Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 28041 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 140(@200wpm)___ 112(@250wpm)___ 93(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 28041 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 140(@200wpm)___ 112(@250wpm)___ 93(@300wpm)
“That’s very kind and noble of you, Mr. Ramirez, but one, please remove your weapon from behind your waistband. Two, no one is going anywhere until I have Owen fucking Olsen’s neck in my meaty hands. He has my money and I want it back now,” Lorenzo snarls before pulling out a Desert Eagle handgun.
The shit’s big enough to blow a hole through Angel, his wife, and the office door behind them with a single shot. I need Owen to figure out whatever he’s planning so this doesn’t end with someone getting hurt.
“It has a twin,” Lorenzo says with a wink, waving his gun before pulling out an identical one from another holster.
“This isn’t a showdown at high noon, Carlyle. That’s unnecessary,” Angel huffs, pulling out his gun and setting it down on the counter.
“Come on, Remington. Are you packing too?” he asks, turning to stare me down.
I put my hands in the air and turn around in a full circle, no obvious holster he can see. It seems to appease him when my phone rings.
“It’s Owen,” I tell everyone and answer the call. “Yeah?”
“Put it on speaker,” Lorenzo commands and I do it.
“Well, what does he want?” Owen asks.
“He wants his money,” I reply.
Owen huffs, and for a moment, I feel like there’s something he’s not saying. I know he’s helping the feds, but what if he actually stole money from this guy? For the sake of our friendship, I hope that’s not the case.
“Tell that asshole I’ll be there in half an hour with his money and no one had better be hurt.”
12
RAINA
Shades of red bloom across Rex’s forehead along with a pulsating vein on his temple.
My heart is racing, but Rex is doing everything in his power to keep his anger under control. Lorenzo Carlyle is infuriating and manipulative. Worst of all, Owen is in up to his neck with this guy.
This is the kind of person Owen gets himself tangled up with and then leaves them to barrel their way into my life. He’s so fucking selfish. He never thinks about me.
“Baby girl, how are you doing?” Rex asks quietly. His eyes shift from me to Lorenzo to Angel and the gun on the counter.
Lorenzo sucks his teeth, taking Angel’s gun to put it in his waistband. “You should not play with guns, Mr. Ramirez. They’re dangerous, and someone can get hurt.”
Angel pushes a low exhale through his nostrils, making sure to keep Avery behind him. A woman, Kelly if I remember correctly from the appointment book, begins walking toward the door. Her curly hair jostles in a high bun as she reaches for the door and pulls it open.
“Hey, Angel. I have an appointment with Avery. I see you guys got the wall up. Very nice,” she says. The smile across her pretty face is bright and unassuming until she looks at Lorenzo holding two of the largest handguns I’ve ever seen in my life. The way Kelly’s entire expression shifts as she makes her face ready to scream is jarring.
Lorenzo cocks the gun and points it at her while using the other one to tap against his lips for her not to make a noise. “Don’t worry, doll face. I’ll be out of everyone’s hair shortly. As soon as the nitwit she calls a father–”
“I don’t call him a father. I call him Owen,” I say with that rebellious energy running through me.
“That’s right. Because when I said call your Daddy, you picked up,” Lorenzo replies with his gun pointing at Rex. I take a step closer to Rex who moves boldly in front of me. Lorenzo grins. “How fucking sweet of you, Remington. Ready to take a bullet after fucking your partner’s daughter. Isn’t that a partnership made in heaven?”
“Mind your business, Carlyle,” Rex says and ushers Kelly to take a seat in one of the chairs.
“I am. That’s why I’m here. Your partner’s been doing dirty business deals, my friend,” Lorenzo says to Rex.
“I’m not your friend,” Rex snarls. “Friends have this thing where they don’t point guns in their face to try and get them not to leave.”
“You’re right. I’m sorry.” Lorenzo grins maniacally, waving one of his guns around. “It’s not okay for friends to point guns at one another. But tell me this, counselor, are lawyers in the habit of stealing money from their clients?”
“Yes,” Rex says emphatically. “It’s an actual crime, and if that’s what’s happened, you have Owen arrested. You get him disbarred. You don’t break his body into pieces–”
“Don’t tell me what to do, Remington. I have a reputation that gets to places long before I do. If I let some sniveling little weasel steal from me, what do you think that does for my business relationships? Huh? He deserves much more than broken bones, which is exactly what he’s going to get after he gives me my money.”