Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 69129 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 346(@200wpm)___ 277(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69129 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 346(@200wpm)___ 277(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
No.
Do I want them to have that option?
Yes.
More importantly, I want Clark to be able to maintain some sort of relationship with the daughter I have no doubt still struggles with abandonment issues.
“Knocking out the next possibilities – bitter employees, PR problems, customer service catastrophes – all went rather quickly once we could narrow it down to female only. Most have either moved or are too afraid to so much as say a bad word about the Wilcoxes due to NDAs.”
“Those are handy,” J.T. casually assures.
“I am hearing nothing that proves this is connected to my wife.”
“Getting rid of all the people it most likely can’t be forces us to look at those it most likely can,” Park takes over prompting my focus to shift. “Everyone directly involved with you on a typical day to day checks out. Estate staff. Assistants. Employees. Ect. I even used our outside source to confirm it.”
I have many allies we rarely have a reason to use; however, it’s good to know that when we do need them, they make no hesitation to deliver.
“This is what’s led me to believe it’s someone right outside your inner circle.”
“Why hers?” J.T. asks what I’m thinking.
“Because Wes doesn’t socialize with anyone besides you,” Park purposefully points out, “making Bryn the only option.”
Why would I socialize with anyone outside of our family?
How do I know if they can be trusted?
Should be?
“She has a tendency to be more open with those she sees frequently such as stylists, baristas, designers, parking lot attendants, and so on.”
“You’re telling me not being a raging cunt is getting me attacked?!”
“I’m telling you not being the monster in the castle everyone is terrified of makes you more likely to have had contact with the village idiot that’s orchestrating these assaults.” He doesn’t allow room for a rebuttal. “And the fact that it was the SUV you were traveling in Bryn versus the one Wes and Wyland were in earlier has Finnigan and I agreeing that whoever planted that tracker on your vehicle interacted or had direct contact with you shortly before you left the city.”
Hope has me soaring to the edge of my seat. “That can’t be a long list.”
“It’s not,” Park confidently states, “however the easiest way to discover the assailant’s identity is to set a trap for them using Bryn as bait.”
“No.”
“Wes-”
“No!” I bark viciously enough to shut his mouth. “You’re not using my fucking wife as bait!”
“Told you, you weren’t going to like it.”
“I fucking hate it!”
“Don’t I get a say?!”
“No!” My stare snaps to hers and sharply narrows. “This is not up for discussion!”
“This is very much so up for discussion!” she roars in return, body swinging into a more defensive stance. “This is my family too, Wes! It’s our son that’s nearly been kidnapped. It’s our security guard that’s still in surgery! It’s our future that this woman is trying to destroy and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to put a stop to it, just like you are!”
“I’m not risking your life!”
“You’re right, you’re not!”
Her retort stuns me silent.
“Park clearly has a plan of action, and we all know he would never knowingly let anything happen to me! It’s why I’ve got more eyes on me than the goddamn president when I go to the office just to do paperwork.” At that, she tosses him a chastising stare. “And you may wanna train the newbies about ‘believable’ background actions. Reading the aquarium map upside down for two hours, ain’t cutting it.”
An annoyed grumble is accompanied by him shutting his eyes and shaking his head. “I’ve been over that with Zandt so many fucking times.”
“You have got to trust those around us,” Bryn softly pleads, fingers curling around mine. “You have got to learn to trust me.”
Dread clumps together in the middle of my throat making my words come out in a coarse, gravelly tone, “I do trust you.”
“Then trust me to do this,” she lovingly implores. “Trust me to help put an end to this shit.”
Our eyes lock as the air in the room thickens and churns.
I want this to be over.
I want answers to why this started.
I want retribution and revenge for what this woman has taken.
For what she’s stolen.
For the memories of late-night Star Trek marathons, to picking out memorabilia for the penthouse, to bringing our son home into his room for the first time to the ones we’ll never have with the child who wasn’t even given a chance to grow.
For that…for the life she ended, she will endure the same.
It takes every ounce of energy I can find to nod my submission. “Okay.” We shift our stares over to where Park is patiently waiting. “What’s the plan?”
Chapter 20
Brynley
The best part of basically being held hostage in our downtown penthouse for the past week where I’m working from home and healing from the car wreck injuries while my son is with his grandparents in another country?