“Is everything in order?” I asked him, trying to keep the tension out of my voice.
It was a good thing we were on the phone and he couldn’t see me. I was a mess.
“Yes. Ethan thinks you’re doing a job for Giovanni,” Wes answered. “I’ve suggested a closer look at the inventory list in the courtyard to make him think that we missed something there. He’s got the guys from the team looking over it and working with intel. It’s all busy here, so we really do have him thrown off track.”
It was perfect. The way things had worked out was perfect.
I nodded even though he couldn’t see me and kicked a rock that was in my path.
After I dropped Jia off to Giovanni, I went back to my apartment to meet Wes and plan.
Of course, I told him what happened with Balthazar, so he knew my stress.
All the while we planned I couldn’t get what happened out of my damn head.
Balthazar came to screw with me.
The man was surely a sick fuck. His goons had been watching me, saw I was with her and he came to screw with me and remind me that he killed Claire and there wasn’t a damn thing I could have done to save her.
He came to let me know he could do the same thing to Jia.
Then there was fucking Giovanni that added to the shit. His mobster greed had infuriated me to no end, because his greed got her tangled in the mess.
Giovanni had looked stunned beyond measure when I mentioned The Ra and The Spades, but the fucking prick also looked like he was fuming. He looked furious at me, and suspicious.
“Great work Wes,” I told him.
“Thank you bro. You know I’m not happy though right? I feel like I should be with you watching your back. I really do.”
I could hear the worry in his voice. When I thought about it, this was the first time in the years we’d known each other that he hadn’t been watching my back.
I had a portable surveillance device we’d conjured up that connected with the camera system and motion sensors inside the chamber. It would allow me to see my surroundings once I got in. More important it would detect motion and alert me if someone came down there.
I was just hoping for the absence we’d had in the days prior to seeing Giovanni and The Chameleon. Eight of us had been down in the chamber at several points during the days and nights searching through the vaults. So this was me hoping for a night like that.
“I have to be okay. It has to be okay. I can’t worry over everything. There’s too many variables.” Just like last time.
Last time…
I just couldn’t get the past out of my head.
The last time I felt this angst was when Claire was killed. Her and the team.
There were several things at work then but this time the game had a variety of players that I couldn’t keep tabs on. So, like I said to Jia earlier, this was the best way. It was, it had to be.
“I got things covered from my end,” Wes assured me.
“Thanks. just keep Ethan and the rest of the team occupied. I’ll contact you as soon as I can.”
“Cool. Bro, please check in with a text or something when you grab the prints?”
“Yeah.” I could do that. It would stop him from worrying. I’d grab the prints and fire off a message to him the minute I got back to my car. Then I’d head to Mexico and contact him and Ethan from there when I was ready to meet them. Ready and out of harm’s way.
Essentially, when I was long gone. That was the plan and me trying to be one step ahead of the game.
What I hoped was that nothing would happen here in terms of Balthazar. I hoped that with Jia under her mafia protection she’d be safe. I was certain in Italy she’d be safe too. That was what I needed for her right now, to ensure her safety. Then I could figure out the rest. I’d do it.
It didn’t escape me though, that every time I made some form of promise to her it got blown to hell in some way.
