Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 58108 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 291(@200wpm)___ 232(@250wpm)___ 194(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 58108 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 291(@200wpm)___ 232(@250wpm)___ 194(@300wpm)
Tear-filled eyes looked at me. Stuck. Caught in a vicious cycle. I understood family, the need to help them, but I’d decided to steer clear of the ones who’d gone bad. Her dad was all she had, but he’d fucking abandoned her in a way far worse than her mom.
“I can’t let him die,” she admitted.
“Your mom left. I get that. But your dad used you. He’s using you now.”
Her gaze narrowed, and she glared. “You don’t think I know that?”
She was caught, and there was nothing I could do but help her. If Burns killed her father, she’d have to live with that for the rest of her life. Sure, it wouldn’t have been her fault, but she wouldn’t see it that way.
“Fine. Let’s talk about a different way in though.” I turned the blueprints around, studying the tiny print outlining the security at each entrance.
She shook her head and dropped back into her chair. “There isn’t one. I’ve researched it. My dad researched it. If there were another way, my dad would’ve done the job on his own. That skylight is the only possible entrance to his treasure room.”
“What do you know about Burns and his operations?” I asked. “Do you think he’s in Spokane right now or somewhere in Montana waiting for you to finish this job? Any ideas on where he’d keep your dad?”
Megan joined her hands together and leaned her jaw on her knuckles, considering. After a long moment of silence, she shook her head. “I really don’t know. I haven’t seen these guys since I was a teenager, and even then, it was very limited. It’s not like my dad and Burns are friends. He is a dangerous business partner–that’s all.”
“If you had to guess,” I pressed. “Montana or Washington? Where is he right now?”
She scrubbed both hands up her cheeks and dragged them down again. “Montana, probably. They’d stay close to watch me. Make sure I’m doing what I’m supposed to.”
“I have Kennedy trying to hack his credit card records to see if we can find anything that way,” I told her. Left out that that wasn’t the only thing he was hacking. We didn’t leave a detail uncovered. If we did, it was how we ended up dead.
Her brows shot up. “Wow. Can he do that?”
“Unlike you in law enforcement, we don’t have to stick within the confines of the law. With time, he’ll get answers. But the sooner we can close in on Burns, the better. I’d like to extract your dad before you–we–go in.”
She went still, watching me, then swallowed. “You can’t just extract my dad. He owes Burns a lot of money. He won’t stop coming for him–or me.”
This was the hitch in my plan. Megan was right. I didn’t know her dad’s skill set, but Megan was an asset for the guy. If she could steal a fucking dagger like she planned, she could do other jobs too. I saw blackmail in her future.
Burns might need to be… permanently eliminated… because no one threatened my woman. It was something I’d been turning over in my mind.
I was a sniper for the SEALs. I’d been given directives to eliminate dangerous targets before. Would this be much different?
On one hand, every one of my kills had been ordered by my government. This one? Definitely off the books, which meant, it wouldn’t be legal.
On the other hand, this guy was a killer. He’d threatened to kill Megan. Was I going to let him live when my woman’s life was at risk?
Fuck no. So yeah, I was willing to let my honor get tarnished a little in the name of saving Megan from a murderous prick.
I nodded. “Yeah, I get that.” I cleared my throat. “I’m going to take care of him.”
“How?” Megan demanded, arching a brow.
“Since you’re an officer of the law, I don’t think I’ll be sharing those plans with you.”
Megan’s eyes rounded and took on a haunted quality. She pressed her fingertips to her mouth. “Hayes.” Her voice sounded scratchy and hoarse. “I can’t let you do that.”
“Why the hell not?”
Megan’s shoulders sagged, and she looked over her beer at me with pure despair. “I don’t want you to break the law for me, Hayes. I can’t ask that of you.”
“You’re not asking,” I said fiercely. “I work for a security firm. This is the kind of shit we handle. Doing things when law enforcement can’t. Hell, who do you think hires us? So, if we can handle it, we’re going to.”
She set her beer on the table. “Right. Well, I was raised by a cat burglar.” She tapped the plans for the mansion. “This is the kind of shit I can handle.”
We had a stare-off across the table.
“Give me a few more days to try to find your dad,” I said. “If we can’t find him, then we go forward with your plan.”