Griffin sighed, picking up his phone without sitting up.“Yeah?”he answered, voice thick with sleep and sex.
“Found your buyer,” Knight said, voice clear and sharp enough to cut glass.“You’re gonna want to sit up for this.”
Griffin blinked, then levered himself up on one elbow.I rolled to my back as Griffin put Knight on speaker.“Shoot.”
“Remember that ‘I’ code in the ledgers?It’s Judge Isaiah Marlin.Got his name cross-referenced against three separate wire routes.All of ‘em line up with buyer transactions for high-value inventory.Dude’s not just a legal shield.He’s a fuckin’ customer.”
That woke me up fast.I sat straight up, ignoring the way the blanket tumbled to my waist.“You’re sure?”
“Positive,” Knight replied.“He’s got a private estate outside the city.Been using it to meet with brokers for off-book purchases.He’s in for at least four other shipments, all under the ‘special handling’ code.”
I stared at Griffin, who was already sitting at the edge of the bed, rubbing a hand through his hair.The wild look in his eyes was back, but this time it wasn’t for me.It was for the coming hunt.
“What else?”he asked.
“Tonio’s got a friend in the marshal’s office who tipped us to Marlin being off-docket all day tomorrow.If we want to hit him, tonight’s our shot.”
Griffin nodded, swinging his legs over the side of the bed.“You call Knuckles yet?”
“I wanted you to hear it first, brother.”
Griffin’s eyes flicked to me.“We’ll be ready in ten.You have a floor plan for the estate?”
“Pulling it now.Old money.Big show, really.The security’s mostly wishful thinking.There’s a gate, two guards, and a rotating schedule for hired help.”
“We’re on the way, Knight.Thanks, man.”
“Anytime.”
Griffin buttoned his jeans, then pulled on a T-shirt.“You want in on this, Veda?”
“You really think you can stop me?”I said, already reaching for my boots.“Surprised you’re not trying to sideline me.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.”He found his pistol, checked the magazine, chambered a round, and holstered it at his back.“But you stay close.I know this is for your sister, but no freelance hero shit.”He pointed a finger at me.“You follow my instructions or you stay here.”
I rolled my eyes, but didn’t argue.I found my own shirt, slid it on, and laced my boots with steady hands.
As we made our way to the main compound, the sounds of this place waking up surrounded me.Everyone prepared for the battle to come.I liked how there was never a question of if they were going to find Tessa.This place truly felt like home and family.
As we reached the door to Knight’s office, Griffin paused.He looked at me with that unblinking, battlefield calm I was starting to understand was his way of saying he cared.“You stay close,” he repeated.“Promise you’ll do what we say.”
I grinned.“Don’t make me repeat myself about giving me orders.”
For a second, I thought he’d argue.Instead, he shook his head and actually let out a laugh.“Hellcat,” he grumbled.
Chapter Fifteen
Griffin
I didn’t know what the hell I expected when we walked into Knight’s office, but it wasn’t this.He’d completed his upgrade, but I couldn’t see it now.The place looked like someone had ordered a war room kit off the Internet and then let a madman loose with push pins and highlighters.Every vertical surface was covered.Surveillance prints in grayscale, stacks of DMV photos, and blueprints of every major building in the Nashville area.The air buzzed with electronics, cheap energy drinks, and the ghost of sweat from too many hours straight planning out every angle of a move none of us had ever made before.
Knight sat in front of another bank of monitors.Despite the mess he’d made in his office, Knight looked surprisingly relaxed.Gunnar stood several steps behind him, arms folded.His face looked hard as he glowered over Knight’s shoulder at whatever our tech officer had on the screen.Knuckles had claimed the big chair at the end of the table, legs sprawled out in front of him, looking almost like he dozed while the others worked.Which was a total illusion.
The surprise was Tonio Miles.He didn’t blend.In his tailored suit, he stood in the corner of the room, radiating a cold, predatorial calm.His dark beard was trimmed, his hair perfect, but there was nothing soft about him.He looked up as we entered, his dark eyes landing on Veda first.
She hesitated, but only for a moment.Then she walked in like she belonged in the room as much as everyone else.I followed her, shutting the door behind us.The conversation that had been humming died instantly.
“Good,” Knight said without looking up.“You made it.I’m almost done prepping the packet.”
