“I’m going to hack the airport surveillance as well, then. Maybe the leak originated there.”
“That makes sense.”
“Who knew about the shipment?” Jaxson’s question has me looking around the room and then back at him.
I clench my teeth. “Other than Gideon and me, no one on our end. No one knows who I get the pills from.” All my hard work to keep things separate, not let anyone in, and for what? Shit got taken anyway.
“That means it’s probably your contact at the airport or even from the Holland side.”
What Jaxson says makes sense, and it pisses me the fuck off. I like Emil and have done business with him and his father before him for years. I would hate to kill the motherfucker.
“And we think the original call for the attack came from Felix?”
“Who else?”
Jaxson shrugs. Lorenzo shakes his head. Gideon is the one to speak. “There is no one else. It’s Felix.”
He’s right. This is an attack on me, and I don’t have many other enemies. Sure, it could be an up-and-coming rival, but Felix fits better. Felix has been gunning for my uncle’s business—and my father’s for years before that. It doesn’t matter that I’m on my way out. The man wants me gone.
“Then we don’t wait for Jaxson’s intel before we strike.” Pivoting to talk to Jaxson, I say, “You send all the intel to Gideon. Once you find Lorenzo’s drugs, Gideon will get a team together to intercept.”
“I’m going to take care of that.” Lorenzo has an evil smile on his face. “You worry about Felix. I want to find the men who thought they could hijack a truck en route to me.”
Poor fucks won’t know what hit them. I’m more than prepared to deal with both the truck and Felix, but I’m happy to only have to concentrate on one matter.
This truce has gone on long enough. Felix made a mistake thinking Gideon was already in charge, and even if he was, I’d still go to war for him.
“If that’s all, I have my work cut out for me.”
“Yep, let me know where the fuckers are.” Lorenzo claps Jax on the back before Jax turns to me and nods, and then he’s striding out the door.
“I’ll talk to you soon,” I say to Lorenzo before Gideon and I are heading out the door as well. When we are finally back in the car, Gideon lets out a breath.
“That was fun. I wouldn’t want to be the poor schmuck who decided to rob from him.”
I’m quiet for a second and then face him. He looks how I feel, fucking exhausted and sick of this shit. Dark circles edge his eyes, his hair is unruly, and his jaw is stiff enough to cut glass. “This is going to get ugly.”
“It was bound to happen. We both knew Felix might go after the business.”
“We did.”
“Thanks for not—”
“Stop. You’re like my fucking brother, man. I don’t care if I’m one step out the motherfucking door or that door is long shut . . . you need me, I’m there. I know you can handle this alone, but this wasn’t an attack on you. It was on me.”
At this, Gideon goes quiet.
It’s true. This has nothing to do with him. It’s all me. And I’ll take care of it.
31
Skye
I have never seen Tobias act the way he just did. My head is still spinning.
I’m left standing on the stairs when he walked away. I’m not even sure what I’m supposed to do.
I take the stairs leading up and then the stairs leading down. Just as I’m about to make a decision, the decision is made for me.
One of his men is walking toward me.
I’ve never met the guy, but he looks like he’s part of his security team. Dressed in all black, an earpiece visible, and I bet a gun is under his suit jacket. He’s one scary dude, though. I wouldn’t want to be his enemy.
“Mr. Kosta extends his apologies, but something came up. He won’t be needing you today. He also mentioned he’s not sure when he will in the near future, and he will be in contact with you.”
The answer is cold and formal, and I’m not sure what it means.
The man flipped a switch. He went from wanting to kiss me to leaving me and telling his messenger boy his excuse for leaving me in a damn stairwell.
My cheeks feel warm as I head back down the staircase. Warm isn’t the right word to describe it. My cheeks feel like someone took a flamethrower to them.
I’ve been rejected, and I’m walking with my tail tucked between my legs as I sneak out.
Nope.
This isn’t me.
I’m not going to be embarrassed at my dismissal. Pulling my back muscles straight, I walk with my head high until I hit the street. Then I lift my hand and hail a cab. Once inside, I let my shoulders slump. As much as I don’t want to admit it, I wanted him to kiss me again, and now I’m berating myself over the fact.