“Instructions to do what?” she asked.
“To kill someone, of course,” the Fox replied matter-of-factly. “That’s what assassins do.”
But kill who? Jared?
“Anyway, according to the Collective’s leader, Mr. Z, they extracted North because he’s become defective. He refused to follow an order.”
“What are they planning to do to hi,?” Jared demanded.
“Oh, likely kill him.”
“They better not. I’ll find them and I’ll make their lives a living hell,” Jared swore.
“Yes, yes, I’m sure you will. Hunt them down, blah blah, kill, blah, blah.”
“Is this a joke to you?” Jared asked quietly.
She knew that voice. Knew he was on the edge. And she also knew that the Fox didn’t really have any patience for people that annoyed or crossed him. Reaching out, she grabbed hold of Jared’s wrist, squeezing.
“Perhaps it is a joke,” the Fox said. “Since I have been dragged into something that isn’t any of my business. The only reason I didn’t tell Mr. Z that no, I have nothing to do with Jared Bartolli and don’t care what you do to his lover is because of Angie.”
Shit. Shit.
“Thanks so much for calling, Fox,” she said. “North means everything to me.”
There was silence.
“Like I said, I only agreed because of you. North must have told them that I was your friend and they’re worried about upsetting me by killing him. I said to hold tight. I can always tell them that we aren’t friends and to go ahead with killing North.”
“No!” she cried. “Please, Fox. Don’t. Please, I need him.”
Jared drew her close, lifting her onto his lap to hold her tight.
“I won’t for you,” the Fox told her. “Not for Bartolli. I asked for terms.”
“Terms?” she asked.
“For North’s release,” Jared told her. “What do they want?”
“They want ten million dollars wired to an off-shore account.”
She sucked in a breath. Ten million dollars? That was insane.
“Done,” Jared said as though they were talking about sofa change. “What else?”
“No retaliation. No coming after them, no mentioning them to anyone. And I mean anyone. Also they want my guarantee that I won’t retaliate.”
“Done,” Jared said more reluctantly.
“You will have to abide by that. They might be scared of me, but if you come after them, they will not hesitate to blow up your world. Take North. And forget this ever happened.”
She couldn’t believe all of this.
North was a sleeper assassin?
He’d been placed with Jared?
And then the organization that had “raised” him was ransoming him back because he was defective?
