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Chapter Three
Victor Cruz staredat the enormous computer monitor on the wall across from his desk and sighed. When had it gotten so difficult to hire decent help? Since he didn’t know who might be standing outside the glass-framed door of his downtown office, he needed to keep his temper in check. He was spending a small fortune trying to repair his reputation for having a hair-trigger temper—now was not the time to blow his efforts into a million pieces. Biting his tongue to keep from shouting at the man squirming in his seat, Victor wondered if the man understood what a huge mistake he’d made. Shaking his head as the head of his son’s security team assured Victor they’d properly disposed of both bodies, he could practically feel his blood pressure rising.
“Let me make sure I have this right. After rolling a woman you hadn’t bothered to kill up in a piece of plastic, you sent a man on a noisy jet ski to toss her overboard into the bay within sight of the shore. There were boats in the area, but you didn’t bother to identify the occupants or check to see if they were watching.” He paused, more for effect than any real expectation of an answer. God help him, he was a hot second away from losing the tenuous grip on his control.
“Umm… well… Yes, Sir. Our team is young, and I believe our lack of experience might have been a factor in the decision to drop the woman so close to the shore.”
Victor could see the man’s hands twisting together as he fought the urge to run. It wouldn’t matter. He could run but would never be able to hide. If Victor Cruz wanted him dead, it would have already happened.
“Put the word out along the docks that I’m looking for the daughter of a friend. She was last seen running along the beach. Tell everyone I’m offering a substantial reward for information.” His name alone would bring forward information. The challenge would be sorting through the bullshit to piece together pieces of credible intel. Chances were, the woman’s body was swept out to sea shortly after being dropped, but he’d learned long ago that leaving loose threads was a recipe for disaster. “I’ll take care of making digital inquiries.” He’d also issue a warning to anyone withholding information about the young woman he intended to portray as a close family friend—keep secrets at your own peril.
Shaking off his irritation, Victor studied the body language of the leader of his son’s security detail. There was no doubt the man was nervous, but he didn’t seem terrified. Either he knew the woman was dead, or he trusted the damned jet ski driver more than Victor did. The team Victor had assembled to accompany his son was competent, but they weren’t infallible. The security detail was also prone to believe Alonzo rather than Victor called the shots. Ending the call, Victor leaned back in his chair, considering his next move.
As frustrated as he was with his son, his love for Alonzo was solid. Victor understood Alonzo better than anyone knew. He’d been young and foolish himself—the difference was, he’d been poor, and his father had no political ambition. There was no question Alonzo was impulsive. Heaven knew the younger man had made his share of bad decisions, but he was loyal. It wouldn’t matter that he was Victor’s only son—if he betrayed his father, he’d be gone. Alonzo’s only real talent was his natural ability to draw other people into his inner circle. Employees and friends were loyal to Victor because they were terrified of his wrath. Alonzo’s friends and employees were loyal because he had the ability to make people feel welcome. They were loyal to Alonzo because they liked him, but Victor knew something his son had yet to learn.
Friendship wouldn’t stand up when push came to shove. Friends could and would turn on you. Fear was more powerful than friendship. Shaking his head, Victor knew what he needed to do. He’d have his team put out the feelers on the dark web and wait. It was risky. If anyone asked for details, it would be a tough sell when he didn’t even know the woman’s name.
*
Cameron Barnes staredat the screen, his eyes narrowing in disbelief. Forwarding the screenshots to Kent and Kyle West, he picked up his phone and dialed Kyle’s number. Cam knew two of the newer members of the Wests’ team had contacted their bosses about a woman they’d pulled from the water, but he hadn’t gotten all the details. His lovely wife and submissive was currently snuggled in bed with their permanent third after a lengthy session over the spanking bench. Dr. Cecelia Barnes had forgotten there was a price to pay for being sassy.
Since the Doms at Prairie Winds seemed to be magnets for damsels in distress, he wanted to give the Wests a heads up. The situation was ripe with coincidences—something Cam always found questionable. He didn’t spare Kent or Kyle any details, making certain they were aware of who they were dealing with. Victor Cruz was powerful and ruthless. Cruz’s political aspirations made him desperate to clean up his son’s reputation, and he’d pumped a lot of money into the effort. Cam wasn’t naïve enough to believe the younger man had changed his ways. His father was simply shelling out big bucks to keep everything under wraps.
There wasn’t a chance in hell Cruz would use the dark web to make inquiries about a family friend. The man used the media at every opportunity. If his concern was legitimate, he’d be on every news station on two continents, tearfully begging for information. If the woman Essex Hall and Giles Iseman plucked out of the water was the one Cruz was asking about, she wasn’t a family friend. It was far more likely she was a loose end Cruz’s son let slip through his fingers. Cam didn’t know the woman’s name, and he suspected the elder Cruz didn’t either. What Cam did know was a huge target had been painted on her back. He ended the call with a promise to meet as soon as he made the short drive to the club. Using a secure phone was a safe way to communicate, but nothing beat a face-to-face conversation.
