Total pages in book: 181
Estimated words: 171979 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 860(@200wpm)___ 688(@250wpm)___ 573(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 171979 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 860(@200wpm)___ 688(@250wpm)___ 573(@300wpm)
His jaw tightened. Why did they always think they didn’t have to play by the rules he had explicitly given when he agreed to act as a go-between?
Kent waited until both men were inside before he showed his displeasure.
“What’s he doing here?” he asked Mica, who had taken the seat up front next to him while the hoodie was slouching in the back seat.
Mica gave him a cocky grin. “He’s with me.”
“No shit,” he said sarcastically. “What did you not understand about it being just you and me?”
“Brody’s my protection. He’s cool.”
“I’m all the protection you’re going to need unless you’re planning to fuck the Phantoms over.”
“Do I look stupid?”
“Do you really want me to answer that asinine question?”
The grin disappeared from Mica’s face. “I’m paying you a shit ton of money to work for me. I say Brody is going. If not, I can handle this deal myself.”
Kent didn’t waver at the threat. “Both of you get the fuck out of my car,” he ordered harshly.
Mica’s cocky attitude disappeared. “Let’s talk about this. Brody knows how to handle himself. He won’t do anything stupid.”
“I don’t care if he’s chill or if he knows how to handle himself. Wraith won’t care, either. We agreed to come alone. Wraith is only bringing one other person as well. If we bring another person, he will just leave. He won’t stand around and argue with you. Then the deal won’t go through,” Kent told him in a cold, precise voice.
“Fuck!” Mica snarled, his complexion growing ruddy with anger. “Go back to the house, Brody, and wait for me there.”
When he checked in the rear-view mirror, Kent saw Brody was about to argue.
Kent forestalled him.
“I’ll have him back in an hour,” he said firmly. “I’ve never had a problem making transactions with the Phantoms. If we play by the rules, the deal will go down without a hitch.”
The bodyguard was pissed, but he did get out of the car.
With Brody gone, he still didn’t put the car in gear.
“Show me the merchandise.” Holding his hand out, he waited expectantly for the bag Mica was holding tightly on his lap.
“Why do you need to see it?” he countered.
Kent gave a mock laugh. “If you think I’m going to hand over a bag to Wraith without double-checking the merchandise, then you’re insane. We aren’t fucking trading Pokémon cards. You try to pull the wool over Wraith’s eyes, they’ll pull real fucking guns on you and fill you with real fucking bullets. Then he’ll fill me with lead just to show everyone not to mess with him. You get my fucking meaning?”
“Yeah, I get it.” Mica handed him the black gym bag.
Unzipping the bag, Kent looked inside. He picked out a gleaming necklace, then unzipped his leather jacket to tug on his thin chain until a small jeweler’s loupe slid out from underneath his black T-shirt.
Putting the magnifying glass to his eye, he studied the diamonds in the necklace before putting it back in the bag and taking another piece from inside. He studied the yellow diamond flower bracelet under the microscope and estimated the value to be over eighty grand. Together with the necklace, the two pieces alone were at least two hundred grand.
Dropping the bracelet back into the bag, he was about to zip it back up when one piece caught his eye.
He pulled out a delicate, pink diamond and pearl flower pendant necklace and raised it to the scope, then lowered the necklace and admired the fragile beauty of the design. Keeping the necklace in his hand, he zipped the bag closed before he gave it back to Mica.
“What the hell? Give it back!” Springing toward him, Mica tried to take the necklace from his hand.
Kent shoved him away. “The necklace is my fee.” Putting the car in gear, he pulled out of the parking spot.
“Ice said he would take care of your end of our deal.”
“Relax. I’ll handle it with Ice.” Shooting him a quick glance, he saw Mica was positioning himself to grab for the necklace again. “I’ll make sure Wraith knows I took it. It’s all good.”
“How’s it good? I’m not going to bite the loss of that necklace. It’s twenty thousand dollars!”
“Retail,” Kent corrected him. “We both know you didn’t buy it legally, did you, Mica?” Giving him a sardonic look, he slid the necklace into his jacket pocket.
Mica’s mouth snapped shut.
“Don’t worry; you won’t lose a dime. Wraith will give you the same amount he offered for the merchandise without the one I took.”
“All I heard from both Ice and you was not to try to pull one over on him. Now, all of a sudden, you want me to stiff him twenty grand?”
“I plan to tell Wraith I took it.” Kent pressed a button, raising the volume of the music. “Buckle your seat belt; I don’t want to keep listening to that fucking binging for the next five miles.”