Page 60 of Brutal Surrender

“Esen is already making plans to beef up security.”

“You should go back to Jamaica,” Yang Mi says. “It’ll be safer in your compound or yacht. No reason to stay here. I’ll be fine.”

After leaving Yang Mi, I instruct Reggie, “Stay and watch over her. We don’t know that she wasn’t being targeted in the ambush.”

Reggie hands me his Merck and holster. “You better start carrying, Boss.”

“I’ll go back with you, Boss,” Cho volunteers. “The hospital wants me to stay another day, but I’m fine. I can change my own bandages.”

Charlie meets me and Cho at the airport.

“Any intel?” I ask.

He shakes his head. The locals are just as confused as we are,” he replies.

“What’s your assessment?” I ask Cho after we’re settled into my private jet.

“Can’t say for sure,” Cho answers. “It happened so fast, but I had Andre count the bullet holes in the cars. Your side of the car had ten times more bullet holes than any other part of all three cars. I think they were gunning for you, Boss.”

“And Elijah and Yang Mi were collateral damage?”

“That would be my guess.”

During the flight back, I can’t help but wonder how it is there were two attempts on my life within weeks of each other. Hard to imagine it’s a coincidence. Could Martina have orchestrated this? Her family was mafia. She might have had some connections. She managed to get on my yacht after all.

Or was it her accomplice? Did he act alone? Or were they in on this together? Did they manage to communicate somehow even though I had isolated both of them?

Esen meets us at the airport in Kingston. We discuss changes to security.

“I’ll have more guys flown in from New York,” Esen says. “I also interrogated the pretty boy yesterday after Ming briefed me. I thought I was pretty persuasive.”

He fists one hand into the palm of the other to demonstrate his method of persuasion.

“But he insists he doesn’t know anything,” Esen sighs. “He either really doesn’t, or he’s tougher than he looks.”

Just like Martina. I feel a stab of jealousy and press my lips into a firm line. “Try again.”

When we’re back on the yacht, I don’t bother changing. I head straight for Martina’s suite.

Upon seeing me and Cho, Misty asks to take a restroom break.

“Go ahead,” Cho says. “I’ll stand here.”

I face the door. Time to have a chat with my pet.

Chapter 27

Martina

Ihaven’t seen Vincent in over twenty-four hours. That should be a good thing.

But I’m on edge thinking he’ll walk in at any moment, so he might as well be here.

My meals felt lonely eating alone. I’m bored. That’s what it is. I don’t actually want Vincent’s company.

It’s not like he’s actually a changed man. Sure, there might be the outward show of someone who developed a conscience.

Today, Helen came with more clothes. I’m wearing a lovely sundress that was from the new items. She also asked what I wanted to eat, saying they could get sushi from Hanami Garden again.

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