Total pages in book: 53
Estimated words: 50820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 254(@200wpm)___ 203(@250wpm)___ 169(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 50820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 254(@200wpm)___ 203(@250wpm)___ 169(@300wpm)
I motion for Augustin to pull beside a cluster of several towering pine trees and kill the engine. “Stay here,” I order, and open the door.
By the time my feet hit castle dirt, Jay’s already standing by my side. “This doesn’t look like a crime. What is this? What are we doing here?”
“The answer when my father’s involved is always getting fucked over. The position is what we find out later.” I step around him and by the time he’s caught up and we’re at the rear of the vehicle, Jay and Jack have found us again, but me and Andrew don’t stop walking. We pull ahead of the others, walking toward the tape he’d spied on the way in. “Tell me again why you saved Dad last night?”
I glance over at him. “Are we still on this? Careful, Andrew. I’ll think you’re disappointed. And because I know you won’t stop asking until I answer, “For all the wrong reasons and he knows it.”
Jay steps to my side and murmurs, “You’re sure your Dad’s okay, right?”
I snort. “Yeah. The real question is—is his enemy okay?”
We reach the tape and a security guy steps into our path—a skinny gray-haired dude in a suit, who motions to me and Andrew. “You two are cleared. Only you two.”
I lift my badge where it hangs around my neck and say, “Now they are.” I motion for Jack to move forward, and he lifts his chin, avoids eye contact with the gatekeeper and charges forward.
When the skinny guy steps in front of him, Jack offers up his own badge. The muscle dude—who’s really a skinny dude—grunts and steps aside. “I highly recommend you step in front of me,” I invite. “Or my personal bodyguard who’s an extension of—wait for it—me. Because being here to serve my father has me in a pissy as fuck mood, and I know, I abso-fucking-lutely know, I have a reputation as a bitch. I earned it. I’ll earn it again. Try me.”
The skinny brute has the sense to pale, his cheeks sucking in, before he says, “Understood, Special Agent Love,” and he motions me forward.
“Mendez,” I correct. “Lilah Mendez. I am not that man’s willing daughter. Feel free to pass that around as gossip.” I walk forward, without looking back to assure Jay and Andrew are following. Of course, they are and the trio of us head up a long flight of concrete stairs.
“I can’t believe the state thought paying for this was a good idea,” Andrew murmurs.
“I’m guessing it was the same private donors who paid to get Dad elected, but you can bet I’ll find out. Separate note, Tic Tac is thinking of rooming with Lucas.”
“That’s more stupid than me dating Samantha.”
Samantha being Kane’s ex-fuck buddy who Andrew decided to make his fuck buddy, only Andrew is more of a heart after man parts, kind of guy. He’s the kind of guy a girl like that takes to the bank. “Please tell me that means you broke up?”
“We did. And don’t ask details.”
“Sure. I’ll make up stories about all the ways she dumped you while drinking champagne tonight.”
We reach the door where there’s actually a uniform standing guard, I assume to be an off-duty private for hire, but it’s possible he’s assigned to guard the castle. Since they all seem to know me and Andrew, I motion to Jack and Jay. “They’re with us.”
“If it’s Pocher,” Andrew murmurs, “I’ll drink that champagne with you.”
The door swings open and Pocher greets us. “There you have it, Andrew. Pocher is not dead. Pity.”
The officer, a young red headed man with an excess of freckles coughs to hide his laughter.
“It is a pity,” I say, happy to speak my mind right to the snake’s face.
“Careful what you wish for, Lilah,” Pocher warns.
“Why? You afraid the wish fairy, otherwise known as Ghost, is listening?”
“I was thinking more because I have witnesses.” There’s not one ounce of discomfort in him at the mention of Ghost and the idea that he hired him, suddenly holds credence. He backs up and opens the door to show me an elegant foyer with Adams as the centerpiece, and today, Adam’s has dressed for the castle, in one heck of an expensive suit, and I make a mental note to find out how he afforded the fine silk. Despite the spiffy garb today he looks every day his thirty-eight years, with an added five to seven years of shadows beneath his eyes, and a few of the wrinkles I noticed before appear deeper, while his skin is a bit chalky.
“This way,” Adams says, and he walks toward an archway to the right.
I glance at Jay. “Stay here.”
Jay holds up his hands. “I’ll be happy to go to the car.”
Adams eyes Jack. “You too. And as for you, Andrew,” he says, shifting his attention to my brother, “you’re no longer a member of law enforcement. You need to go upstairs to your father’s office and talk to him.” Adams turns and starts walking.