Page 18 of Misguided Vows

“I’m quite used to hearing no, considering Alek still hasn’t taken me up on my offer,” I reply, and River just laughs, shaking his head.

“You and Alek have a weird relationship, one I don’t care to understand.”

The truth is, I just absolutely love winding Alek up because it’s so easy to do.

“It’s not weird, it’s just taking longer for him to realize he loves me.” I wink as he sets the gun back down and goes to the next crate and repeats the process.

“If you say so.” He shakes his head. “You got her the job too. Does she know that?”

“How didyouknow that?”

“Alek,” he says. “You know Alek and Dawson are business partners.”

“Hmm.”

“Also heard you paid for her flight and hotel room. Very sweet of you. All this just to fuck her?”

“Something like that.”

His forehead crinkles, but he doesn’t press me with any more questions. I didn’t take him for a romantic who cared about other’s affairs. Then again, his and his wife Anya’s way offoreplay seems to be her lighting his cars on fire, so I’m definitely not ever turning to him for dating advice.

“Are you actually going to help or stand there looking pretty?” he asks, just as my phone begins to buzz in my pocket.

“Oooh, I really do want to help, but I need to take this call first,” I lie. In fact, I’ve avoided this call for the last week, but it seems like as good an excuse as any to get out of doing the heavy lifting. Besides, River’s a big enough guy, and they’re his guns. He’ll be fine.

I step away and answer the call.

“Finally. I’ve been calling you for a week,” the man on the other end of the line seethes. I pick up one of the guns from an open crate and admire it.

“Mr. Percy, to what do I owe the pleasure?” I ask. I don’t like this asshole one bit.

“Have you found my bitch yet? I paid you a fuck ton of money, so you better have results, punk.”

I try not to laugh.Punk?Who even says that anymore? “What you paid me was a deposit for my services. So I’m assuming you’re calling to tell me you have the rest of the money.”

“I told you I can get it for you as long as you bring her to me.”

I snort. I’d found his woman in London months ago. It was the reason I had to fly there in the first place. This wasn’t the first messy breakup I’d had to deal with. This guy is a no-one who could easily be knocked off within minutes if I wanted it. I was just bored at the time and it seemed like easy money.

Him not having the money now changes that, of course.

“There’s a difference between ‘I can get you the money’ and ‘I have the money’ Mr. Percy.”

“You upped your price after the fact.”

I shrug. “You delayed the payments. Now I’m starting to think you can’t fulfill our agreement. No money, no location of your ex.”

I hang up the phone.

When I turn, River is looking in my direction.

“Is that the job you went to London for?” he asks.

I shrug. “More or less. Fucker’s trying to underpay me.”

“Want me to handle him?” he asks, admiring the next gun.

I laugh. “That might make Anya hot and sweaty, but I can handle a guy like him myself, thanks. I was sick of waiting for his money, so I came back here in the meantime.”

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