Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 114819 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 574(@200wpm)___ 459(@250wpm)___ 383(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114819 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 574(@200wpm)___ 459(@250wpm)___ 383(@300wpm)
When Joe’s frustrated glare landed on Cash, he shrugged.
As the huff continued, Joe opened and closed the cabinet doors. “We got nothing. Why do we have nothing to eat?”
Since he saw food in the cabinets, Joe was smart enough to see it too. And technically, it shouldn’t still be his responsibility to grocery shop. Joe wasn’t sequestered inside the apartment any longer, but Cash kept that bit of information to himself too.
“I’ll go get us something to eat.” The offer was so casually given, Cash hadn’t even created the plan for the ulterior motive behind the suggestion. Joe glanced at him skeptically as Cash got to his feet and reached for his phone, staring down at the small screen, his thumbs poised to type. “I’ll order Chipotle. I’ll get your burrito bowl. I have it saved on my app.”
Joe perked up, instantly losing the bad mood. “With two tortillas on the side?”
“Absolutely,” he said and placed the order before tucking his phone in his pocket. He started to pivot around, then glanced over his shoulder. “Get Shanna on the accounting firm. She’s our best bet to find out who inside the club deals with them.”
“It could all be happening inside the firm,” Joe called out as Cash started for the door. “Fox could be a pawn. You said yourself that they aren’t all that bright.”
Cash barely heard Joe as he continued out of the apartment, trotting down the stairs. “Hold that thought. We’ll talk when I get back. Let’s loop Shanna in before we make assumptions. She’ll most likely have the insight we need.” He rounded the corner of the last step in almost a jog. With a renewed pep in his step, he hightailed it out of the apartment in record time.
If he went fast enough, he could swing by the ink parlor, let his heart have what it wanted most and be back before Joe noticed he’d been gone too long.
In theory, it all worked out perfectly.
Chapter 22
The way Cash’s heart beat faster as he sat at the red light just beyond the bike shop brought an odd sense of peaceful havoc to his soul. He smiled as he looked around the area. A corner he’d gotten to know intimately while sitting for hours and hours in a planted beater vehicle, watching and listening after Dev’s safety.
The hookers who always adorned the corner were there. Seriously, when did they sleep? Dev had called this a twenty-dollar corner. As busy as those men and women were, they had to make a killing.
As he drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, waiting somewhat patiently to drive again, his cell phone rang. The Department of Justice appeared on the screen on his dashboard. He pushed accept as the line of cars in front of him slowly rolled forward.
“Cash Ryan,” he answered.
“Ryan.” Lily Collins. She was always professional, but even with the single word, she conveyed a sense of urgency, making him take notice. “I’ve gotten some disturbing intelligence that’s come across my desk. I’m not certain of the validity but I’m calling to let you know. I’m also sending an email to the security team you’re working with. It appears our time may be up. Something’s organizing quickly against the club.”
The air inside Cash’s sports car came to a standstill. His heart froze mid-beat. His gaze snapped to the entrance into the parking lot of Dev’s building.
“What’s that something, and how long do we have?” he asked, proud his brain kept computing. There were six cars in front of him, and if they didn’t get moving, he’d be trapped behind a second red light. He pressed the gas pedal, the car jumping forward as he rode the bumper of the vehicle in front of him.
“Cash, I don’t know. These transmissions are in code and those change like the wind blows. It could be minutes, hours, or days, but we’re considering this a credible threat.” The urgency in her tone had him blowing through the yellow to red streetlight, hyperaware of everything around him. The road was busy. The volume of traffic leading in and out of the different businesses had always provided a surveillance challenge.
With the quick scan of the area, he couldn’t even identify the security team’s presence. At the entrance of the shop, Cash’s foot barely touched the brake as he took the turn into the parking lot, fighting against his natural instincts to fly into the lot at full speed. He swerved into the closest parking space, taking everything in as he rammed his foot down on the brake. The sudden stop jerked him forward.
He pushed the door open with force as he grabbed his cell and stood to his full height, quickly taking in the scene. His chest bowed, showing his powerful presence to any would-be attackers. He was so tired of all the game playing associated with this case and wouldn’t allow Dev to go down without one hell of a fight.