Total pages in book: 148
Estimated words: 139606 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 698(@200wpm)___ 558(@250wpm)___ 465(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 139606 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 698(@200wpm)___ 558(@250wpm)___ 465(@300wpm)
“Why would they try to hide?” She could come up with a hundred reasons, but she wanted to hear his.
“It could be as simple as tax evasion. Or it could be something darker. I don’t know. I only know that whatever that man wanted from Dare, it wasn’t his watch.”
“You think they wanted his laptop?”
“I think they wanted him,” Brian corrected. “I think they meant to take him into custody in an attempt to force his father to pay up in some way. The best-case scenario is they want cash. His father might pay up. Might.”
“His father is an asshole.” She couldn’t imagine a father not doing everything to get his son back.
“Absolutely.”
“And the worst case?”
“They want to trade Dare for something else. Something dangerous.” It was obvious this was a scenario he’d been thinking about long before the events of this evening. “Medical research is necessary and saves lives, but like all new technology, it can sometimes be twisted. Medications can have side effects, and sometimes those side effects can be used for nefarious purposes. That’s my worst case. That some group feels like they can potentially use a medication that’s being tested for something bad. Or they could want a sample to push their own research through. It could be corporate espionage at work.”
He’d neatly summed up most of what her team had gone over. With the exception of the mob ties. It was interesting that he knew so much but hadn’t heard those rumors.
It was time to play dumb. “I don’t know a lot about corporate espionage, but my father does. He’s in the States, but I can get him on the phone. I want to look through our contacts and see if there’s a bodyguard here in Australia we can work with.”
“I can talk to him? Your father, that is?”
She could only imagine how her actual father would chew this guy up and spit him out. Especially if he knew Kenz was swooning over him and hadn’t seemed to change her mind when she’d realized he was lying. That had only focused her attraction. But Zach would be pleasant and affable and oh so helpful. Pretty much the opposite of the man the world knew as Big Tag.
“Sure. It’s late here, so it’s morning at home. He’s an early riser, so I think we’ll catch him before he goes to work.” She pulled out her cell phone. If he looked, Brian would see she was calling a 214 area code. Dallas, TX.
Location was so easy to fake, but she didn’t mean to get tripped up by small details.
She dialed the number and switched to speaker. Not something she would ever do in real life.
“Hey, honey.” A deep voice came over the line. Zach faked a yawn. “How is life down under? Kara keeping the crocs away?”
The man was barely thirty, but he had her dad’s sarcasm down. Probably because he’d been trained by the best.
“Dad, I’m in some trouble. Or rather I have a friend who is. I’ve got you on speaker. It looks like I need to hire a bodyguard.”
She settled in as Zach worked some magic and Brian relaxed.
They were in.
* * * *
Dare rolled over and stared at the digital clock for a moment. Nine thirty. There were two of those, but he rather thought it was the AM one since he knew it had been later than that when that asshole had shot him. Unless he’d slept the day away…
He put a hand on his chest, rubbing the sore spot. Fucker. That had hurt, and honestly, the nausea and foggy head he’d gotten from the drugs hadn’t been a party either.
0 of 10 stars. Would not recommend.
Where was Tasha?
He managed to sit up and flick on the light. She wasn’t next to him, but there was an indentation in the pillow that let him know she’d stayed with him.
Had she woken up and realized he was a shitty bet? What could he actually offer her? A couple of weeks in bed, some play sessions? He could buy her presents, but nothing like a car or wildly priced jewelry since his father would have questions.
He was so trapped and he hated it, but he’d never hated it the way he did now. He felt like a fucking child asking permission to breathe.
She would be right to leave him.
He hated this, hated being caught in a freaking shame spiral.
Someone had taken off his shoes, but he was otherwise still dressed in the clothes from the night before. He forced himself to roll out of bed, and the scent of coffee hit him. Someone was out in the living area, but he couldn’t be sure if it was Tasha or Brian. Had Brian scared her off?
The sight of her suitcase tucked against the wall told him no.