Drake turned sympathetic eyes to her. “At this point, Paige, the reason wouldn’t matter when the only evidence they’vefound at the scene points back to you. Not to mention you disappeared suddenly. That alone makes you look guilty.”
“So what now?” she asked, feeling desperation sink like a boulder to the bottom of her stomach.
“Now, we go after Boyd and find the proof we need to take him down,” Ben vowed.
“Damn straight,” Remi said. “I know you don’t know us, Paige, but we’re very good at what we do. The last thing any of us want is for someone like Boyd to walk around free. We’ll figure this out. All we need is for you to stay hidden until we do.”
Paige sucked in her lips and cast a glance at Ben. He noted the fear that was ever present in her eyes, but there was also something else — determination.
“I think I can manage that,” she told Remi. “I’ve had plenty of experience so far.”
Her joke earned grins from the people around them, and Ben squeezed her, hoping she knew how proud he was of her for staying calm and brave when her life was on the line.
“Let’s get a plan together.” Jackson leaned forward to brace his arms on top of the table. “The sooner we take down this guy, the sooner Paige can have her life back.”
And the sooner Ben could convince her to spend that life with him.
Chapter Twenty
The grandfather clock chimed noon, and Darius Boyd took a long swig of his bourbon. Polite society would tell him it was too soon to be drinking hard liquor. To that, he would tell polite society to go to hell. The alcohol had no effect on him, and the bourbon kept him focused.
Sunlight beamed through the windows, casting its rays over the pile of correspondence on his desk. Most business was conducted over text and email these days, but he preferred the old way of doing things. Business lunches, hard copy proposals, mailed invitations, cash over bitcoin. It frustrated those who worked with him and for him, but no one dared to challenge him . He made them a lot of money, and he could snatch it all away before they could blink.
They were loyal to him because of their greed. That was their folly. Oh, he understood greed. He’d made a career out of manipulating people because of the love for money. But he knew what was truly important. Power was far better than money. Power could get him anyone and anything.
He wouldn’t tolerate a threat to his power. Steal his money, and he exacted revenge. Go after his power, and he went in for the kill.
A sinister grin curled his lips. Ah, the kill. Talk about the ultimate power trip. He lived for the kill. The ecstasy of holding someone’s life in your hands. The potent rush of sealing their fate with one word or one action. It was a high like none other.
He craved it like an addict in need of his next fix, but where an addict grew more desperate the longer they went without, Darius had no such urgency. The longer he waited, the more calculated he was. The more he relished the chase…and the capture.
The knock on his office door was expected. He didn’t bother ordering the person inside. Instead, he polished off his drink, poured another, and waited for his visitor to come in.
“I have the information you asked for.”
Darius sipped his bourbon slowly, relishing the sweet burn down his esophagus. “Tell me.”
His man stepped further into the room, adjusting his tailored suit jacket to conceal the weapon at his side. His eyes were as black as his heart — if he had a heart. He was average height and average build with average features. His complexion gave no clue as to his heritage. Neither did his accent. He was a man without a country, known only by the moniker Mars.
“The people asking questions belong to a private security company, Atlas Security.”
Darius raised a brow. “Private investigators?”
“Not really. Primarily security for high-profile clients. No one knows why they’re asking questions now, but Remington Corteman is on their payroll.”
Darius placed his glass on the bar and turned to face Mars. “The bitch doesn’t know when to let it go.”
“She knows about the girl.”
Darius narrowed his eyes, the only sign of his reaction. “You’re sure?”
“I’m sure.”
Darius sat behind his desk, the mechanism of his plush leather chair creaking as he leaned the seat back. His elbows lay on the armrests, and his fingers steepled in front of his face.
“I know you don’t like to talk, Mars, but I’m going to need more words from you.”
The man told his employer what he knew. Atlas Security was sending operatives to ask questions about Marty Warner. Remi Corteman was involved. They found the girl in a Podunk town. The girl was caught on camera along with a known associate of Atlas Security who wasn’t an employee. The girl left one Podunk town for another.
