Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 44932 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44932 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
His phone buzzed. “Koa, what’s up?” He checked to make sure that he hadn’t missed a message that the team was deployed. Nothing. Thank goodness.
“Zale, I didn’t tell you this. Scroggins is in town for a meeting tonight at the Tavern. The team is ready to back you up and take him out.”
Zale smiled at the intensity of the younger man. No one messed with a Little. Especially not one of their own. “Let’s see if we can reason with him. I’ll need someone to stay with Pippa.”
“Caden has already volunteered,” Koa informed him.
“There may be someone watching the house. Have him come through the yard to the back door. I’ll let him in.”
“Got it. We’ll meet at the warehouse a few blocks from the restaurant. Twenty hundred hours.”
Zale stared at the now black screen. His team had already figured it all out. Immediately, he pulled up the Tavern on his phone to review the surroundings and where it would be best to intercept Scroggins. The man would take advantage of the valet at the entrance. How could Zale intercept him? An idea formed in his head.
“You’re going to pay me to do my job? That’s weird, man. I don’t know,” the young man told Zale. “I don’t want to get in trouble.”
Zale peeled another hundred-dollar bill off his money clip and added to the two he held in his hand. “Pretend I have a car parked. You’d have to go get it, right?”
“Of course, sir.”
“In that case, I need to pick up a Mercedes SL550. Silver.”
Zale saw the young man’s mouth move as he repeated that information to himself and processed what Zale had asked him to do. With a nod, he took the money Zale offered. Running past the valet stand, the teenager headed the same direction he’d run all night.
Jacob Scroggins, Senior exited the Tavern and headed for the valet stand. “Are you ready for your car, sir?” he asked.
The older man sneered at Zale, who’d dressed in the equivalent uniform for the valets. “You’re old for a valet. Must be crap to have no skills. Red Lamborghini. There better not be any scratches in the paint,” he warned.
“If you have your claim check, I’ll be right back,” Zale said politely.
“How many Lamborghini keychains are there hanging in the case?” the man scoffed. When Zale did not turn to search, he swore under his breath and pulled his wallet out of his pocket and retrieved the card from his clip. “Here.”
“Thank you, sir. I’ll be right back. You said red, right?” He needed to give Max time to work his magic.
“Yes. My car is red.”
Zale took off running. He returned a few minutes later with the Lamborghini and parked at the curb. Politely holding the door open for Scroggins, Zale waited silently as the self-inflated man walked around the car. When he got close, Zale handed over the keys with a message. “I’m only going to tell you this once. Leave Pippa Twinner alone.”
Completely unfazed by that request, Scroggins scoffed, “Or what?”
A red light appeared on his chest. Zale pointed to it casually. “That’s one way it could happen.”
“Who the fuck are you?” Scroggins growled. He took a protective stance behind the car as he searched the darkness for the person aiming that laser light.
“Your worst nightmare unless you forget she exists.”
“I’m not afraid of you,” Scroggins snarled.
When Scroggins reached toward the inner pocket of his jacket, Zale watched the red dot reappear in the center of the man’s chest. He warned, “I wouldn’t if I were you. Too many witnesses. And it doesn’t really matter at this point. Have a pleasant evening, sir. Drive carefully. I’d hate for something to happen to that car.” Zale jogged away as the man shouted after him. He saw the young valet coming from the opposite direction. That had worked out well.
After sputtering for several minutes, Scroggins had gotten in his car and screeched away.
Rejoining his team in an unmarked panel van several blocks away, Zale reported, “That went well. He’s a bit spooked.”
“I’d say. At every stoplight, he’s checking over the car,” Jerico said.
“Shall I start part two?” Koa asked. “He’s pulled over in a parking lot.”
“Go for it. I can’t wait to see his reaction to my present.” Max celebrated with a restrained chair dance as they all gathered around the screen that Jerico held.
With a soft poof, confetti and pink powder exploded from his visor. The image was obscured for several seconds and then the vague sight of a hand waving through the particles floating in the air appeared. Scroggins did think of opening the windows after a couple more seconds clicked by. That helped clear the picture.
They could now see him staring at the number two that dangled in front of his face. Zale was pleased to note a bit of concern on his face. He was getting the message. There were several ways they could take him out.