AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Turns out, it’s a small restaurant. Garlic and oregano fill the air, and my stomach growls. Logan’s grip tightens around me, and I pull my wandering eyes away from the hanging salami to the table occupied by his boss.
“You rang, boss?” Logan says, appearing bored.
“That I did. Glad you could also bring your precious little secret along.” Vincent eyes me up and down, and just like before, I suspect he’s envisioning me without clothes on. Logan continues to act unconcerned by the sliminess of his boss and takes a seat at the table. I follow suit, scooting my chair closer to Logan and farther from Vincent.
Vincent finally pulls his gaze away from me and looks up at Chino. “What happened to you?”
“He ran into a wall,” Logan answers for him. “So, what do you need from me?”
Vincent’s smile is laced with malice. He brings his dark gaze over to me. “So interesting. Two years, and suddenly you surprise me with this very beautiful gift of yours. I must say, you have great taste, Justice.”
Logan leans back in his chair and grips my thigh. “She knows how to please me.” He turns to me and winks. Heat blasts across my cheeks. Considering I have no game, let alone much experience, his statement couldn’t be farther from the truth.
“Is that so?” Vincent looks at me, waiting for something…
“Oh! Yeah. I’m a wild one. When you have what he’s workin’ with, you do what it takes to stay on that train, if ya know what I mean…” And here lies Atticus Finch, died from being an idiot.
Vincent laughs, slamming his hand down on the table. “What a mouth you have. Tell me, Logan, is she this feisty when you’re shoving your cock down that tight throat of hers?”
Well, that escalated quickly. My smile falls, and my lips part at his vulgar question. “You know—”
“I know how to shut her up real nicely.” Logan grips my thigh, bruising my skin, and I gulp down my wince. He turns to me. “Baby, why don’t you go wait outside while we talk business?”
No argument from me. I get up, but Vincent halts me. “She stays. You felt comfortable bringing her to the gala, you must really trust her. I can’t imagine you would put her in a compromising position.”
“I trust her, but she doesn’t need to—”
“She stays,” Vincent says, his voice stern.
I sit back down, slapping a smile on my face. “Thanks. Means a lot you trust me. I wouldn’t do anything to harm my man. My trust is with him, which means it’s with you.” I wink and throw my arms around Logan’s neck. “Right, babe?” I kiss his cheek, then lower my mouth and start to nibble on his ear. Hmmm…this always seems way spicier in the books. Am I even doing this right?
“Okay, that’s enough,” Vincent barks, and I thankfully pull back. Ears are gross.
“So, what’s on the agenda? Anything I can help with?” I ask, wondering if I’m the only one who hears Logan growl.
Vincent peers over Logan’s shoulders and snaps his fingers. A man appears at the table, handing him a large folder. “We have a very important shipment coming through next week. Not our normal cargo.” He opens the folder and starts spreading out sheets of paper. My curiosity gets the best of me, and I lean forward. My eyes can’t take in all the information fast enough. The first couple of pages are pictures of colored shipping containers with the same word slapped on the side of each one. Valouro. The name is Spanish. Or maybe Portuguese. Another sheet is filled with rows of numbers and barcodes. The next page shows a layout of the Port of Chicago, a bunch of waterways that will lead out one way into the Atlantic and another way down into the Gulf of Mexico, along with dates and times for shipments. Four ports are listed, but one, in particular, is highlighted. Calumet Harbor. Mayor Brighton has been linked to corrupted wrongdoings at this exact port. The last page is a detailed profile of a bald man, in his late forties, if I had to guess.
“What is this?” I ask, failing at sitting and staying quiet.
Vincent takes a sip of his wine. “Curious little thing, aren’t you? And what do you plan on doing with the information if tell you?”
Certainly not exploit you to my tabloid magazine. “Maybe I can help. Be a distraction. Or be on the lookout.” Those are important duties in the action flicks.
Vincent throws his head back and bellows out a laugh. “My, my…I see now why you’ve kept her to yourself. I would never let her out of my sight. Addy, may I ask what it is you do for a living?”
Oh…well, crap on a stick. I guess this is why Logan told me to keep my trap shut. “I…it’s embarrassing to admit, but…yeah…I don’t actually have a job right now. Logan is kind of supporting me. Hence why I return the favor with…ya know…” I watch Vincent’s eyes light up and peer over at Logan, impressed with my answer. I sneak a look at him too. As cool as a cucumber. “But ya know, if you need more ears and eyes—”
