AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’ll stay,” he heard himself say. Part of him was disgusted by the stupidity of that decision, but the rest of him knew it was his only real option.
“Good. I would have been disappointed if you weren’t able to handle the situation.”
Archer seeming to give him a choice had been a fucking test. If Cash had asked to go back to New York, he might not have made it back alive. They didn’t call Archer the devil for nothing.
Archer asked, “How are the arrangements for the meeting going?”
“They are in hand. Everything is on schedule. I saw Davenport today. He’s early,” Cash pointed out. “Saw him on a street corner arguing with a guy. Small with a scar. No idea what about. Davenport's early arrival is disconcerting. The fact he wasn’t supposed to be here for a few more days could be concerning.”
“Hmm. A change in plans, I guess. Keep an eye out for him just in case and let me know if there are any other developments with this. We also need to find the bible ASAP. Keep looking. The sooner that’s in hand, the better for all concerned. Good luck with Ms. Day.” Archer hung up.
Cash remained leaning against the wall. How was he going to convince Riss that her life was in danger? And in order to survive she had to join a secret society and change the entire course of her life. He was her last best hope for staying alive. She just didn’t know it yet.
CHAPTER TEN
Cash paused with his hand on the doorknob. He’d changed his shirt, but his wound was still seeping a bit. The stitches hadn’t stopped blood from oozing onto the bandage, darkening it. The local the doc had given him was still working, but he wasn’t looking forward to when the anesthetic and adrenaline wore off, and the pain finally hit. He took a deep breath, then wished he hadn’t. His entire side pulled and ached with each step, each breath.
This was going to suck beyond belief. Riss was not prepared for what was about to come down on her. He regretted not stopping her visit with Umberti. He should’ve put her on a plane home and told her never to come back. Would she have listened? Likely not. The offer he was about to make her would suck but it was a hell of a lot better than the alternative. This was her life hanging in the balance. He had to make her listen this time or she wasn’t going to live long enough to regret it. He would make sure of that. Quick and clean. No chance for him to change his mind. No chance for her to fight him. That’s what he had to do. Then why was his hand shaking on the knob?
He turned the knob and walked into the room, then closed the door behind him. Riss was sitting on the sofa but leaned forward as he entered. Concern shadowed her face. “How are you? Does it hurt? Are you okay?”
“Just a few stitches. The bullet grazed me. No worse than a case of road rash from a bike crash. But it had to be taken care of or it can get infected.” He went over and leaned his ass on the desk, crossing his arms over his chest and his legs out in front of him. He wanted to sit on the couch next to Riss but knew it was a bad idea.
When they’d been in the room earlier, he’d had the sense that she’d been hiding something. She’d moved too quickly when he’d reappeared. By now she’d had a chance to do whatever it was she’d started to do then. He’d have to look at the video later. There was a camera in the ceiling in the corner of the room. It was only allowed because this was a non-member area and it was also one of the things holding him back from sitting next to her.
“Why did someone shoot at me? I don’t understand.” She tucked her legs up under her and clasped her hands in her lap.
“You went to see Umberti and hired him to find the bible for you.” Plain speaking was called for, and he would continue to be as blunt as possible. Cold, hard truth was needed to guide her to make the right choices.
She frowned. “But how could they know? We just left the shop. How could they have found out?”
He gawked at her. Was she really this naive?
Yes, she was. He’d found most people not in the Society could survive with a high level of naivety. Blissful ignorance would not make things any easier.
“Riss, Umberti could have called someone. He could’ve had the shooter on standby. Hell, he could’ve been the asshat shooting.” Cash honestly couldn’t see Umberti trailing them and taking the shot, but if his white lie led Riss to getting the point, then so be it.
Her mouth popped open as her violet eyes widened. “You think Umberti shot at us?”
Of course, she’d question that. Part of him admired her for the insight while the other half wanted to shake her. “No. I don’t think he has the stones for that kind of thing. I think he’d shoot you if you were in front of him but he’s not going to chase you down an alley and do it. More likely, he’d stab you.”
She blanched at his words.
“My point is the moment you entered his shop, you became a target. Whether he called someone, or someone was already watching is a moot point. Whoever killed your sister has shifted their focus to you.”
She shrank back into the couch cushions. “But I haven’t done anything.”
“It’s not what you’ve done. It’s the fact that you know about the bible and want it,” Cash said as he readjusted his feet. His side thrummed with pain and it was all downhill from there. “Someone else wants that book and is eliminating competitors for it.” The perp must have assumed Riss had the book, but that purse was too damn small to hold much. And likely Riss wouldn’t have carried a book that size with her anyway. Which meant they were after her room key. He shivered as he considered what could have happened if they’d gotten their hands on it and broke in while Riss was in her room.
“But why?” she demanded. “It makes no sense. It’s just a family bible, isn’t it? Why is that so important?”
He lifted the shoulder on his good side. “I don’t know. I only know that Alicia was killed over it and now someone took a shot at you. Was it meant to kill or only frighten you away from your search? Again… Don’t know.”
She stared at him and then reached forward and took the mug from the table and sipped. The tea must have been ordered for her by Antonio. She wasn’t allowed to leave this room until she became a member of the Society, but that didn’t mean they had to be neglectful. This room, this hallway was for non-members. It was the only spot they were allowed to be in.
She set her mug down. “I think I want to go home. You’re right. It’s not worth dying over the book. I missed out on knowing my sister so there’s really no reason to keep pushing forward with this. It won’t bring her back. As much as I’d like to know more about my family, it’s not worth the risk.”
Cash ground his teeth. The speech had a practiced tone to it. No doubt she didn’t want to die, but this was a lame attempt to sell him on the idea she was going to leave the bible alone. He wasn’t buying. “It’s too late.”
