Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 64354 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 322(@200wpm)___ 257(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64354 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 322(@200wpm)___ 257(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
“Excellent. So then, I’ll just need a few photos for your new passport and driver’s license. We can take some if you want, or—”
I pulled an envelope from my inside coat pocket and handed it to him. “I already printed some.”
He grinned and said, “You must have been confident that I’d know some criminals.”
“I was hopeful. And I really felt setting up a new identity was important, so if you hadn’t been able to help me, I would have had to find someone who could. Either way, I’d need photos.”
“That’s true. Now, tell me everything you know about Ashcroft. Your people must have researched him when they were planning the heist, so I want details, the stuff that won’t show up when I search for him on Google.”
“Why?”
“I think it’s important to know who we’re up against. I also plan to do some digging and see if we can find his pressure points. If he keeps coming after you despite our best efforts, we might need a way to push back.”
“I don’t know about that. A man that rich and powerful—”
“Is still just a man,” Dante said. “No one’s untouchable, no matter how many layers of security they try to hide behind.”
“Alright, but please be careful. I’d never forgive myself if I put you in danger.”
“Don’t worry about me, Sal,” he said, with that unwavering confidence I remembered so well. “This isn’t my first rodeo.”
I told him everything I knew, and by the time I finished, I felt a sense of relief. I wasn’t totally alone in this anymore. Dante had my back, and I was deeply grateful for that.
It was also a relief knowing that any potential paper trails leading to me were going cold as of today. All I had to do was fetch my suitcase and check out of the hotel. It was the last place I’d used my second alias, and even though I was pretty confident it hadn’t been compromised, I was still glad to be starting fresh.
Just as Dante and I got up to rejoin the rest of the family, I received a text message from Armando, asking if I had dinner plans. This day kept getting better.
I was grinning as I asked Dante, “Could you please reserve a hotel room for me for tonight, since I’m retiring all my credit cards and IDs? I’ll pay you back, not just for the room, but for all of this. And if it’s all the same with you, I’d like to fly back to L.A. tomorrow, instead of this evening.”
“Of course. I’m curious though, what’s keeping you in town one more night?”
“I have a date with a very handsome man.”
He chuckled and muttered, “We really are the gayest family ever.”
4
Armando
Tory had switched hotels. Both were extremely high-end, but the new one was sleek and modern, while the last one had been stately and elegant. This one also managed to be even more intimidating.
I felt hopelessly out of place as I took a seat in the lobby. I’d exchanged my T-shirt and hoodie for a Henley, and I was wearing my nicest pair of jeans and my Chelsea boots—all of which I’d purchased for the weekend of my son’s wedding. This was the best I could do, short of putting my tuxedo back on, which would obviously be overkill. But I felt like there was a neon sign over my head, flashing the words: This man doesn’t belong here.
Since I’d arrived early, I sat in a corner of the lobby for twenty minutes before finally sending Tory a text to let him know I was downstairs. He stepped off the elevator a minute later dressed all in black, from his loafers and dress pants to the button-down shirt he wore with the sleeves rolled back.
He looked effortlessly elegant, but it was his confidence more than anything that made him seem perfectly at home in this opulent setting. Unlike me, he carried himself with his head held high, making it clear he had zero fucks to give about what anyone thought of him.
I leapt up and started to cross the lobby. When he spotted me, his hard expression softened, a smile lighting his dark eyes. His gaze remained locked on me as I made my way to him. It was like everyone else was invisible, as far as he was concerned. That was incredibly flattering.
Plenty of people noticed him though, men and women alike. No wonder, since he was about six-foot-four, with the body of a professional athlete and the face of a movie star. But he didn’t seem to notice or care about all the looks he was getting.
When I reached him, I said, “Hi, Tory,” and impulsively grabbed him in a hug.
He wrapped his arms around me, which felt wonderful. “Hi, Armando. I was really happy to get your text about dinner.” After a moment he said, very gently, “You’re shaking.”