The Private Serials Box Set(92)
“Listen, I don’t want to hurt anyone besides Derrek. He knew what he was doing when he took off with my money. I just need you to find him, kill him, and get me what’s mine. That’s all. Then I’ll forgive every debt against you and your new love.”
I wanted to argue with him, wanted to point out that neither one of us was indebted to him, but I knew it was pointless. If I didn’t do what he wanted, he’d just come after me or, worse yet, Lena. The best course of action I could take in that moment was to let him believe I was on his side, to stay in his pocket.
“What’s the timeframe?”
“You know, I’m not in a huge hurry. If I had to choose between having the job done fast or the job done right, I’d pick right. So, bring me my money and Derrek Bellows’ death certificate, within a reasonable amount of time, and everything will be kosher.”
“And how much money does Derrek owe you?”
“Five million.”
“Five million dollars?” I asked, half shocked anyone had that kind of money to loan to someone, and half impressed Derrek had managed to weasel that much money out of someone.
“If it were less, I’d probably let him disappear and write the whole thing off as a bad investment. But Derrek knew what he owed me and decided to stiff me anyway. He’ll pay for that and it’ll cost him his life.”
“And you don’t have anyone in your band of criminals who’d be better suited for murder?” My tone was probably more sarcastic than it should have been, but I couldn’t help myself. It was bizarre that he was asking for my help with something I knew very little about.
“Preston, the man with the most at stake is the right man for the job. And that’s you. I expect to hear from you when you’ve gotten my money and Derrek Bellows is no longer breathing.”
The click on the line indicated that Edgar had hung up, and I was left in a somewhat shocked state. I put my phone back in my pocket and tried to force a look of disinterest on my face, wanting to come off as anything but worried. After a few minutes of my brain zipping through a million scenarios in my mind, all of which ended badly, the girls appeared at the table, startling me. Lena took the chair closest to me, sitting down so that our shoulders brushed, and then placed her hand on my thigh, gently squeezing. It did little to calm me, but did offer some relief from the thoughts running amok in my mind.
“Who was on the phone?” she asked, innocently curious, smiling at me as if I were the brightest light in her life.
“Parker,” I lied. Her eyes lit up, her smile growing even wider, making my lie sink even more heavily in my gut. I never wanted to lie to Lena again, not after everything we’d been through, not after all the lies I’d already told her.
“How is he?”
“He’s doing fine; just wanted my opinion on a case he’s working.”
“Well, the next time you talk to him, be sure to tell him hi for me.”
“Will do, sweetheart.” I leaned in and pressed a kiss against her lips, hoping she couldn’t sense my unease, hoping it was just the same as any other small and gentle kiss I’d given her. I could feel the difference, feel the desperation in my body, but hoped she couldn’t.
We stayed through the luau, the girls enjoying the show, the food, the dancers, the fire, the whole experience. But I was winding tighter and tighter, my eyes darting around the darkness looking for any signs of imminent danger. I was, perhaps, being paranoid, but Edgar had threatened Lena and I was on high alert. I knew, realistically, I had some time before Edgar would go after her, but just the thought of her in danger awoke some dormant animal inside of me that had been sleeping for the last week.
The only thing that kept me grounded and a little bit sane was knowing this time I was here to protect her. She wasn’t hundreds of miles away trying her damnedest to keep away from me, she was sitting next to me, her fingers entwined with mine. I had her, and I wasn’t going to let anything happen to her.
Chapter Four
The girls were laughing as we walked down the beach on the way back to our apartments. Sam and Piper were commenting on the bulging muscles most of the men in the luau possessed, while Lena was laughing along, all the while holding my hand as we made our way home. They’d had more than a few drinks with dinner and were all smiles for the evening, but with one question, their moods all deflated.
“When do you think you’ll go home?” Lena asked Sam.
Sam let out a big breath, sighing into the night. “I bought my plane ticket this morning. I leave in a week.”
With the moon as her backlight I could see Lena nodding, her bottom lip trapped by her teeth. Then I heard her take in a breath. “So, we’ve got one more week to spend together in paradise.”
“I’m going to fly back with her,” Piper added, and Lena’s hand tightened around mine.
“Really?” Lena asked, her voice shaky and weak.
“Yeah. I think it’s time for me to go and figure out what to do with my life. Hawaii is nice, it’s beautiful, but it isn’t home. I’ve got to go home. I’ve got to get my head on straight and life figured out.”
“I understand,” Lena whispered. “I’m just going to miss you both.”
“Preston will be here to keep you company,” Sam said, her voice teasing. “I’m sure he won’t let you get lonely.”