Page 63 of August

“Yeah,” he rolled the word over his tongue, knowing damn well this wasn’t true. But from here on out he’d do everything in his power to make it okay.

Now he had Todd. He had dirt on the Radcliffes. He could make demands to protect Gigi. And he fucking would. All day. He’d fight as dirty as necessary to keep her alive.

A breath of surprise shuddered through him. He wasn’t shocked by the fact that he’d fight to the death for her but by how fiercely he’d proclaimed it to himself.

“Okay,” she said slowly, her eyebrows bouncing questioningly. “What’s up then?”

“I need to make a phone call. Once I do, shit’s going to get real.” He stalked farther into the room and closed his hand over her cheek. “But I need you to know that whatever happens is to protect you.”

She blinked twice and her hazel eyes grew large. “You’re scaring me.”

“Don’t be scared.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Shower. We’ll talk when you get out.”

“You’re calling the Radcliffes, aren’t you? You’re going to demand they give us Todd.”

His mouth twitched. “Toth just found out the Radcliffes’ charitable foundation is funded by cartel money.”

“What?” she wheezed. Tossing her clothes on the bed, she folded her slight arms across her chest. “Well, I’m not missing that call for anything.”

He chuckled and pulled out his phone. “Why doesn’t that surprise me?”

Gigi sat on the bed, her face pinched in an eager scowl. “Hurry, I can’t take the suspense.”

“They’ll probably deny everything,” he mumbled, as he called the phone number Toth had texted him. The line rang in August’s ear, and he cleared his throat as he paced in front of the bedroom window.

“Roy speaking,” a cool, arrogant voice answered.

“Mr. Radcliffe. You have something I need,” August said lazily. He kept his tone even and controlled despite the arcing apprehension inside him.

Silence stretched for several seconds, long and painstaking. But August forced himself to wait and not seem too eager.

“Do I? Who is this?” His tone was light but suspicion dripped from the question.

“I can be your friend or your enemy, Roy. Your choice.”

“Who the fuck do you think—”

“Easy.” August dropped the word with the force of a hammer. “I know about the work you’ve done for Val Alvarez.”

Silence.

“I also know you have Todd Dorser. That’s all I want. Give me Todd and this nightmare doesn’t have to go any further for you.”

Heavy breaths came through the speaker. No doubt Roy was weighing his words as carefully as he counted his money. “What makes you think I know where Todd is?”

“Don’t play games,” August volleyed. “Unless you want me to leak the evidence I have about where you got the eighty-five million dollars for your charitable foundation.”

“Uh... what? I—”

“Give me Todd, Senator, and our conversation can end here.”

“What do you want with him?” Roy asked, anxiety in the demand.

“I want to hand him over to his Mexican friends. After that, I don’t care what happens to him.”

“Did they send you? Val? Oh, fuck. He must know we’ve been hiding him. Goddammit!”

The yell made August wince, and lifted his gaze to Gigi, who was sitting on the bed. She’d tucked her ankles under her hip, and the pale purple housecoat had slipped off one shoulder. She shouldn’t look so fucking gorgeous right now, with her teeth nipping on her plump bottom lip and her eyes a worried sheet of glass, but she did. He winked to reassure her.

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