Page 22 of He's All In
“I’m sick of this back and forth.” Vince waves us off like we’re annoying gnats. “Get to the point.”
“I’m willing to replace Paul and use his connections to continue his work for you.” I slowly reach into my jacket and pull out the documents I had Maxim create. “This is a list of properties I can have liquidated by the end of the day.”
Vince can’t disguise his excitement as he leans closer and looks them over. “And you could get my money clean without it being seen?”
“Yes.” Internally I’m fist pumping because that’s one admission of guilt. “There’s also this place here.” I point the map on the second document. “Its location is secluded and could be used for privacy.”
This part was Maxim’s idea. It’s actually a map of the national forest, and the cabin on it is the park ranger’s house.
Vince and Jackson share a look before he addresses me again. “You and Paul spoke?” He’s testing the waters to see how much I know.
“He told me that you’ve been looking for a holding facility.”
This is definitely an outright lie because I haven’t talked to Paul since he went to rehab. But from what I could tell, he was researching private residences that were secluded. Vince is either wanting to store drugs or people, and our intel has that he dabbles in both.
“This could work,” he says noncommittally, but I can see he’s overly interested.
“It could be modified to your needs,” I offer, hoping he’ll take the bait.
Jackson leans closer to the map and speaks for the first time. “We could expand the business like we’ve been talking about.”
He’s talking to Vince, who is going over the first document with all the properties on it. Vince is nodding as he points to the earnings spreadsheet. “With this alone we could double the inventory.”
“I could bring in twice the girls and sell them on sight,” Jackson says, and Vince agrees.
“Yeah, and there’s enough room to expand. We could move production out of my building and do it here.”
It’s like they’ve forgotten we’re sitting here, and I’m trying not to come across the table and stab their eyes out. The way they talk about selling women and drugs like it’s nothing is disgusting. All I can do is remind myself to stay cool and get the evidence out of here. Maxim knows the good guys that can be trusted with this intel. If we can keep it together long enough to get out of here, then we can put Vince and Jackson behind bars.
“So do we have a deal?” I ask, and the two of them look up like they’re surprised I’m still here.
Vince takes a breath and then nods. “I think we can make a deal?—”
Before Vince can finish what he was going to say, one of the guys that was watching the exit door walks over and whispers something in his ear.
“Is that right?” Vince asks the guy and then gives me an evil grin. “I’m sorry to have to cut this meeting short, but it looks like my kids are home.”
My stomach drops, and a cold sweat falls down the back of my neck. How? How the fuck did they find them? Vince stands before I have a chance to react, and then I feel Maxim’s hand grab my arm to keep me from getting out of the chair. His grip is tight, and I want to shake it off, but I have to stay calm.
“I like your offer. I’ll think about it on the way home.” Jackson stands from the table and the two of them go to leave. But before they walk out the door, Vince turns back to smile at me again. “I’ll be in touch.”
As soon as the door closes behind them, I jump out of my chair so fast that it topples over behind me.
“Fuck!” I scream across the empty diner and kick my fallen chair.
Maxim grabs my shoulders, and I focus on him. “I think I know how we can get her back.”
Chapter Fifteen
KELLY
Marco reaches over and grabs my hand. He mouths the word sorry to me, and I shake my head. This isn't his fault, and that’s the last thing I would ever want him to think. It’s my job to take care of him, and so far I’m not doing so great. This was my mistake. I never should have left Luke’s.
He’ll come for us, I mouth back to Marco and squeeze his hand in reassurance.
He nods, already having so much trust in Luke. He will come, but I wonder where that will leave things. I broke his trust right when it could have been the beginning of something between us. This will ruin any chance we might have had. That is if I don’t get him killed in the process. I fight back tears, not wanting to upset Marco further.
Marco presses his lips together hard, and I can tell he’s still worried. I’m the one that always gets our father’s wrath, so he knows the punishment will fall on me. I don’t know if it’s because I’m a female or because I resemble my mother. Either way, there was never a time that I was Daddy’s little girl.