Page 28 of Savage Redemption

“Yes, I heard that as well. Maybe he thinks he needs to protect her. In our world, sadly, children and loved ones can become targets. We all take precautions to keep our families safe from enemies.”

“I’m not his enemy!”

“No, but we’ve no way of knowing who else is out there with a grudge. I gather the Domingos refused to pay the ransom Kaminski demanded. They didn’t want him back.”

“I… I never knew that. Do you think it could be them?”

“I don’t know, but if you like, I’ll ask around and see what I can find out. If the threat is more explicit it’ll be easier to protect you in any case.”

“Would you do that? I don’t understand, why would you help me?”

“I let you down once before and I’ve regretted it. This is the least I can do. And your father is a friend of mine, well, sort of.” He wraps an arm around my shoulders. “Hey, let’s get you two inside and settled in before you freeze to death, the pair of you. Nathan would never forgive me.”

CHAPTER 8

Adan

I scanthe figures on the spreadsheet in front of me and reach for the handset on my desk. “Susan? Get me Eamonn Delaney on the phone.”

“Of course, Mr di Santo.”

I’ve used an alias since I found my freedom again. It simplifies matters and allows me to operate under the radar of my previous associates. I’m not sure who I can trust these days.

My secretary hangs up. I expect to be talking to Delaney within a minute or two. Sure enough, the phone buzzes a few seconds later.

“I have Mr Delaney for you, sir.”

“Thank you. That’ll be it for today.” Good secretaries are hard to find, I believe in looking after mine.

She thanks me and puts the call through.

I get to my feet and begin to pace the floor. I prefer to conduct sensitive negotiations standing up. Since my extremely expensive but mercifully successful surgery to replace my ruined knee, I can manage without a crutch, though my limp is still apparent. Not nearly so bad as before, though. I was in thatHong Kong private clinic for two months recuperating after the operation, then I spent a further six months at the mercy of an army of physiotherapists. It was all worth it. I have my mobility and my independence back

One of my better investments, though I can’t complain about the others either. I do well. Better than well.

“Adan, how are ye?” The Irish accent bellowing down the phone is pronounced, so much so that, to my not especially well-trained ear, it is barely comprehensible. In the months since I was released from Kristian Kaminski’s tender mercies, my English has improved to the point of fluency, but a native speaker I am not. Still, I’m following him so far.

“I am well, my friend. Thank you for the figures and projections you sent through to me.” I cross the office to gaze out of the tinted window at the Central district of Hong Kong Island sprawling twenty storeys below me, the principal financial centre in this previous British colony, now a special administrative region of China.

“Ye’ve had a look, then?”

“I have.”

“Are ye in?”

By which he means, do I wish to invest in his latest venture, the construction of a casino and hotel complex in Belfast? I stroll back to my desk to peruse the file briefly though I’m more than familiar with the contents.

I flew over there last month to check out the potential. The dockside area is rapidly falling into dereliction following the demise of the ship-building the city was once famous for. The local authorities have done their best, but there’s only so far you can go with museums, heritage parks, and little public funding, not to mention the lack of a functioning national government. The area is crying out for a decent injection of private sector cash, and that’s where I come in. Delaney is a fixer, a maker ofdeals, but he lacks the capital to make a real difference, hence his search for investors.

Even allowing for my medicinal incarceration, I’ve had six months in which to ply my old trade, and it’s gone well, if I do say so myself. A couple of lucky investments — I prefer to think of them as inspired — have provided me with a healthy reserve ready to reinvest in more speculative ventures. Kaminski has had the first two instalments of his money, and I’m halfway towards paying off my debt. I’m not entirely convinced that he’ll back off once he’s had his ransom in full, but by then I should be in a strong position to meet the challenge. He’s a pragmatic man, and even if he isn’t, I suspect his underboss is. I think he’ll see reason and prefer to cultivate me as an ally and a business partner rather than an enemy.

Still, that’s not today’s problem. I wander to the side table and help myself to a strong black coffee from the carafe there.

“I could be in, yes. We need to revisit the question of my percentage, naturally.”

“I never thought otherwise. We could go to twenty-five percent on development costs.” He originally offered the more standard twenty.

“Thirty, and we have a deal.”

---