Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 43071 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 215(@200wpm)___ 172(@250wpm)___ 144(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 43071 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 215(@200wpm)___ 172(@250wpm)___ 144(@300wpm)
I inched closer, the voices growing clearer. Pressing my back against the wall beside the doorframe, I carefully angled myself so I could peer through the crack without alerting the occupants. My pulse ticked up as I caught sight of the two bastards who’d approached Poppy at work—one older, glasses perched on his thin nose, and the other younger, tense and watchful. They were facing a third man whose posture radiated authority, his charcoal suit impeccable and expensive. He had the kind of bland handsomeness that allowed a man to blend into boardrooms as effortlessly as a shark gliding through murky waters.
As quietly as possible, I slid my phone from my pocket, snapped a clear photo of the third man’s face, then sent the image to Wizard.
Me
Run facial recognition. Need an ID ASAP.
Wizard’s reply was almost instant, and I could practically hear the dry tone of his voice through the text.
Wizard
You want it sometime this year? Narrow it the fuck down, or you’ll be waiting forever.
I rolled my eyes, quickly typing a reply.
Me
Cross-reference corporate finance, financial compliance, and regulatory consulting. Within the US.
Wizard
Was that so fucking hard? Give me a sec. I'm good, but Hogwarts didn't cover miracles.
Shaking my head in annoyance and a little amusement, I tucked my phone away, turning my focus back to the conversation in the room.
The older man’s voice was tight with tension. “We got the probes cleared exactly how you instructed. All low risk. But now someone is looking deeper. This was supposed to stay quiet.”
“Of course someone’s looking,” the man in the charcoal suit replied, cold irritation threading through his voice. “That was the entire point—to test how deeply they monitor their perimeter.”
My jaw clenched. Perimeter. That confirmed everything I’d suspected and more. They weren’t after the money. This was strategic—mapping our financial boundaries, gauging our response times, and pinpointing vulnerabilities. Rage simmered beneath my skin, dangerously close to boiling over. And these fuckers had put Poppy right in the middle.
My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I glanced quickly at the screen.
Wizard
Marcus Lennox, senior analyst at BAM Financial Intelligence—a private contractor.
It all clicked, puzzle pieces snapping neatly into place. BAM was well-known in certain circles for supplying strategic financial intel—mapping financial networks and pressure-testing compliance systems to find weaknesses for their clients. This wasn’t petty theft or even a direct attack.
It was reconnaissance. And it was aimed at the Hounds of Hellfire.
I shoved my phone back into my pocket, my heart pounding heavily in my chest, anger burning hot and fierce in my veins. These bastards had turned our territory into their personal chessboard, using Poppy as a pawn to test our defenses. Now I knew exactly who was behind this bullshit.
And I was done fucking around.
I met up with Kevlar and Cross outside, and we moved to a spot where we could see the building and parking lot but remained out of sight. As we waited for the meeting to end, the tension in my veins stretched almost to a breaking point. Finally, we watched the contractor stride toward his black sedan, completely unaware of our presence. We stayed hidden in the shadows of the building until his taillights disappeared around the corner, leaving behind the two lackeys in need of a lesson.
They had followed him out and stood near their cars, having a quiet conversation. Cross and Kevlar stayed on my six as we stepped out of the shadows, silent and lethal. My voice was dangerously calm when I spoke, carrying clearly across the parking lot. “You used the wrong woman.”
They both spun around, surprise flashing across their faces before quickly shifting to carefully constructed masks of neutrality. But the initial shock had told me enough—they recognized us. Or at least, they recognized the patch on our cuts. My finger twitched with the urge to put a bullet in each of their skulls. The only thing holding me back was the promise I’d made to King. And maybe the understanding that keeping these fuckers alive for now was the only way to flush out their boss.
The younger and cockier one forced a laugh, stepping toward his car. “Don’t know what you’re talking about, man. Got the wrong guys.”
The older guy tried to move, but Kevlar was behind him before I even had to say a word, grabbing him roughly by the collar and jerking him back. “Stay put.”
I stepped toward the smug little shit and grabbed his wrist in a swift, controlled motion. My expression was bored as my grip tightened mercilessly until I felt bone give beneath my fingers. He let out a sharp cry, dropping his keys with a metallic clang to the pavement.
“You put my woman in danger,” I growled, my voice low and vicious, still barely above a whisper. Cross stepped forward and grabbed hold of the injured asshole before he could scramble away, his blubbering pleas falling on deaf ears.