∞∞∞
The tension in the living room is thick. Nik and Axel are already there, sprawled on opposite ends of the couch.
Johnny stands in front of the fireplace, not quite pacing, but close. That same glass of scotch from earlier is in his hand. I notice it still looks untouched.
Sean and I take the loveseat. He waits for me to sit, then rests his hand on my thigh. A clear sign of claiming that Johnny notices. His eyes narrow.
Good.
“Let’s get this over with,” Johnny says. “You deserve the truth, and I’m done keeping it.”
“How generous of you,” Axel mutters.
Johnny ignores him. “I didn’t tell anyone because I didn’t want any of you involved. It was supposed to be clean and quiet. Just me, Rachel, and a web of polished bullshit.”
“Sounds romantic,” Nik says dryly.
Johnny finally sets the glass down and faces us. “You know the wedding’s happening in three weeks. There’s a big guest list, a minister, a cake…but I never intended for it to be real. No vows. No prenup. No honeymoon. Just a show.”
“A show for what?” Sean asks.
Johnny hesitates. “To catch Joe. He shows up, I detain him. Then I dismantle Rachel’s father’s entire network—offshore accounts, flights, trafficking routes. Joe’s the handler. Rachel’s dad is the bank. I’m taking them both down.”
The room is silent as we process his words.
Nik leans forward. “And what about Rachel?”
“She’s a casualty,” Johnny says bluntly. “Or a useful idiot. Either way, when it’s over, I walk away.”
I blink. “So, she doesn’t know the wedding is a setup?”
He nods. “No, and I don’t intend for her to find outbeforehand.”
“That’s cruel, even for you,” I argue.
“Please.” He rolls his eyes. “Rachel doesn’t love me. She loves my money. She’ll be fine.”
I want to disagree, but I hold my tongue. As much as I loathe her, Rachel doesn’t deserve this.
Johnny continues, “It’s a trap. Joe will be flushed out of hiding. Surveillance will be tight. We’ll catch everything.”
Sean whistles. “So, you’re staging a full-on sting operation?”
Johnny shrugs again. “It’s the only way to dismantle it.”
“I still don’t understand,” Nik says, “Why go through all this trouble? Why a wedding? Why not just shoot him at that trafficking house we uncovered?”
“If I take him out at one of their locations, it could spook Walter and he could relocate the whole operation,” Johnny answers. “Joe and Walter are close, at least, professionally. I needed an event that Joe would be invited to where I could make him disappear without raising any red flags.”
I lift my eyes. “And me? What’s my part in this?”
Johnny doesn’t look at me. “You’re the bait. I made sure Joe knows you’re attending. He RSVP’d yes.”
Axel growls. Sean’s grip on my leg tightens.
My heart twists. “And after? What happens to him then?”
He finally looks at me. “He gets what he deserves.”
