Rev It Up (Black Knights Inc. #3)(24)
As soon as the name slid from Rock’s lips, Becky whipped out a laptop and started digging up everything on Larry Marrow from his blood type to his favorite baseball team. She’d been taught her computer skills by the best. Namely, Ethan “Ozzie” Sykes, because as well as being the king of all things sci-fi, he was also the Knights resident computer whiz-kid.
“What else?” Boss asked, ignoring the chatter of Becky’s fingers on the keyboard.
Rock sighed and ran a hand over his goatee. She noticed it tremor ever so slightly.
God, and now, like an idiot, she was even more tempted to go all Disney on him. She obviously had a weakness for the whole wounded warrior thing.
“Accordin’ to ol’ Larry,” Rock continued, “all communications between him and Vitiglioni were done through a series of private post office boxes, and Johnny supposedly used an alias. He hadn’t the first clue where to find Johnny. Apparently,” he grimaced, shaking his head, “and you’re gonna love this, but apparently Larry answered one of those crazy cryptic ads in Soldier of Fortune magazine.”
“You’ve got to be f*cking kidding me,” Boss growled. “So now every lowlife, wannabe hit man from here to Timbuktu is going to be gunning for us? Is that what you’re saying?”
Rock nodded. “Larry also informed me there’s a 50k price tag on each and every one of our heads.”
Bill whistled, and Becky let loose a string of curses to do Boss proud.
Oh boy, Vanessa thought as she reached for the bottle of beer sitting in front of Becky. “May I?”
“Help yourself.” Becky nodded distractedly.
She tipped her head back and gulped down the frothy brew, trying to wash away the bile that’d steadily gathered in the back of her throat for the last half hour.
So, to recap her life in the past few months…
First, she joins a clandestine defense firm. Then, she develops a rather tragic case of do-me-big-boy for one of her coworkers. And finally, she finds herself slam-bam in the middle of an unknown number of crosshairs.
Are we having fun now?
Um, hell no. The answer to that question was a resounding hell no.
Although, there was some comfort in knowing the other Knights were in those same crosshairs with her, because if anyone could come out of this situation unscathed, it was the hardcore warriors of BKI.
“Do you know how Larry was supposed to contact Johnny for payment once he made a kill?” Boss asked.
Rock reached into the pocket of his frayed Levi’s and pulled out a piece of paper. “Supposedly, this address is a meeting place. If Larry had proof of a kill, he would hook-up with Johnny there at nineteen hundred on Friday to collect his reward. If he didn’t show up Friday, then he was to meet Johnny on Tuesday at the same time. I guess after that Johnny figured we’d all be dead because Larry-Larry-Bo-Berry didn’t have any more dates.”
“Hand it over,” Becky motioned with two fingers, and Rock passed her the yellow sticky note. “Hey, this is local,” she exclaimed excitedly.
“Oui.” Rock nodded.
“So that means Johnny’s here in Chicago?” Becky lifted a brow.
“Mais oui. Or at least he will be this Friday and next Tuesday.”
Vanessa’s temples started pounding in rhythm to her heart at the news. She’d never had a price on her head before, and knowing the guy who’d made a mark of her was going to be so close? Well, it took was what an untenable situation and shot it straight into the atmosphere of planet OhHellNo.
She was sensing a theme here…
“I think we should station guys at the drop point now,” Bill said, running a hand through his thick brown hair, “so we can watch the comings and goings and maybe do some nosing around. See if anyone in the area has seen him. The sooner we catch him and put an end to this, the better.”
“Agreed,” Boss said. “But let’s think about the logistics here. Everyone is pulling four-on/four-off rotations keeping eyes on the perimeter. And since Ghost decided this would be the perfect opportunity to take his new wifey on an ill-timed honeymoon, that only leaves—Ow! Why are you smacking me, woman?”
Becky’s palm was still connected to the meaty part of Boss’s big shoulder when she said, her voice tight with indignation, “First, Ghost took off with Ali because he figured it was the only way to keep her safe from Johnny’s vengeance. You know that as well as I do. And second, it’s a honeymoon. It’s never ill-timed.” She pointed a finger at his nose. “You remember that.”
A muscle in Boss’s jaw twitched, and just when Vanessa thought he might put Becky in her place, his scarred face split wide in a blinding grin. He grabbed Becky’s hand and kissed the tip of her still-pointing finger.
“Message received.” His voice was infused with a hot emotion that certainly wasn’t anger.
The two exchanged a look so pointed Vanessa’s own cheeks began to heat just as Bill piped up with, “God. I’m more than happy to be pulling surveillance duty in the condo across the river if it means I don’t have to watch you two constantly making googly eyes at each other. I think I might puke.”
It was true. There was a lot of sexual tension in the air tonight. What with Boss and Becky barely able to keep their hands off one another, and her inability to stop staring at Rock and drooling.