Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 36476 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 182(@200wpm)___ 146(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36476 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 182(@200wpm)___ 146(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
“I don’t want to be doing this at all but here we fucking are.” Anger radiates from his voice. Interesting.
“You’re mad we’ve been poking around?” I ask.
“I didn’t know you were poking around until he was standing in front of me in the lobby.” He points his thumb toward Marco. “I’m here because someone else was poking, and they’re clearly not as good as the two of you.”
“Not to boast or anything but—”
“Marco,” I snap. This is not the time for his little jokes. “Why are you here? Is it because Raegan went looking?” His eyes widen a fraction.
“She looked for me?”
“A little. She searched some things online about private investigators, but she never pulled the trigger. Lost interest, I suppose.” I can’t help but put the dig in. How could anyone walk away from Raegan? I can’t imagine my life without her now that she’s in it. How could someone be so dumb to willingly give her up?
“Good.” His response surprises me again. I’d seen the flash of emotion when I said she went looking. “There is a reason I’ve stayed away from them. I knew I’d be a shit father.” He drops his head, taking a deep breath. “Doesn’t mean I don’t care, and in my world that could be a problem. I don’t want anyone to know they exist.”
I see red. Before I know what I’m doing I have Leo by the throat. He doesn't fight me. “It sounds to me like you’re saying if I want to keep my girl safe it would be better if you’re dead.”
“Ivan.” Marco grabs my arm, but he doesn’t try to break my hold. “You can’t come back from that.” He doesn't tell me not to do it. Leo starts to turn red. I release my hold, pushing him back. He gasps for air, stumbling back a few feet.
“I’m here because someone has it out for you,” Leo says around coughs. “They’re looking for something to use against either you or my dau—” He pauses. “Raegan.”
“How do I know this isn’t some scheme you’re trying to pull?”
“Because I’m not asking you for shit but to clean up your own shit.” I wouldn’t know where to start looking at who would be doing this or why. Everything I’ve ever done has been on the straight and narrow. Have I pissed some people off? Sure, who doesn’t?
“I’ll clean up the trail,” Marco says. “I’ll erase anything that connects you to them. It was something I was planning to bring up to Ivan.”
“But we still need to know who already has this information,” I mutter, my mind starting to race, going from one business deal to another. Nothing is jumping out at me.
“That's why I’m here. If anyone would know who has it out for you, it would be you. Clean it up.” He goes to leave, but Marco steps in front of him.
“Anything else you want to know, Ivan?” Marco asks. “Now would be the time for me to get that information.”
“No, I want him gone.” Marco steps out of his way. “But”—I grab Leo by the arm as he tries to pass by me—“I will kill you if your life comes anywhere near her.”
He gives me a half smile. “Got it.”
I release my hold on him. He strolls out the door, leaving Marco and me standing there.
“Fucking great.” Marco folds his arms over his chest. “Now we have to figure out who you pissed off.”
“I can’t see having done something that would draw this reaction out of someone.” I can be cutthroat at times in business, but I’m fair. I’ve never ripped the rug out from someone hanging on by a thread.
“Everything in this life comes down to sex, drugs, or money. It’s not sex or drugs with you, Ivan. It has to be something to do with money. Who thinks you took theirs or who wants to take yours? That’s what we need to figure out.”
“Check on the Stone Brothers. I was going to do a deal with them. I was sure it was fucked when I canceled our meeting, but I’m getting the feeling that they wanted this deal more than I did. Something isn’t sitting right with it.”
“They do solar panels, right?”
“Yes, they’re growing quickly, and I believe they’re on to some new tech. They pulled a few people from MIT four years ago.”
“Wait, do you know that because you researched them or because you actually pay attention?”
“I pay attention to everything. The Senate is going to pass a bill soon for companies to get a shit ton of grants to convert their factories over. The Stone Brothers company likely won’t be able to keep up, and the competition can take money off their table unless they have someone who can help fund getting product in quickly.”
“They would need someone with money and connections.”