After hearing Hall and Iseman had called in for help, Cam was already moving to the door. Any situation involving Victor Cruz had the potential to become an international incident. The man was well connected with plants inside numerous intelligence agencies. Cam was like every other former intelligence officer—as retired as the Agency allowed, which was a running joke.
Firing off a quick message to his former handler, Cam made certain the official was aware there was a potential issue before scribbling a quick note to Carl and CeCe. He hadn’t planned to bring a third into his and CeCe’s relationship, but Carl was the perfect addition to their marriage and D/s dynamic. The man had blended into their family so seamlessly, Cam often wondered how they’d ever made it work without him.
“Where are you going?” Turning, Cam was surprised to see his beautiful wife leaning against the door frame. She was dressed in scrubs, meaning she’d been called into the hospital. As one of the best pediatric surgeons in the world, she kept the nearby airports busy, no matter how many skilled physicians she added to her staff.
“I’m meeting Kent and Kyle at their office. It seems a couple of their new team members rescued a woman who has landed on Victor Cruz’s radar.” CeCe’s arched brow confirmed what he’d already suspected. His wife spent a lot of time treating patients from the southern hemisphere, so she was well aware of Cruz’s reputation. Cruz had worked his way up through the ranks in record time, in part because he was ruthless.
“Cruz is a sociopath, Cam. Very few people survive being on his radar. I’m anxious to hear this story, but I’m on my way to the hospital. A young man from Amarillo rolled a tractor this afternoon. He’d like to walk into his Senior Prom, and I plan to make certain he can.”
Cam crossed the room to pull CeCe into his arms. If there was anyone who could help the kid, it was his wife. When she stepped back, he could see the lines of worry bracketing her eyes.
“The vascular team will be there in twenty minutes, so I need to get moving.”
“You are an inspiration, pet. I’m damned proud of the work you do.” He pressed a quick kiss to her forehead. He made a mental note to call her assistant later to check on his hardworking submissive. If he and Carl didn’t watch her closely, CeCe would work herself into an early grave. He and Carl would pick up her car, then return when she was finished. A member of the club mentioned how concerned he’d been following her as she made her way home late one night. If he hadn’t seen her pull onto the main street from the hospital and clinic she founded, he’d have assumed she’d been drinking.
Cam and Carl were grateful the younger man followed long enough to see that she’d made it home safely. After that, they always made sure they were available to drive her home after long hours spent on her feet. She had reluctantly admitted the grueling pace was getting harder to maintain as she got older. He and Carl marveled at her work ethic. When he first met her, CeCe often slept on the sofa in the doctor’s lounge to avoid the long drive home. Once he’d become her Dom, he insisted she take better care of herself, but it was still an issue more often than he or Carl liked.
Driving down the driveway, Cam spoke to the onboard computer the Agency installed in his car. Within seconds, CeCe’s sexy voice wafted from the speakers.
“Hello, husband mine.”
“Before we turned in different directions, I wanted to remind you to leave your keys with your assistant. Carl and I will pick up your car and wait for your call.” He didn’t need to remind her since they had duplicate sets of the keys for her car. Cam just wanted to hear her voice.
“Thank you. I’ll look forward to seeing you. This surgery is going to take a while, then I’ll spend some time with the family.” CeCe always made time for her patients and their families—one of the things parents mentioned on the rare occasions he’d been introduced to them.
“Drive carefully, and remember, you are loved beyond measure.” Cam would be the first to admit his words were an understatement. There had been a time in his life when Cam didn’t believe in love. He’d been convinced his soul was so damaged by the things he’d done, he didn’t deserve the life he enjoyed now. Meeting CeCe had changed everything, and Cam made certain he sent his thanks out to the Universe every day.
Walking into Kent and Kyle’s office at Prairie Winds a few minutes later, Cam was surprised to see Tobi West leaning over Kyle’s desk. Her fingers were spread wide as her hands slapped the polished wood. Cam almost laughed out loud when she turned to glare at him.
“You. You better not take their side. If you’re going to go all secret agent on me, just hit the bricks. I have no time for any of the good ol’ boys’ club crap you all pull out of your hat all the time. There is no reason I can’t deliver the stuff to Galveston. It’s just a box of girly goodies. I was the one who got the request, so I should be the one to make the delivery. Boy, oh boy, this frosts my damned cookies.”
Cam bit the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling. Now was not the time to let the petite blonde know how amused he was by her outburst.
