Up to Me(24)

“Yeah, making a copy is out of the question. That’s the kind of thing that really does get people killed.”

“My concern isn’t only with giving up the information that could get Dad off. It’s as much about how these people work. They don’t leave witnesses alive. Ever. I have to figure out some other way to make sure Olivia is safe. Completely. Permanently. I either have to get rid of them or…I don’t know what. But I have to do something. I have to make sure she’s safe.”

Gavin rubs his chin. “That could be tricky. These are dangerous people to underestimate. But you’re a great strategist. One of the smartest guys I’ve ever met. And that’s saying a lot. I’ve worked all over the world with all kinds of people. You’d have made an excellent merc. You might not have much to go on now, but once your dad’s plan B person gets here, you’ll know more. You’re a lot like Greg. And, knowing what kind of guy your father is, this mystery person’s gonna be a game changer.”

I reach up to squeeze the bridge of my nose, hoping to stop the dull throb that’s beating just behind my eyes. “I hope you’re right. If not, I’m gonna have to come up with something pretty damn fast. I’ve only got until nine thirty in the morning. They’re giving me thirty minutes after the bank opens to get in and get the books. Then I’ll be meeting them.”

“But the books aren’t at the bank, right?”

“No, they’re not.”

I trust Gavin, but I still hesitate to show my hand.

“Did you tell them which bank?”

“No. Why?’

“Well, that might play into it. Might help you on your time. Plus, they won’t be able to meet you there. Try to pull any of their typical tricks.”

“Yeah, the longer we have and the less they know, the better.”

“Always.”

Gavin and I spit ball back and forth while we wait. It keeps me from pacing, which is what I feel like doing. I don’t like waiting. I don’t like not having all the facts. I don’t like being the last to know. And, most of all, I don’t like worrying about being able to keep Olivia safe. There are too many unknowns, too many players, too many variables. What I need is for Dad’s man or people to get here so I can regain some amount of control.

For a while after the accident, I was blood thirsty. All I could think about was getting revenge against the people who killed my mother and brother, and who framed my father for their deaths. But, over time, the more I became Nash, the more I realized there was a legal way to go about it, a way that could free my father. That alone would be worth going about it without bloodshed. So that’s what I did. I set about getting my law degree and learning as much as I could about similar cases, so that one day I could use the evidence that my dad sacrificed so much for to see justice served.

But now all that is in jeopardy. Unless the ace up Dad’s sleeve is a damned good one.

Forty-four minutes later, an hour before the club closes, an ace walks through my office door. And holy hell what an ace it is!





CHAPTER ELEVEN- Olivia



It would be impossible not to notice him. Danger and confidence and reckless disregard for pretty much anybody and anything emanate from him like a stink. Or, for every female in the immediate vicinity, like a perfume.

I’m pretty sure that tickle at the back of my throat is Taryn’s pheromones. They might choke us all. I don’t even have to look down the bar at her to know she’s sitting up and taking notice. I wouldn’t be surprised if she was preening like a cat. But I could also understand it. He’s pretty…compelling.

He’s tall. Every bit as tall as Cash. The fact that he’s wearing a black leather jacket and sunglasses into a club in the middle of the night only makes him stand out that much more. But it’s not only that. It’s not just one thing. Or ten things. It’s everything about him. There’s no way this guy could hide. Not in the biggest crowd could he go unnoticed.

People step away from him as he walks through the room. I don’t know if it’s fear or reverence, but something causes them to give him ample space.

I’d guess his hair is chin length. Maybe shoulder length, but pulled back into a ponytail as it is, it’s hard to tell. The color is like pale straw, lighter on top than that underneath, which makes me think he works out in the sun. Often.

His chin is covered with a thick, light brown goatee. Between that and the sunglasses, most of the details of his face are obscured, but there’s something about him that seems vaguely familiar. I wonder if he’s been into the club before. Not dressed like this, of course, but maybe in regular clothes.