Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 121871 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 487(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121871 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 487(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
I curled my upper lip. “Sorry to break it to you, arsehole, but that’s not how it works. Not even you can pay for Jill to get her parental rights back after this.”
“Well, that doesn’t really matter. What matters is that we’re all bonded now.” He grinned, and that’s when I saw the flash of malice in it. For all his civilized outward appearance, this young lad was a crook. And he enjoyed being one. “My employers need legitimate fishing boats to transport our product across the Islands and Highlands and to Ireland. For a while we were getting away with posting small packages through the post office, but Police Scotland are onto us and it’s a much slower method of distribution than we need. We considered the human trafficking route until the mess last year when the boat of immigrants were rescued, along with large quantities of drugs. Right here on this island, if I’m not mistaken?”
I didn’t correct him that the boat was rescued by the LSLS.
Hughes leaned forward. “Here’s the deal: Our boat goes out from Southport to meet yours just off the coast of Ireland. We’ll provide you with a schedule, and you stop in at multiple ports to offload our product with our people. In exchange for your cooperation, we’re willing to pay you ten percent of the net profit on each of those deliveries. Now that’s a very generous offer, Mr. Shaw.”
Silence fell between us for a few seconds and even though my heart beat hard and fast in my chest, I refused to let it show.
“Let’s be clear: You want me to transport your drugs across the west coast in exchange for payment?”
“That’s correct.”
“And what made you think I’d ever say yes to this?”
Joshua Hughes smirked. “Have you heard of the term cuckooing?”
I gave an impatient swipe of my hand.
“It’s what the police up here call it.” Hughes leaned forward in his seat. “We find someone vulnerable and we take over their property so we can deal out of their house. Sometimes they’re addicts themselves or they have no one to protect them or they’re in financial crisis and we offer to help in exchange for the use of their property.” His eyes gleamed. “What we want from you … well, it’s cuckooing on another level, Mr. Shaw.”
“I’m not vulnerable, you miserable wee pissant.”
Joshua chuckled dryly. “You’re wrong. My employers always get their way, Mr. Shaw. Even if that means doing a little or a lot of damage to get their way.” He pulled a phone out of his inside jacket pocket and tapped on the screen. Then he turned it to me and there was a photo of Kelly in her Edinburgh school uniform. “Tasty little piece, your daughter. She’d look even tastier with a machete through her neck, don’t you think?”
“You fucking—” Fraser pushed off the wall, face a mask of rage, but I stood abruptly, gesturing for him to stop.
Even though my own fury rushed through my blood like fire, I leaned casually across the desk. “You even look at my daughter, and you’ll wish I only used a machete by the time I’m done with you.”
Hughes didn’t even flinch at my quiet threat. Instead, he turned the phone screen, tapped it again, and showed me another photo. “I’m not really into pedophilia, so she’s more my taste.”
It was a photo of London.
“You traded up with the second wife, eh? Younger than you. Hot as fuck.” He licked his lips. “It would be my pleasure to give her the ride of her life. Right before I shot her in that pretty face.”
Fraser glowered at me as if to say Let me at him, but I didn’t want to give the bastard the satisfaction of reacting.
“No?” He frowned and tapped the screen again. This time it showed a photo of Mum. “All these lovely women in your life. All ready and waiting to be violated before dying a violent death.” Hughes chuckled, eyes bright with that malice and madness. I realized why he was the bloke they sent to do the negotiating. He was criminally insane.
It took everything within me not to mash his face into my office wall. “I’ll say this once and only once. I will never let you or your gang of thugs traffic drugs through my company. And if you even so much as come near my family, I’ll wipe that smirk off your face with the knife I use to gut fish and then I’ll drop your body at the bottom of the sea. I doubt anyone will care enough to come looking for you.”
Hughes’s mouth twisted in an upside-down smirk. “That might have been the most impressive threat I’ve heard yet because I actually think you’re capable of doing just that. Which is why I want you on board and cooperative.” He stood abruptly and tossed our phones onto the desk. “Take some time to think about it. We’ll be in touch.”