Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 70417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
“This is unusual.”
He stood beside me, stroking the pendant with his finger. “A woman,” he murmured.
“Fell out of favor?”
“She had the audacity to think she knew me better than I know myself. Thought I’d be a better man with her in my life. She even got pregnant—although I wasn’t certain it was mine.”
“So, you killed her?”
“No, I did the one thing I knew she couldn’t handle.”
“Which was?”
“I forgot her. Eliminated her from my mind and life, as if she never existed.”
“And?”
“She saved me the trouble and killed herself. I knew she would. Far easier than a hit.” He glanced at me, not a trace of emotion on his face. “I took it off her neck myself as a reminder never to trust—even a pretty face.”
I felt a sliver of ice run down my spine. Nonchalantly, I slipped my hand into my pocket, palming the small button I carried at all times in case of an emergency. It was undetectable, and if I pressed it, Sean would appear and handle either the aftermath or join me in a fight.
“Are you trying to tell me something, Orson?” I asked, keeping my voice calm and low.
“I have a confession. Rex suggested to me you were the one causing me so many problems.”
My finger hovered over the button, my mind racing. “I see. And you agree with his statement? You think I’m fucking with you?”
He waved his hand. “I admit, I gave it some thought.”
I drew myself up to my full height. “And your decision?”
He clapped his hands, his odd laugh echoing loudly in the room filled with pieces of stolen memories. “Look at your face! If I were one of your victims, I’d know my life was about to end. Murderous. Perfectly murderous.” He reached over, his cold fingers gripping my arm. “His thoughts weren’t without merit, except for one thing.”
“Which is?”
“I’m the one who brought you in. I’m the one who made the decision to have you with us. My problems began before you were here. You found the mole and eliminated him. You have stopped some of the problems that keep cropping up.”
Just as I thought—his ego was overriding his common sense.
“I haven’t figured out who planted him, though.”
Or if they’re working for or against me.
“But I think you will.”
My finger relaxed, and I pulled my hand from my pocket, crossing my arms. “I will.”
“I’m counting on it.”
“I’m sure you are.”
When I was back in my room, Sean came in, arching an eyebrow at me. “How’s the head, Tony?”
“Fine.”
“You’re feeling all right?”
I knew what he was asking. He knew exactly where I had been. “Everything’s good.” I arched my eyebrow back at him. “Everything is in working order.”
“Good to hear.” Then he grinned. “You put on quite the show last night.”
I sat down, leaning back and going into full Tony mode. I ranted about the mole. The inability of finding out who planted him. Cursed and swore I’d find the person. Ordered Carlo to dig more. He grinned as he opened two laptops, one they couldn’t see, and started typing. They’d see him comparing dates, shipments, files.
What he was really doing was checking on the camera, planting the next bug, and siphoning off some more of Orson’s money.
We had agreed last night, as he helped me escape for a few hours, it was go time. We were turning up the heat over the next few days. Money, drugs, and people were all going to disappear—and Orson was going to be so angry, he was going to make a mistake. As he melted down, I was going to take control.
Then he would die…and my life could begin.
Chapter 17
Cian
Days later, I felt as if I were drowning in blood.
I knew how hard it was going to be. I’d thought I was prepared.
But that was before I had allowed myself to feel another emotion in my life besides the need for revenge.
Before I fell in love with a cranky, name-calling girl named Skylar.
Now, everything was harder.
I was two people, inhabiting the body of one.
Tony, the killer who’d thought nothing this morning of pulling his gun and shooting a man who had the audacity to question Orson’s leadership, after yet another shipment of drugs and their carrier seemed to vanish into thin air.
My gun was out and he was dead before I even blinked. I tucked the gun away, picked up the coffee I was drinking, and carried on as if nothing had happened.
Orson looked over his desk. “Clean that up, Rex. I hate garbage in my office.”
I left the office, strolling down the hall nonchalantly after muttering about needing a sandwich. I slipped outside, disappearing from their prying eyes and ears. Cian reappeared, heaving and gasping into the bushes, my body shaking, praying for this to be over. Sean found me a short time later, sitting on the ground, my head in my hands.