Page 26 of Fire

“This is Ford.”

“I got your message, Mr. Ford, and I can admit to being intrigued. What is it you think you can help me with?”

“It’s something I think we can help each other with, or at least I’m hoping so. You can drop the mister, too. Mr. Ford was my father, and he was a bastard. It’s just Ford.”

“Very well. I’m an extremely busy man. I’m still not quite sure how you got my direct number. I’m not exactly happy about it. I have my hands full at the moment. I don’t have time to chit-chat,Ford. You have about two minutes to convince me not to hang up. So, why don’t you get to the point?”

“I need to know where Benny Martelli is hiding out.”

The line goes silent for a minute. I’m not a novice at this shit. I figure he’s put me on mute. It takes about a minute before he comes back on the phone. In the background, I can hear a door open and close.

“Okay, you have my attention. Who exactly are you, Ford? How did you get my number, and how in the hell do you know that slime secretion, Martelli?”

“I got your number from Detective Garcia. He told me that if anyone knew where Benny was holding out since getting out of jail, it would be you.”

“Say this was true,” he hedges. “Why in the hell would I share this information with you? You’re nothing to me.”

“True. But you are in the business of gaining markers. My club and I have a lot of control in Virginia. I have quite a few allies along the East Coast. I’m a good marker to have in your back pocket.”

“I spend millions on tailored suits. There’s not a back pocket to be found,” the asshole responds.

“Well, that’s a damn shame. I’ve found if you don’t have a pocket, you’re often found unprepared,” I respond. I can be as snarky as he is. If this is going to be a contest on who has the bigger dick, I’ve never had a worry in that type of fight.

I hear Ivan snort and the creak of leather—as if he’s leaning back in a chair. “How do you know, Martelli?”

“I don’t—at least not personally. I’ve recently claimed a woman that Martelli was married to. He made her life hell. Apparently, he has decided to start again now that he’s out of jail. He’s kidnapped my woman. I need to know where the fucker is so I can squeeze the life out of him. I’m told if anyone knowswhere he’s hiding, it’d be you. The way I look at it, I’ll be ridding the world of a thorn in your side. It’s a win-win.”

“Why would I even care about pond scum like Martelli?”

“Because the Korslova Brothers have you in their sights. They want to take over your holdings here in the US and replace you. Everyone knows that. I’d be more than willing to help stop that. I just need to bring my woman home to me and her son.”

“Grace Sutton belongs to you?” he questions, letting me know straight out he knows the players in this game.

“She does. All that woman wants is to be left alone, and she still keeps getting screwed over. I aim to put an end to that.”

“Perhaps the reason she keeps getting fucked is because she makes deals with the wrong people,” he suggests.

“I can’t deny that. I wasn’t around when the deal was struck. If I had been, there wouldn’t have been a deal—just a long line of dead bodies.”

Ivan laughs. “Now you seem like a man who does, in fact, speak my language.”

“I think so. The question is, are you going to help me?”

“I believe I might. We’ve had the Korslova Brothers under surveillance for a while. They think their moves are going on undiscovered. They’re very wrong. Dominic Korslova is the one that brought Benny into the family. He’s also the one who helped the man torture your woman. He’s the oldest of the two brothers by a mere two minutes. His twin brother Dimitri has more brains, but sadly is overly ambitious. Let me review some footage and get back with you.”

“I don’t have much time. He has his hands on Grace and every minute that passes is pretty fucking precious. I can’t allow that bastard to hurt her more than he already has,” I respond, laying all my cards on the table.

“I’ll be in touch within the hour. Perhaps an hour and a half, since I will need time to find a pair of jeans with a back pocket to carry your marker on me.”

I roll my eyes. “I’ll be waiting for your call,” I mutter, clicking the phone off. I probably just sold my soul to the devil, but I didn’t have much hope I was ever going to find myself lounging on the sandy beaches of heaven, anyway. Hard to ask for forgiveness when you have the blood I have on my hands. Besides, I’m not a hypocrite. I’m going to enjoy killing these bastards. I may even play with them before I send them to hell to wait for me.

I jump out of the truck, slamming the door. I walk inside the front door, and the instant I do, I hear the rushing sound of quick steps against the tiled floor. I look over to find Asher running toward me at full speed. I barely have time to reach down and feel his arms going around me.

“Ford!” he cries, holding me close. His body is trembling.Shit!Did they already tell him his mother was kidnapped?

“I’m here buddy,” I say gently, holding him close. “I’m here,” I repeat, vowing silently to make them all pay for hurting my family.

Because that’s exactly who Asher and Grace are—mine.

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