Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 78647 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78647 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
“Hey guys. Thanks for showing up.”
Virgil sat with his ankle crossed at the knee, a glass of whiskey in his hand and a lazy smile on his face. “Of course bro, you said you had some valuable intel and I wanna hear it.” He sniffed his glass and then deigned to look at me. “What’s it about?”
“That Fed, Agent Beck. And her father.” My gaze lingered on Ma because I wanted to see her reaction. I wasn’t sure about Virgil, but I knew Jasper and Ma knew exactly who this man was and probably what had happened to him.
Virgil whispered. “Wait, why are we looking into her?”
Sadie sighed and rolled her eyes as she slowly pulled a cigarette from the silver case, lit it, and took a long pull. Always with the dramatics.
“Calvin is convinced that her interest in our family goes far beyond her being the law and us being on the wrong side of it.”
That was one way to put it without providing any information whatsoever.
“Sorry I’m late. What’d I miss?” Jasper walked in slowly like he didn’t have a care in the world instead of keeping us waiting for five minutes. Luckily, Kat rushed in a few seconds later so we got started.
“Where’s Maisie?” Jasper asked.
“Dealing with a high roller who insists on being fed a steady diet of Darnell’s fish and chips.” Virgil sounded proud of his woman and the smile he wore said she’d been worth the risk he took by bringing her into the family.
Jasper nodded. “All right then, Calvin, what have you got for us?”
“Jack Beck was a driver who worked for Jas Freight Lines a decade or so ago. His trucks carried a variety of things. He didn’t ask too many questions and his shipments never came up short or disappeared. Until his last ride.”
Kat snickered. “Sorry, sounds like one of those old time westerns Dad used to watch all the time.”
She was right, but Jasper’s glare ended that discussion before it ever got started. “And because of that connection, tenuous as it is, you think she has a complaint against us?”
Jasper’s hand motioned around the room, encompassing each and every one of us, his tone mocking as fuck. Insulting.
“No asshole, it’s because she’s been looking into the Ashby family since she was a damn kid.” I looked around the room. I had their attention so I continued.
“Learned basic hacking as a teenager and it nearly got her in trouble, but thanks to Ma’s favorite Fed, she got probation and a clean record. Since then, she joined the FBI, and she’s been doing hundreds of searches on the Ashbys. Our business and property holdings, associates, crimes that could be connected to us…every fucking thing.”
That was the amazing part, just how much shit she’d gathered on us.
“The only reason she hasn’t acted on it is that she’s looking for info on what happened to her father.”
“Shit!” Jasper’s fist landed hard on the end table beside him, making Virgil’s drink slosh up toward the rim. “Good job, Cal, but goddammit, the last thing we need is a Fed with a vendetta on our asses, especially when we already have to deal with Marshall.”
I could see the wheels turning in Jasper’s head as he tried to figure out how to stay on top of all of this without dropping any of the million balls he had in the air at any given time.
“Terry,” he called out and his right-hand man strolled into the room as if he didn’t have a care in the world. “I need you to trail Addison Beck for the next week, at least. I wanna know where she goes and what she does, who she talks to, what she eats and who she fucks. Everything.”
Terry gave a short nod and pulled his car keys from his pocket. “Keep an eye out just in case she’s too friendly with someone she shouldn’t be?”
Jas smiled. “Fucking right, brother.” And with those words, Terry walked out to do as he was ordered. When Jasper turned back to the family, his expression was inscrutable once again. “We can’t deal with any more heat, not right now. Got me?” His gaze landed on each of us and lingered, but none longer than on Sadie.
“Understood,” she said eventually and stamped out her cigarette. “Since we’re here, we have two other matters to discuss. Bonnie. And Savannah Rhymer.”
“Bonnie’s fine,” I insisted even though her earlier behavior might call those words into question if anyone thought to question me. “She’s getting better.” Another lie that was more a product of wishful thinking than maliciousness. She’d been jonesing for a score when I last saw her, and the only way to know for sure, was time.
And spying.
“You sure?” Jasper asked, his expression serious. “Because we can get her help without her roaming around Glitz like a junkie and getting herself into more trouble. We don’t need the liability.”