Total pages in book: 181
Estimated words: 171979 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 860(@200wpm)___ 688(@250wpm)___ 573(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 171979 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 860(@200wpm)___ 688(@250wpm)___ 573(@300wpm)
“Anything else?”
“No, that’s it. How much?”
“No charge for the information. Plus, I’ll give your usual fee. I need you to supervise a deal taking place this Saturday night,” Ice told him. “Send me the address where you want the exchange to take place. I’ll have a bike waiting for you at the airport.”
“Who’s it between?” Kent asked.
“Mica is purchasing swag from the Phantoms.”
“Mica aware he can’t screw around with Wraith?”
“I’ve made him aware. He didn’t listen to me and made the deal, anyway. Now, he wants protection and is willing to pay for it to go smoothly.”
Kent gave a low laugh. “You mean to make sure he’s still breathing when it’s over.”
“That, too. I wish these up-and-comers would listen to my warnings before they fuck up.”
“You’re preaching to the choir,” Kent agreed sardonically.
Ice and he were in the same boat. Their advice came from hard-earned experience. They made their money exploiting other people’s mistakes. He didn’t feel bad taking their money, coming to the conclusion if they were going to pay a high dollar amount to get a job done, it might as well go in his pocket instead of someone else’s. Standing on a high moral ground would lead to you working a nine-to-five job and an occasional fuck on Friday nights with a woman who pretended she was fucking someone better-looking and richer than the man who was going down on her.
“Warn Mica if he plans to stiff Wraith, the only person’s ass I’ll be saving will be my own.”
“I’ll pass your message on.”
Ice opened the car door and got out.
Kent backed out of the parking spot and drove back out of the parking garage, heading to the jail.
All he wanted to do was go home, take a hot shower, then make himself quick dinner. When he checked the time on the dashboard, he sighed and revised his plan. He would buy take-out after he spoke to Valerie Monroe. He would add the amount of the food to the bill he planned to give Dante. Instead of making himself a hamburger, he would order Sushi from his favorite Japanese restaurant. God, he loved his job.
SIX
The door opening had Kent looking toward it, waiting for his client to come in.
He expected her to walk inside, so he was confounded when he could only see her head poking through. Before he could understand what his client was doing, she was shoved from behind, being pushed into the room.
“I don’t have all day.” The officer he had gotten in an argument with not even five minutes earlier sent him a satisfied smirk.
Tripping forward, his client somehow managed to right herself.
He jerked himself to his feet and gripped the table to prevent himself from going after the asshole, knowing the fucker would use the excuse to have him thrown out and preventing him from talking to his client.
“Officer Dunbar, that was completely unnecessary,” he said furiously, giving him a menacing look.
Officer Dunbar’s callous expression turned smug, unfazed at the way Kent was looking at him. The fucker was going to regret laying his hand on Valerie Monroe just to get back at him. Valerie might be locked up in prison, but he wasn’t. Yet.
“Kent, you have twenty minutes.” The officer couldn’t resist giving him a gloating smile before he snapped the door closed.
“I’m afraid Officer Dunbar’s behavior is my fault.” Apologizing, he frowned, then sat back down on the chair. “He wanted you to be shackled before leaving your cell. I disagreed with him to his supervisor, and he took it out on you. Are you all right?”
“Yes.”
“Have a seat.” Kent looked the woman over. Her appearance did her no favors. She looked like a fucking hacker.
“Do you mind me asking who you are?” She returned the look he was giving her by looking him over. Hers lasted much longer, and for some reason, he was beginning to feel uncomfortable under her stare.
“I’m sorry. I was so angry at Dunbar I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Kent Bryant. I’ve been hired to be your attorney.”
“So … you’re not a public attorney?”
“No, I’ve been retained as your attorney.”
“By whom?”
“Lucca Caruso.”
Her mouth dropped open. It was obvious she had heard of the Caruso family, which would have been more surprising if she hadn’t. The Caruso family owned the Casino Hotel that was the direct competition of the Horseshoe that Valerie was alleged of cyberattacking by her former boss. Lucca Caruso was the CEO of the Casino Hotel and was paying him to represent the woman. She was smart enough to be afraid.
“Lucca Caruso?” she repeated the name to make sure she had heard it correctly.
Yeah, she was smart, but he already knew that.
“Yes, Mr. Caruso asked me to represent you.”
“I’m not usually in the position to look a gift horse in the mouth, but are sure you’ve been shown into the right room?”