Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 68006 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68006 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Leif stares at me. I mean really stares.
“You can’t seriously be thinking I made it all up,” I say. “I know I lash out. But… My God, you seriously don’t believe me?”
In that instant, I’m a little girl again. Huddled in the closet. Getting hungry. Shivering, not against cold but against fear.
My flesh chills, and goosebumps erupt.
“Honey, no.” Leif puts his arm around me. “I don’t believe her. But I had to ask.”
I yank his arm off me, my flesh warming. I’m no longer in the closet. I will never go back into that closet again.
“I can put you in touch with the friend from high school who took me in after my mother kicked me out when I turned eighteen.”
“We’ve already been in touch with that friend,” Reid said. “Your story checks out, Kelly.”
“See? I don’t make things up. I’m not a liar.”
“Baby, no one was thinking—”
I rise, shove my chair toward the table. “I’m so out of here.” I race to the door, leave the conference room.
Leif is on my heels, of course.
“Kelly, I can’t let you go alone.”
“I was only here to talk to my mother. She’s gone, so now I want to go home, Leif. I just want to go home.”
“All right.” He pulls out his phone. “I’ll let Reid know. But Kelly, we need to figure out what’s going on. If this guy truly is your father, maybe I can meet with him. Get his DNA somehow.”
“All right. But I don’t want to see him.”
“I wouldn’t ask you to, but this means…”
“Means what, Leif?”
“It means, unfortunately, that I’m going to have to speak to your mother again.”
She sighs, closes her eyes, and then steps on the elevator ahead of me.
“I’m sorry, but we have to find out if this guy is really your father. And if he is, I’m going to make him talk to me. I’m going to find out what the fuck is going on here, and where your mother got that money.”
Back in Leif’s apartment, I sit quietly as he dials the number on the card Racine gave him from a burner phone.
“Forrester Smith?” he says.
He’s not on speaker so I can’t hear the rest.
“My name is Leif Ramsey. I’m a friend of Racine Taylor’s.”
Pause.
“Hell no, I’m not an attorney. I’m her muscle. She’s ready to meet with you to finalize the transfer.”
Pause.
“Yeah, everything. She told me everything. It’s a go. But before we meet, Mr. Smith—
A shudder surges through me at the name. Mr. Smith. The Dark One.
“—I need your assurance that this is totally off every record. No cops. No wires. No nothing.”
Pause.
“Chill, man. I told you she told me everything. But you don’t expect me to proceed without caution, do you?”
Pause.
“Good. So we understand each other. Racine and I will meet you at her hotel. I’ll text you the room number.”
Pause.
“Nine p.m. is perfect. See you then. And Mr. Smith?”
Pause.
“Come alone.”
I have chills skittering up my arms as Leif ends the phone call and then pulls up a travel app on his device.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m reserving a room at your mother’s hotel. I can’t use her room because she’s not going to know I’m there. At least not until I get there. I’m using the app so I can choose my own room. There we go. Now I just text this room to Mr. Smith, and we’re on.”
He texts, and within a few seconds his phone dings.
“He got the text, and he’ll be there.”
“What will I do?” Kelly says.
“You’ll come with me.”
“No. I don’t want to see him.”
“Don’t be silly. I reserved two rooms on the same floor. I’ll secure you in one. I’ll check it out first. You’ll have a burner phone with all my numbers and you can get in touch with me at any time.”
“When do we leave?”
“Check-in time is four o’clock. We will be there then. I want you secure in your room before this man shows up.”
26
LEIF
I haven’t told the Wolfes that I’m meeting with this guy. This is for Kelly and me, not them. I haven’t told Racine either. I told Kelly I may have to speak to her mother, and that’s still true, but I want to see what I can find out about this guy first.
Kelly gapes at me as I strap pistols not only around my shoulder but also my ankle.
“Guns scare me,” she says.
“I’ll tell you what. When all this is over, and it’s just you and me together, I’ll teach you how to shoot. Then you won’t have to be scared of guns.”
“I’m still scared of someone holding one on me.”
I caress her cheek. “I’m going to check your room out from top to bottom. You’re going to be perfectly safe, and I will only be a few doors away.”
She nods.
Kelly doesn’t like to appear frightened. But these last two days—these run-ins with that dark one from her past—have her on edge. For someone who is used to taking care of herself—probably even on the island—she’s got her nerves in a bunch. Which is why she’s coming with me tonight.