Page 44 of Diamond In The Rough

Tears stream from Conlon’s eyes, dribbling over his cheeks and down to plop on the floor. But he shakes his head.

I’m not sure if he can’t speak, or simply chooses not to. But I interpret the gesture in goodwill, and assume he means he doesn’t know.

“What about Tiia Hale?”

At that, Felix’s eyes snap my way. But I remove the knife and change positions, then I slide it in for the last time. “Nod your head if you know her name. Nod if you’ve worked with her.”

He shakes his head instead, choking and desperately searching for air. Already, his wounds bubble, and blood fills his lungs.

“Is she Wilkes’ employee?”

He shakes his head.

“Is she on his payroll? Is she Wilkes’ girl? Is that who she had dinner with last night?”

“He can’t possibly know that, Micah.” Lix sets his hand on my shoulder and squeezes just tight enough to draw my attention. “And even if he did, he’d be inclined to say no.” He nods toward our captive, firming his lips as disappointment washes over his face. “He’s already gone. It’s done.”

“He’s still breathing.” I remove my blade and use the cloth to wipe blood from the sharp edges. “He’s alive.”

“He’s already gone.”

Leaving him to suffocate—or drown… we can’t know without a coroner’s report—and turning on his heels, he crosses to the door and opens it wide to reveal Stovic on the other side, standing guard and keeping us safe.

“Wait for his heart to stop, then deal with the body.” Looking to me, he raises a single, daring brow. “You ended it too soon.”

“He had nothing for us.” I close my knife and slip my hands into my pockets. “He was the bait, Lix. Wilkes had no love for him, or he wouldn’t have set him up the way he did today. And since he thought so little of him, there’s no way he had information we could coax out of him. He was just the lure.”

I pass Stovic and step outside into barely-there sunlight. The thick canopy of trees overhead, stopping most of the sun’s rays from hitting the ground, even this late in the summer months. “He was useless to us.”

“And now Wilkes is down a man,” Felix grunts. “I suppose if Conlon popped me, then it would have been considered a successful day. But if he was caught and killed, like he was,” he glances back when Stovic walks out of the bunker with the dead man thrown over his shoulder, “then it was a small price to pay. Low risk, potential of high reward. And no physical danger for Wilkes at all.”

“Whereas we now have blood on our shoes, and another body to not tell Arch about. For nothing.” I set my hands on my head and inhale fresh, filtered air, filling my lungs as I move to the edge of the small clearing. “Wilkes reeled us in, but for what? To keep us busy? To keep us out of the house? Conlon spoke Christabelle’s name purely to piss us off?”

“I’m calling the house, just in case.” He takes his phone out and dials, bringing it to his ear.

I don’t realize I’m holding my breath until my diaphragm aches and my pulse thuds harder. But then my brother speaks, and the oxygen in my lungs comes barreling out.

“Christabelle. Where are you?”

She’s safe. She’s alive.

“Stay with Michaels,” he continues. “We’re done here, and I wanna see you.”

“Stovic.” I move in his direction, but I give him plenty of room to work as he sets Conlon’s body on the mossy ground. “I want a security sweep of the house and grounds. Check in with the team, ensure the property is secure. Perhaps Conlon was just a distraction for the sake of distraction, but maybe he wasn’t.”

“Yes, boss.” He looks across and raises a questioning brow. “You heading to the city apartment?”

“Yeah. I’m gonna take some space for an hour, then I have an errand to run. I’ll be back at the house tonight.”

“Keep the dog close, Christabelle.” Felix’s voice turns playful, verging on silly. “He’s big and stupid and useless, kind of like me. That means he’s exactly what he needs to be, and he’s protective of only you, which makes him the best fuckin’ guard I could have on the team. I’ll be home in about twenty minutes. Then we’ll try the Carson’s thing again. I’ll bring them to us; save us the commute.”

10

TIIA

BREAKING BONES OR BREAKING FAST?

Hours pass, my eyes desperately rooted on the front door, and my stomach swirling with nerves as I wait, a sitting duck, for a certain Malone to walk through and torment me.

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