Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 122550 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 613(@200wpm)___ 490(@250wpm)___ 409(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 122550 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 613(@200wpm)___ 490(@250wpm)___ 409(@300wpm)
“I know I can come across as . . . flighty or perhaps absent-minded. I’m often stuck in my own brain, thinking about other things. But that doesn’t mean I can’t handle what’s going on. I should be here for you to sound off, to help you.”
“You want to help me?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“You can help me best by staying safe and doing as I say.”
“That wasn’t exactly what I meant,” she grumbled.
He brushed her hair back. “No, but it’s what I need. You know that what I do isn’t on the right side of the law.”
She bit her lip. “I know. It’s not like I didn’t grow up in that world. I’m not ignorant.”
“I didn’t mean to imply that you were. But what you are is innocent. However, if I tell you what is going on, you become an accessory. You could be questioned, used against me. You could be harmed. Do you know what would happen if you were harmed, sweet baby?”
“Um. I’m guessing you might be upset.”
“I wouldn’t just be upset. I’d kill every bastard who touched you, who hurt you, who even looked at you funny. Do you get that?”
She . . . she hadn’t understood that before. Hadn’t seen the depth with which he would do what was needed to keep her safe.
But now she was starting to see it.
“I think I do now.”
“You must be kept safe, baby. Otherwise, the rest of this . . . everything . . . it’s pointless.”
Regent walked back into the study.
He hadn’t wanted to leave his girl. But he had to speak to his brothers before they left.
Why did he feel like he’d missed something? That he could have done something differently?
Jilly had seemed happy when he’d left her. She’d gone back to her book, telling him she thought she’d solved a plot hole.
He wasn’t exactly sure what she was talking about, but he was glad she was happy.
Maxim had helped himself to his Scotch in true Maxim fashion. While Victor looked like he was contemplating ripping their youngest brother’s limbs off and beating him with them. And Jardin was ignoring them both while checking something on his phone.
So. Everything was normal here.
“It’s only four in the afternoon,” he said to Maxim.
“Anytime is a good time for hundred-year-old Scotch,” Maxim replied as Regent sat behind his desk. “Besides, Victor is driving me home.”
“No, I’m not,” Victor grumbled.
“You’d let me drive after drinking?” Maxim asked.
“You can walk,” Victor snapped.
“We need to talk about what the fuck is going on,” Regent said impatiently.
“Or we could talk about Jilly,” Maxim suggested. “She seems so sweet. And cute.”
Regent leaned forward, hitting Maxim with the full force of his gaze. “You shouldn’t be noticing how cute she is.”
Maxim just smiled.
He’d always been the hardest to control. The most outrageous of all his brothers.
In other words, a giant headache.
“We need to talk about what is going on,” he said. “Someone shot at our men last night. We’re fucking lucky no one died. And having to shift product quickly from one warehouse to another because someone leaked the location is not acceptable!”
“At least Basilien found the people behind the theft of our supplies by the border,” Victor said with a scowl. “They were taken care of, but it doesn’t seem like that was related to what’s happening here.”
“Whoever has been paying people to attack the street pushers has to have some inside knowledge of our operation,” Maxim guessed.
Victor grunted. “Since we’re in control of ninety percent of the drug trade in the city, it doesn’t take any knowledge to find guys pushing our stuff.”
That was true.
Most of the guys out there selling drugs were pushing their stuff.
“What about the call to the cops regarding the warehouse location?” Maxim asked. “Someone had to have inside knowledge.”
“You think we have another traitor?” he asked.
Maxim shrugged. “Who knew the warehouse location?”
“Too many people.” Regent looked at Victor.
“I’ll make a list,” Victor said in a dark voice.
“It has to be Patrick,” Regent said.
“There’s no evidence he’s even in the city,” Victor said.
Right. But Regent couldn’t shake the feeling that he was.
“And he hasn’t been spotted at Kimmy’s apartment or the club,” Victor added. “When you spoke to her that night at Sexy Sin, she said she hadn’t seen him.”
That didn’t mean she was telling the truth.
Patrick was clever. Regent always knew he would come back.
There was always going to be a showdown.
It was just a matter of when and where.
“I want that club destroyed.”
“What?” Victor looked over at him in shock. Very little shocked his brother.
“I want it destroyed. Burned to the ground. I don’t care how you do it. Gas leak. Explosion. Faulty wiring. Whatever. I want it done.”
“Why?” Jardin asked. “Do you think Santé is doing something behind your back? Do you think he’s helping Patrick?”
“I don’t have any evidence of that. He seems on the up-and-up.”