Page 11 of Kill Me Sweetly

“Yes…I’d owe, but that was fine. I just wanted Georgia home.”

“Then what happened?” I asked.

“A week later I get a call from the hospital. Georgia was admitted. She was severely malnourished, had some trauma, a broken leg and wrist. But she was alive. They made good on their word.”

Shep looked at me before speaking. “And what did you owe them?”

“Two million dollars.”

I whistled. “That’s a lot.”

“And I could get it. I just needed time. The deadline was next week.”

“It’s odd.” Shep scratched his beard and paced the kitchen. “If the deadline was given and you hadn’t passed it, why would they order your death?”

I had a lightbulb moment. I loved when that happened. “Unless you broke the rules in your agreement.”

Maxwell’s eyes widened. “I…”

Shep pulled the chair Maxwell was in back and got right in his face.

“What did you do, Max?”

The two men had a stare-down, but my guy never blinked. Maxwell’s shoulders sagged and in a voice so broken, so defeated, he answered.

“My friend was in a bad situation with his wife. She was taking his kids away…I…”

“You told them about the consortium, didn’t you? So, you did, in fact, talk.” I guessed.

He nodded.

“And now we’re getting somewhere.” Shep stepped away. “You’re going to have to come with us.”

“But…my daughter…my family.”

Shep checked his watch. “They want you dead. So, until we know more, you and Four are coming with us. No arguments. Let’s go.”

CHAPTER SIX

SHEP

Four wasin the passenger seat next to me, and JJ was in the back with Maxwell. JJ had tried to bring the branch, but I’d had to break them up—it wouldn’t fit in the SUV. Once we were away from Maxwell’s house, I hit the call button on the touch screen in the SUV.

“Saintly Sweets,” Mason’s chipper voice answered.

“Hey, it’s Shep. JJ’s with me…as are a couple of other people.”

“Oh, well…that’s ominous.” Mason laughed. “What’s up?”

“I’m headed to the house with them. I need you to contact Gabe and maybe Angel, Noel, and Nick; make time for a video chat.”

There was a pregnant pause before Mason spoke again, and this time, gone was the sunshine. “This can’t be good.”

“Well, it’s not great.”

Mason sighed. “Okay, I can’t leave Lizzy in the lurch, so you’ll have to wait until close.”

It was three o’clock now, and I closed at five so that I could start prepping for the following day.

---