Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 90276 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90276 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
Tyler snagged my mug and took a sip.
“Hey.”
“You think I’m hot, eh?”
I rolled my eyes. “You are until you open your mouth.” I grabbed for my mug, but he lifted it in the air out of reach.
“Nice get-up.” He eyed my track pants and sweatshirt. “Easy access, I guess.”
“Tyler,” Deck warned in a quiet tone. It was instant. Tyler’s laughter died and he was serious again as he passed me my cappuccino. “What have we found out?”
Josh slid a sheet across the table to Deck. “List of organizations which we know of. Seven we’ve had dealings with which I scratched off. Two are affiliated with hate crimes, also scratched off. The last one is a possibility, but unlikely. According to what I found out, it was established ten years ago and wouldn’t have been around to pull off something so elaborate as kidnapping a JTF2 officer while on a mission in the Middle East.”
Where Connor had supposedly been killed in a car bomb explosion. Deck had seen it happen. At least he’d thought he had. To pull something off that well-executed, these people had to have men who were just as good as or better than JTF2’s.
Tyler pushed back his chair and stretched out his legs. “We dig deeper, we raise red flags which—”
“Puts Georgie at risk,” Deck finished. “Okay, what about the guy, Tanner? Who is he? Where did he come from?”
I sat up straighter. “Deck, Tanner doesn’t know anything. Kai brought him in to watch out for me when he was away.”
“Yeah,” Tyler said as he looked at me. “But why him? Why a kid Connor used to know?”
I shrugged. “Because he knew me. When I found out Tanner was also working for Kai, it made me trust Kai even more because I had familiarity with Tanner.”
“And how long was Tanner involved with Kai before you were brought in?” Vic asked.
I didn’t know. Well, not really. When I didn’t answer, Deck said, “Bring him in quietly.”
I froze. “What does that mean? Are you going to hurt him?”
“Not if he talks,” Vic said.
I looked to Deck who wasn’t looking at me. “Deck? Damn it, Deck. Tanner’s my friend. Connor knew him.” I knew by the silence in the room what they planned to do and it was a reality check of what these men did. Of what we were involved in.
“Friends don’t let you be cut up while they wait outside.” Deck’s words plowed into me and it took me a moment to catch my breath. How did he know Tanner had been there? Who told him? Kai? But why would Kai do that? And from the look on the men’s faces they didn’t know about the purging. I guessed it was something Deck had kept to himself. He chin lifted to Vic and the scrape of his chair sounded on the hardwood floors as he came to his feet, snagged his cell and walked out.
Deck turned all his attention to me and his eyes softened a bit; not much, but they weren’t as menacing as a few seconds ago. “You have two choices, Georgie. I tell you nothing and you ask nothing. Or you’re on board with what we have to do here. Which is it?”
Whoa. Okay, I understood what he was saying, but shit, hearing it so harsh and in my face set me back. I suspected that was what he was trying to do. I didn’t say anything for a second, a little shocked at Deck’s abruptness, although I shouldn’t have been; it was Deck, after all. Tyler kicked me under the table and I jolted. He raised his brows and tapped his hand impatiently on the table.
“Okay.”
Josh huffed and hung his head as if I’d said something wrong. Tyler kicked me again and I looked at him and mouthed, “What?”
“Okay, what, Georgie?” Deck asked.
“Okay, yeah. I’m on board.”
“Now, that we have that shit cleared up, can we get back to business?” Josh asked and then shoved his tablet across the table to Deck. “I’ve compiled a list of jobs Kai has done that we know of. The graph shows the links to people we know about and who they’re affiliated with.”
Deck was quiet as he looked it over. I watched his intensity. The way he sat at the end of the table looking as if nothing could touch him. Focused. Concentrated. Fuck, I’d brought all this shit down on him and he still loved me. He still wanted to protect me from it.
The men talked about the different contacts for a while and then Deck tried calling Kai again. When he received no answer he asked me to call, but Kai wasn’t picking up.
Deck stood and looked at Josh. “Keep trying the number I have for Kai. Tyler, call Rylie at the coffee shop. Tell her Georgie will be back in tomorrow. We need to keep things as routine as possible. Contact me if you find out anything else.”