Page 155 of Stuart Woods' Smolder

Reluctantly, they showered and dressed, then joined Dino and Viv for breakfast.

“Everyone ready for the big day?” Viv asked.

“As ready as we can be,” Stone said.

“Are you carrying?” Dino asked.

“I doubt the board meeting will get heated enough that I’ll need a weapon.”

“Maybe not, but the party will be a different story.”

“I’m already concerned enough about tonight. I don’t need to add a gun to my worries.”

“What could possibly go wrong?” Dino said.

“Do you want a list? Or…?”

“Now you’ve both gone and jinxed us,” Monica said. “We might as well go back to the room and crawl into bed.”

“I hadn’t realized that was an option. I’m game if you are.”

“Don’t tempt me.”

“It was your idea.”

“That’s not an excuse.”

“I’m serious about the gun,” Dino said.

Stone sighed. “Yes, Mother.”

After they finished eating, a golf cart took them to the hotel entrance, where two of the Arrington’s vehicles awaited them.

Stone kissed Monica. “See you back here at five.”

“If you hear anything more from Billy, let me know.”

“I will.”

Dino and Viv shared their own goodbye, then the women headed to Strategic Services’ L.A. headquarters in one Cayenne and the men to the board meeting in the other.

—

Teddy was also up early.

The first thing he did was check the locations of the trackers. Petry’s vehicle was at the Four Seasons, and Sticks’s cube truck was in the same secure parking structure in North Hollywood it had been in since the previous afternoon. Simon’s car had also not moved from where it had been when Teddy had gone to sleep. Not at the Verdugo Royale Hotel where Simon had been staying, but at the LAX Hilton, where he had gone yesterday evening.

After turning himself into Billy Barnett, he ventured outside, where he met with the head of the Strategic Services overnight security team. She reported no incidents.

He was about to head back inside when headlights lit up the gate to his property.

The supervisor cocked her head, listening to her earpiece, then said, “Mr. Barnett, Stacy Lange is here.”

“Great, let her in.”

The gate rolled open and Billy’s personal assistant drove up to the house. She climbed out of her car holding a tray with two cups of coffee. She held one out to Billy. “For you.”

“Thanks,” he said, taking his cup. “You ready to whip everything into shape?”

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