”
“Naturally,” Harvey inserts on a nod of approval.
There’s no way to stop myself from squawking, “Is that natural?!”
“However-”
“Come on, Cowboy. Not the fancy but,” I thoughtlessly whine. “Anything but the fancy but.”
“However, we won’t actually be puttin’ Arley at risk. We’ll use Consuelos as a body double-”
“She looks nothing like me!”
He immediately shoots me a mirthful smirk. “In a dimly lit room, covered up, bound, and gagged, they initially won’t be able to tell the difference, Angel Cake.”
Valid point.
I don’t like it.
But still.
Valid point.
My main bodyguard cuts his attention back to our boss. “We’ll use Consuelos as a body double as well as additional backup for securin’ the situation due to Reynolds bein’ left behind to assist in protectin’ the actual target.”
Grumbling under my breath is accompanied by an irritated eyeroll. “And there’s the reason for the ugly but.”
“We were originally scheduled to go by Hilda and T’s place tomorrow night for dinner and to solidify the last of the engagement shower details, but because of today’s attack,” Slater veers his stare back to me, soft, crisp, blue coloring undulating its way my direction, “I’ll call T and have him and Hilda swing by our penthouse instead. He’ll understand. Hell, they both will. You know the only thing your family cares about is that you’re okay.” I bashfully nod at the statement prompting him to resume speaking to the other people in the room. “We’ll secure the scene, capture the lead, and use them to hopefully extract additional information regardin’ who is behind all this.” The sigh that seeps free is so heavy it damn near cracks the floor. “It’s a slow and steady climb upward, but at this point, it’s what we have. Followin’ each and every road to get us closer to endin’ this shit once and for all.”
“Agreed,” Harvey states on a slow nod. “And permanently shutting down this poacher is the secondary goal to protecting one of our most valued assets.”
Oh, look, Robot Boss has successfully returned to his default programming!
“Do you already have an idea for getting Arley out of here undetected?” Blu cautiously questions.
“Yeah.” Slater’s crystal gaze reverts back to me, nervousness reiterated by the slanted angle of the single word. “And you’re not gonna like it…”
Fuck. Me.
Why do I get the feeling that’s going to be his new fucking catchphrase for the foreseeable future?
Chapter 4
Arley
You know when I envisioned us spending the evening together all hot and sweaty and tangled in each other’s arms in our bedroom – er his bedroom – this was so not what I had in mind.
Slater frustratedly drops his hands onto his gym shorts covered hips and shakes his head in disapproval. “How many times have we talked about that thumb, Angel Cake?”
“Today?” I bitterly bite back after blowing a loose strand away from my glasses. “Or like in general? Because last I checked you didn’t mind it when I-”
“Take this shit seriously, please.” More unhappiness flutters into his gaze. “Proper formation is the difference between a subdued opponent and a broken wrist.” He lifts his right hand up to be eyelevel with me. “Curl those fingers to not see the nail. Lock the thumb here,” he fastens the digit on top of his index finger, “to stabilize and secure.” His other hand gestures in my direction. “Show me. Show me so we can get back to actually boxin’.”
“You know between being stuffed in a box to get out of my own office and spending the last two hours being taught how to box, I’m feeling a little boxed in. Pun very much intended.”