Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 132657 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 663(@200wpm)___ 531(@250wpm)___ 442(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 132657 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 663(@200wpm)___ 531(@250wpm)___ 442(@300wpm)
“Leaving us with no protection at all,” Niall pointed out, his jaw tight. “He left us here like sitting fucking ducks.”
She understood his rage, but she couldn’t handle it right now. “Before they’ll protect him, he has to show his cards, and that means stopping by his place and getting the data he has on Hamilton. They won’t give him crap until they have it in their hands. It’s precisely why my parents wanted Uncle Lucas with him. If he surrenders it without an agreement in place, they don’t owe him anything.”
“Harlow, it doesn’t matter now. He made his choice. If he wants to go to fucking jail, then we did everything we could,” Niall spat back bitterly.
It was hard to deal with his anger and keep shoving down her pain, but she forced herself to do it. Jensen had blown them all up. He probably thought they would be fine without him, that they could move on through life like he had never been there at all, but there was a reason nothing worked before there had been three of them. She picked up the small suitcase her sister brought her days ago and rushed to pack up as she talked through the problem. It was a mechanical process. Pick up clothes. Shove them in. Let her brain work while her hands did. “Ruby said the hit is on. For today.”
Niall stopped. “He left us here when they’re coming for us? He found out and didn’t even warn us?”
She didn’t think he would do that. In fact, she knew that wasn’t what happened. It didn’t make her feel better. She believed Jensen was trying to “save” them. He would walk into the fire and destroy everything they built because he didn’t think he deserved any of it, but he wouldn’t leave them behind to die. “He doesn’t know. Ruby found out because she’s been monitoring the Dark Web. She’s got hundreds of connections. Scary connections. If she says this hit is happening, then it is and I’m worried… The only thing that changed between yesterday when they were still hoping to find us and today is Jack and my parents showing up here. My dads have a woman who runs their office, and she would die before she gave up info on them. She would also probably murder anyone who asked. Mom wouldn’t tell her agent, and she damn straight wouldn’t bring her friends in.”
“That whole company of Taggarts know where we are,” Niall pointed out.
Harlow shook her head. “The first thing they do at orientation is put the fear of Big Tag in those men. And only Big Tag and Charlotte know. There are a couple of hackers who could get into their system, but they have safeguards. They would know. It’s why he’s going to kick my dad’s ass. Did you call anyone?”
Niall’s head shook, but then he picked up his own bag and started shoving things in. “No. Who the hell would I call? Everyone I care about was here. I didn’t even call my business after we got here. All I cared about was protecting you and Jensen.”
“I know, babe. I’m sorry. I had to ask because that leaves one possibility, and it’s nothing I want to even contemplate.”
“You think Jack told someone?” Niall paled. “Oh, shit. You think Jack is working for Hamilton.”
She barely managed to not roll her eyes. This was not the time nor the place for bratty behavior. Niall didn’t know Jack the way she did, so she had to forgive him for what might seem like a logical leap. “No. Jack wouldn’t, but he has a whole team he reports to. If he called in, he would have asked for the department that would liaise with the prosecutor. So that’s the FBI and the DOJ, and I don’t know how many people are involved, but I do know Hamilton bragged a lot about having people on the inside. Bribing officials is something he was excellent at, and the government doesn’t pay well enough to stop some people from taking it. It would be easy to pass along Jensen’s address in Dallas.”
“They’re not coming after us. They’re going after Jensen. And he has no idea.” Niall’s eyes closed, and when they opened again there was real fear in them. “We have to call Jack. Jensen doesn’t have a phone.”
She picked up the sat phone, praying it still worked. “Ruby said he wasn’t picking up.” It went straight to voice mail. She threw the phone on the bed. “Ruby left him some texts, but Jack can be stubborn. I know exactly how he thinks, and he won’t give Jensen a single reason to rethink his position. Not once he’s called it in.”
“So he’ll use Jensen to make his case no matter what.”
“I doubt that. I would bet he tried to convince him he should talk to us but he wouldn’t. Once the path is set, Jack won’t look back. He’s a good man but he’s very much about his job. Not simply because he’s ambitious. Because he believes that what he’s doing is right. I would bet anything Jensen convinced him this was for the best and that he’s protecting us. So don’t expect him to listen to pleas.”