Page 81 of Unmasked
“No problem.”
After hanging up, I sit back in my seat. I hadn’t planned to have another ball for six months, but Garrett may be too unstable for that. He could hurt people in his attempts to get to me.
As I’m thinking over my options, my cell phone buzzes across the desk and Eli’s name shows on the screen.
“Hello, my love.”
“Michel. I was just told something awful.”
“Where are you? Are you safe?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. I was at Smiley’s having coffee and Lynn told me that Ben, Nial, and Garrett were there earlier, as soon as they opened. She told me because Garrett had a gun.”
“A gun.” I rub my forehead. “He was arrested last night. He was yelling that he was gonna take me out.”
“Fuck. What are we gonna do?”
“I think we need to adjust our timeline. I have to think this through to avoid any unwelcome attention.”
“Right. What happens if he shoots you?”
“It will hurt for a few minutes.”
“That’s it?”
“That’s it. I’ll have a scar, but otherwise, I’ll be fine. I’m not worried about me. I’m worried about who could get caught in the crossfire. I think I’ll call my friends in New Onyx to get advice.”
“Good call. I’m going home.”
“Excellent.”
I force myself to focus for a few hours, pushing thoughts of how to deal with Garrett away until I finish the proposals and decide to call Yves.
He answers quickly. “Hello, Michel.”
“Hi. It’s me again. I’m sorry to bother you—”
“You’re not bothering me. I’m happy to help. The more successful you are, the more successful we all are as a group. What can I help you with?”
“You know my troublemaker? He was arrested last night for being disruptive and this morning he was spotted with a gun. I don’t think I can wait six months to deal with him.”
“No, it doesn’t sound like it. What is your plan?”
“Forgive my indulgence, but I wanted to invite him to a ball. Put his guard down.”
“And then attack?”
“All three of them.”
Yves chuckles. “Very evil. I love it. What are you concerned about?”
“Everyone in town knows he hates me. If he turns up dead, I’ll be implicated immediately.”
“Ah yes. Much harder to hide in a smaller city.”
“Right. Any suggestions?”
“Two avenues I can think of. The first is finding a way to disarm him. Make him think you’re not a threat.”