Protecting Her(26)

CHAPTER SEVEN


7


PEARCE

I received a call from Dunamis last night during dinner at my parents’ house. It was horrible timing. Rachel was questioning me about the call and then my father was making jokes about it, causing Rachel to question it even more. To make matters worse, the call was about my assignment, which is a kill assignment. I took the phone to my parents’ study and listened carefully to the instructions. When I returned to the dining room, I felt tense and anxious, but I did my best to act natural and pretend it was just a call from the office.

When we got home, I couldn’t sleep because I kept thinking about the assignment. So I told Rachel to go to sleep and that I’d get up with the baby during the night. Holding Garret calmed me, and by morning I felt a little better. But then I got to work and starting feeling stressed again. The person on the phone last night told me I have to take care of this today. I have to arrange for a murder. Today.

A folder with details regarding the assignment was delivered to me this morning and I’ve been going through it so I can figure out which freelancer would be best for the job. The man being killed is another freelancer. I wasn’t told what he did wrong. Maybe he told someone about us, or botched a job. Whatever it was, the outcome is the same. He has to be killed.

The information I was given says he’s the father of two young children. Their mother has custody of them and he never sees them. He was in prison before he became a freelancer. He killed two people during a robbery, so he’s a bad guy but he’s still a person. And a father. And now I have to kill him.

I can’t think about it. I just need to get it over with. I look through my contact list and find a freelancer I know can get the job done quickly. I call him and explain what to do and tell him to get it done today. Then I hang up, realizing that by the end of today, I will have killed a man. Even though I’m not actually the one doing it, I still arranged for it, so I feel responsible for his death.

There’s a knock on the door and Jack comes in. “There’s a meeting in ten minutes. Are you coming?”

“Yes, I’ll be there.”

He walks into my office. “What’s wrong with you? You look like hell today. Were you up with the kid all night?”

“Yes, but that’s not why I look this way.” I rub my hand over my jaw. “I just gave an order.”

He closes the door. “When’s it happening?”

“Today. I got the assignment last night while I was at my parents’ house having dinner.”

“You went to your parents’ house? Was Holton there?”

“Yes. My mother forced him to have dinner with us. She’s trying to reunite the family now that she has a grandchild.”

“How did the dinner go?”

“It was a typical Kensington dinner. My father talked nonstop about work, monopolizing the conversation. He ignored Rachel all night.”

“That’s good.”

I nod. “Yes. I told her that and she looked at me like I was crazy. She doesn’t understand how being ignored in my family is a good thing. Maybe my father is finally accepting her now that Rachel and I have a child together.”

“So he’s no longer disowning you?”

“He didn’t say those exact words, but yes, it sounds like I’m allowed back in their lives. Truthfully, I’d rather not be, at least as far as my father’s concerned, but for Garret’s sake, it would probably be good to try to be a family again. My father even invited me to go golfing next week. I’m sure it was my mother’s idea.”

“You and I should go golfing before the weather turns cold. It’s already the second week of October. We can’t wait much longer. I went golfing with Arlin and Royce last—”

“Shit!” I jump up from my chair, grabbing my keys. “Can I miss this meeting?”

“Maybe. What’s this about?”

“I need to go talk to Royce about something.”

“Right now?”

“Yes. I need to know something and it can’t wait.”

“Why don’t you just call him?”

“This needs to be discussed in person.” I go to the door. “I’m sorry, Jack. I’ll have to miss the meeting. I’ll work late tonight to make up for missing it.”

He waves me on. “Forget it. Just go.”

I hurry to my car and drive to Royce’s house. I need to know if he killed that woman. He’s been on the campaign trail the past few weeks and he wouldn’t answer my calls. He got back last night.