Total pages in book: 148
Estimated words: 143870 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 719(@200wpm)___ 575(@250wpm)___ 480(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 143870 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 719(@200wpm)___ 575(@250wpm)___ 480(@300wpm)
When she climbed onto my lap and looked at me with those vulnerable fucking eyes, it took every ounce of restraint I possessed to reject her. In that moment, I was only thinking of her, and I couldn’t find a reason to care about the alliance.
It’s exactly why I need to stay away.
So when morning comes, and the buzz of activity around her house begins, I tell myself this will be my parting gift to her. Because it has to be.
But as my brothers and I get to work, a pattern develops. It isn’t just her bedroom that’s full of weapons. As Romeo and I do a sweep of the house, we find them hidden inside drawers, cupboards, books, and furniture cushions. Knives, stun guns, pepper spray—there’s not a single place in this house you could stand without being in reach of something.
Chantel’s reaction last night wasn’t just adrenaline, and when she looks around every corner, it isn’t for invisible monsters. She’s expecting someone she knows. But who?
“Cristian, we’ve got something here.”
I glance over at Romeo as he holds up a small lock box. At my direction, he’s been checking for bugs, trackers, and hidden cameras. I didn’t actually expect him to find anything, but all the security in the world won’t make a difference if she’s already exposed inside her own home.
“What is it?”
He arches a brow at me. “Come and see for yourself.”
I take the box from him, noting he’s already picked the lock. Judging by the air vent he’s removed, I’m guessing that’s where he found it.
“It was up there?”
He nods, and something about the concern in his eyes makes me wary. If he doesn’t like what he found, I know I’m going to like it even less.
I open the box to find stacks of cash, but beneath them is the more concerning detail. There are three different passports with her face on them, and every one of them has a different name.
“Are any of them legit?” I ask Romeo.
“Doubt it.” He shakes his head. “But they’re professional. I flipped through them, and everything looks clean. She probably got them at the same time she established this identity.”
I stare at them, considering that this must be her backup plan. If or when her past catches up with her, she’s prepared to run.
Tension creeps up my spine as my grip on the lockbox tightens, and I mutter a low curse.
“Something’s not adding up here.” Romeo assesses me.
“I know.”
Chantel’s been saving her spare cash, but there can’t be more than twenty thousand here. Those documents would have easily cost at least sixty thousand. There’s a premium price on high-end passports, and she’d have to have connections to get them.
Now that we’re working together with Mariella to assist her with the Aegis network, I know these identities couldn’t have come from them. The IDs Mariella and her team use to get women out of the country are low-profile and only meant to be used once before they swap them out. Chantel’s are designed for longevity. Something that could hold up under scrutiny for years. That kind of protection doesn’t come from a friend of a friend. It comes from large, well-organized syndicates like our rivals.
“See what you can find out about these.” I remove them from the box and hand them to my brother. “Anything on the names or who might have made them. I’ll keep an eye on her in the meantime.”
He nods, but concern lingers in his eyes. If we don’t know who she’s connected to, it’s a liability. Until I know her real identity, I’ll need her under constant surveillance.
I replace the cash in the lockbox, and Romeo tucks it back into the vent it came from.
“I want her name in our security systems,” I tell him. “Let everyone know she belongs to us. If she is in contact with anyone, that will give them something to talk about.”
“I’ll get it done. You want me to pull some guards for her?”
“Yes, but have them keep a low profile. I’ll need access to her phone too.”
“If you want to flush out her connections, you should make some public appearances with her.”
I scrape a hand over my face as I consider it. On the surface, it makes sense. If she has connections in this city, I need to know who she interacts with, and more importantly, who might be watching her. But the timing couldn’t be worse. Having Chantel at my side won’t help me curry favor with Bastien, and explaining the reason behind it would be even worse. If he thinks we have a potential spy in our midst, he won’t just walk. He’ll run.
Regardless, Romeo decides for me when he kicks the hornet’s nest.
“If that’s a problem, I can ask Rafe or Michele. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind.”