AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Jace lets out a deep breath and then stands up, putting his hands on my shoulders to keep me still. “I already knew the answer to that. Don’t know why I asked. But you can’t trust anyone, and don’t let anyone know what you’re up to. Not your friends and not Raymond.”
At the last part, my head jerks up. “But Uncle—?”
”It’s to keep him safe,” Jace says, firmly. “If this person is still around, he will be keeping an eye on you.”
A sudden fear grips me, chilling me to the bone. “What about you?”
Jace gives me a half smile. “I plan to be careful, as should you. I’ve already talked to Caleb. He’ll meet us when we get back and help us track whoever forged these passports. That will give us a lead.”
I look up at him, studying his handsome face. “You’re really going to help me?”
He kneels by my side till we’re face-to-face. “Why is that even a question at this point?”
His gaze is too direct and it makes me fumble with my shirt. “Well, it’s quite dangerous, as you put it.”
“So? Somebody has to protect you.”
“Who’ll protect you?”
He suddenly grins at me, a cheeky boyish smile. “I thought you were going to protect me? Although, considering how you’ve made me an accomplice in a federal crime, you might have to end up protecting me in prison.”
“My server was secure. They wouldn’t even know they were hacked.” I try to reassure him.
He plants his hands on my cheeks and pulls me forward, kissing me deeply, as if leaving behind his very essence in me. As he pulls away, he murmurs, “I have your back, Halley.”
The words are simple and somewhat crude, but as we drive back the next morning, I think to myself, they hold much more meaning to me than anything else he could have said.
It’s afternoon when we reach home and I go with Jace to hide the money in his apartment, only to find someone waiting for us.
Caleb Starr has an intimidating presence and he’s good looking in an icy sort of way. He takes one look at us, then at the bag, and raises a brow. “Is that it?”
Jace tosses him the bag. “Yeah.”
As Jace opens the door, I weakly greet the CEO of the company I’m interning in, “Ah, how’s Kendall?”
“Sulking because I wouldn’t bring her to count the money. She likes counting large sums of money,” Caleb informs me in a deadpan tone.
“It makes her feel like she’s rich,” Jace explains to me as he turns on the lights.
“She is rich. Everything I have is hers.” Caleb glances at Jace.
I can see a hint of annoyance in his eyes.
Jace snorts. “Don’t look at me. You chose to marry her, knowing how weird she is.”
“That’s my wife you’re talking about.” Caleb narrows his eyes at him.
Jace rolls his. “Doesn’t make her any less crazy.”
Caleb just smiles. “I’ll be sure to tell Kendall that.”
When Jace pales, I wonder why he’s so scared of his tiny sister. But then Kendall can be pretty terrifying when she wants to be. I shut the door behind me.
Caleb empties the bag and studies the cash spilling on the table. He lifts up a bundle as if weighing it and then puts it down. “I’ll get the bills traced. Although each bundle must have been withdrawn one at a time.” He then reaches for the passports and looks at them, raising a brow. “These are of pretty decent quality. Not the best, but at the time they were made, there could only be a handful of people who could create such excellent quality forgeries.” He turns to me and there’s a glint in his eyes. “Fortunately, I know how to contact nearly all of them. Monday.”
He turns to walk out.
I whisper to Jace, “What does he mean ‘Monday’?”
