Page 98 of Joker in the Pack

“Yes, it could.” Still, he didn’t move.

The caller hung up but tried again a few seconds later, and from the way we were positioned, I’d have been a very happy girl if the buzzing didn’t stop.

“You need to answer it.”

“In a minute.”

“Uh, if you don’t, those vibrations are going to give me a problem.” I could only imagine how red my face must be.

Nye laughed as he shifted enough to get his phone out of his pocket, but he still didn’t let me go.

“Nye Holmes,” he barked once he’d answered.

I could only hear his end of the conversation.

“You have? That was quick. Where is he?” A pause. “Make sure he stays there… I’m on my way.”

Had his team found a lead?

“We’ve got to go,” he said, already shrugging into his leather jacket.

“We?”

“I’m not leaving you here without me.”

I barely had time to grab my coat and bag before he shepherded me out into the BMW.

“Where are we heading?”

“I’m going to talk to Ronnie’s ex-cellmate. You’re going to a safe house while I do it.”

A safe house? Were things really that bad?

“Will it be dangerous? Your meeting?”

“I don’t know.”

“That’s not very comforting.”

He cut his gaze to me, then flicked it back to the road. “I care about you too much to lie.”

CHAPTER 29

NYE MADE A couple of calls on the way, speaking mostly in code, it seemed, and when we got into London, he drove straight to Belgravia. I’d barely ventured into that part of the world. Even Edward’s income didn’t have enough zeroes at the end of it.

The underground car park Nye pulled into was filled with expensive cars—a Mercedes SUV, a Porsche, and an Aston Martin to name but a few.

“This is the safe house?”

“Like Fort Knox.”

The owner probably had as much money too.

We took a lift to the ground floor, where a huge multicoloured chandelier dominated a luxuriously appointed atrium. Nye headed down a hallway to the left, led me past two closed doors, and knocked on a third. A man whose casual attire clashed with the opulent surroundings opened it, and I recognised the Blackwood Security crest on his jacket. A second man looked out the window at the street below.

“These guys will take care of you till I get back. Behave yourself, yeah?”

Nye gave my hand a little squeeze and then he was gone.

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