Just then Viv’s phone buzzed in front of Slate, who held up his hands before sliding it towards Viv. “Put it on speaker. Wait until the fourth ring to answer.” He was already typing on his laptop. “And don’t get down to business right away. I need at least sixty seconds, okay?”
She nodded, letting out a heavy sigh before she tapped the screen. “Hello?”
“Viv, oh god, it’s so good to hear your voice. I’ve missed the sound.”
Viv’s eyes slid close and she took another breath. “You don’t give up,” she said, pushing the words through clenched teeth.
He laughed. “Not when I really want something and I still want you Viv.” James said. “We should talk. In person.”
My hands balled into fists just thinking what that smarmy motherfucker wanted from her. Instead of losing my shit, I squeezed her hand and nodded my support.
“We should probably talk,” she said in a tone that clearly indicated a lack of interest, but her ex only heard what he wanted to hear.
“I’m glad you agree. You’ve been stubborn lately and it’s about time you came to your senses. I’ll make dinner for us, clams in white wine. Your favorite.”
“That’s your favorite,” she reminded him with a hint of irritation in her voice.
He laughed. “You love it too,” he insisted almost desperately.
She shook her head. “I’m allergic to shellfish, James. For the millionth time.”
He fell silent and Diesel motioned her to keep going.
“I’m not coming to your house, not yet. We should meet somewhere more public than your place, for safety reasons.”
“My security system is top notch,” he added in an annoyed tone.
“In case you’ve forgotten, the Russian mob is after me. Your security system won’t deter them.”
“Vivian,” he began in that condescending tone.
My woman held strong. “The only thing your system will do is ensure the police show up to identify our bodies. We meet somewhere public or not at all.”
I held my breath, certain he’d call the whole thing off, at least until I looked at Viv again. I regretted missing years with her so I could only imagine how a goddamn psycho like James would react to pushing her away.
“Fine. I assume you have a place in mind?”
She nodded. “I do. There’s a beer garden at the end of that street with all the nice boutiques and an overflow parking lot across the street. You know it?”
“Yes,” he sighed. “I know it.”
“Good. Meet you there in an hour.” She ended the call quickly as if she couldn’t wait to get off the phone with him and released a visible shudder. “Okay, it’s set. What now?”
“I have an idea.” Gio flashed a crooked grin and laid out his plan. “Slate, you’re tracking his phone, right?”
“Yep.”
“Okay, let’s assume that he’s a guy who likes control.”
“He is,” Viv confirmed.
“He’ll arrive early to surprise you, probably in the overflow parking lot, which means we need to arrive even earlier to set up. And we catch him off guard.” We all listened to Gio’s plan in great detail, hoping like hell it would work.
“What if the Russians show up too?” Viv voiced the question in a small, barely audible voice.
“We’ve got that covered,” Gio assured her.
Rocky stood and clapped his younger brother on the back. “Maverick, Rebel, Sniper, T-Bone, you come with me. Let’s grab our gear and scope out the place.” He turned to Vivian. “We got your back, Dr. Viv.”
