Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 98819 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 494(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98819 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 494(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
I typically munch on a meal bar or sip a protein shake for lunch, but I’m pleased to find a lightly dressed salad with grilled chicken and an iced, honey-sweetened green tea.
“This looks great, thanks.” At least I’ll have a full belly while I deal with the mess Rex has made. “Ivan, do you know any assassins?”
“I can probably hook you up.” He winks at me in the mirror, then lays on the horn all the way to City Hall.
* * *
Rex
* * *
I’m walking into my office when my assistant approaches. I can tell by the fast clip-clop of her stilettos that she’s in a hurry.
“Sir, you have messages from The Post, The Press, and The Times. They want a statement about your recent nuptials?” She can’t keep the questioning tone out of her voice.
“Tell them I’ll be holding a press conference by EOD. Location TBD. And clear my schedule for the rest of the day.”
She nods, looking harried, and rushes off.
So far, I’ve had a productive day. Inara is safe in the precinct and now has the protection of the Roy last name. If she leaves, Fraternitas is on guard duty. I have a team of more conventional bodyguards assigned to her detail, but nothing sends a message like having a member of Fraternitas personally escorting her to and from work. The New Rome underworld will understand she’s off limits.
The rest of Fraternitas is on the street, shaking down their own contacts to sniff out the Bondage Killer. Not to mention Victor, the assassin I hired.
I don’t usually outsource hunting down a target like this, but I want BK taken out before he has another chance to torment Inara. She’s suffered enough.
His days are numbered, and when I get my hands on him, I will paint the town red with his blood.
I’m in the middle of reviewing my messages when an incoming call from Hamish interrupts me.
“I’ve spoken with the team at the duplex,” he says. “They’ve confirmed a man entered yesterday evening around ten and spent some time carrying full garbage bags from an unmarked delivery van into the townhouse. A neighbor thought he was moving in.”
Unbelievable. I brace my hands on the desk, willing my heart rate to slow down. “How did he get past our surveillance?” Inara’s townhouse wasn’t being as closely monitored now that I was no longer spying on her while she stayed there, but one system should’ve at least been operational.
“He was wearing a police uniform. Our outdoor system didn’t flag him because of that. Inara’s residence was recently a crime scene and, therefore, the site of increased police activity.”
I close my eyes. I’m the one who made her doorstep a crime scene. It’s my fault a police presence wouldn’t trigger the system or alarm the neighbors.
Hamish continues. “We can’t be certain, but it seems the intruder used a device that scrambled the camera’s signal but didn’t activate any emergency response.”
“I want to know how.” All this tech and surveillance was at my disposal, and I failed to protect her.
“I’m still gathering the details, but it’s clear the intruder had an inside knowledge of security systems. If you’ll recall, Dennis Bundy, the self-named Bondage Killer, worked as a security expert.”
“It was him. He was right there.” I thump my fist into the top of the desk. “We could’ve had him!”
“We also have to consider that this is the work of a copycat. Or he’s working with someone in the police department.”
“I want all the original records on Dennis Bundy ASAP.” I already know Inara left a voicemail on retired detective Lacy Collins’s phone, probably wanting Collins’s own notes on the BK case.
“Understood. I’ve hacked the Elyria police department records and sent an agent to retrieve the hard copies. They should be here by tonight.”
“Good.” My jaw aches from how hard I’m clenching my teeth. In my mind’s eye, I see Inara opening her townhouse door and collapsing over and over again. “It’s my fault.”
Hamish says nothing.
“If only I—” Could have what? Rewind time? There are some mistakes no amount of money can undo. “We have to catch him. He’ll make a mistake, and we’ll get him.”
“Indeed, sir. In the meantime, you should know the news is reporting that New Rome’s most eligible bachelor is now a married man.” His brief pause speaks volumes of censure. “Is there something I should know?”
I suppose now is as good a time as any to tell him. “As of ten a.m. this morning, Inara and I are married. The paperwork went through this morning.” Technically, there’s a thirty-day waiting period between getting a marriage license and tying the knot. The bride is also supposed to be present to sign the forms and actually have knowledge of the impending nuptials. But no problem is insurmountable with a big enough bribe.