Page 43 of A Man of Prestige

Sebastian is the one that raises an eyebrow at that statement, but neither one says another word as we take a seat on a small bench across from them.

“So, what’s happening? Have you been able to hear anything?” Aiden says in a low voice.

Conner shakes his head. “No. It’s too far away. But they are definitely there with Jason. And whatever they are talking about is serious. My father keeps pacing, which is not a good sign.”

“Where’s our security at?” I ask.

“They parked at an apartment complex down the road. Bryce is pissed, but he understands,” Conner says.

I pull out my phone and roll my eyes as I bring up an app that lets you listen to things far away. It’s not as good as an observation device, but it certainly helps. I put in my headphones and place my phone on a ledge outside the window.

I can hear words and raised voices.

“Can you hear them?” Aiden asks.

I nod. “I can hear some things. This app isn’t great.”

I hold up a finger as I try to make out what they are saying. “Something about money. Someone is playing them?” I pause and strain to hear what Theo is saying. “Pawns? I…” I listen again. “I think he’s worried about something.”

I put a finger to my lips as President Lewis begins to speak. “Tracking it to him? Lewis is worried. There’s evidence? Who else knows?” I keep repeating what I hear.

“He says they need to stop him. He—”

My words are cut off as a fireball explodes, throwing me back against the bench and Aiden. The sound is deafening. All of us put our hands up over our heads as the sounds of glass breaking surrounds us.

It feels like minutes pass, and everything moves in slow motion. I’ve been around battle before, but I’ve never felt an explosion that close. I can feel the heat licking at my skin even after the flames subside and retract back to the yacht…what was a yacht.

“Holy fuck!” Conner says as he slowly lowers his arms from around his face.

“We need to leave now,” Sebastian says as he looks at us. “Now!”

We all scurry behind him and make our way out the long way. There’s a flurry of activity now over by where Theo’s yacht was parked. Conner texts what I assume is our security. The security guards scramble to try to get inside what is left of the yacht that now leans precariously to one side. There is no doubt that the four men on board along with the several security guards perished instantly.

We run and manage to get to a tree line. Once we are hidden in the brush, we stop.

“We need to get to Alexis and Vivienne. Someone is coming for us,” Sebastian says.

“I’m sorry,” I murmur as the realization that these three men just watched their fathers perish before their eyes dawns on me. Even if they all hate their dads, it’s still not something they should have had to see.

Aiden’s jaw clenches. “We need to go. I’ll meet you all back at the safe house.”

And without further explanation, he takes my hand and looks me up and down. “Are you alright?”

I nod. “Are you?”

“Physically, I’ll be fine.” He says no more as we run toward his parked car. We don’t speak as he drives away from the scene. Two miles down the road, I can hear sirens, and as we all turn onto the main highway, I can see flashing lights coming our way in the distance.

My eyes widen as I realize that I just witnessed a presidential assassination that also took out the head of a major shipping company, a senator, and a pioneering world-renown doctor. We most definitely need to figure out what to do next because the outside world is about to descend upon us. I’m just not sure we’re ready for that.

Chapter19

Aiden

I drive on autopilot.What the hell just happened? I just watched my father be blown to smithereens. Someone killed them. It doesn’t make sense. And now I know there is no doubt that the president was involved in whatever was happening with those drugs and the girls.

I glance over at Ella. She’s staring out the window, clearly in as much shock as I am. We need to figure out what just happened, but we also need alibis. I dial Sebastian first.

“Go home. We all need to go home. Go to your city house. Same with Conner. Call him now. Have Alexis and Vivienne meet you there. We’ll have to meet at the safe house once we can have enough people see us to know we were at home. Get inside undetected, however you have to. We need to have not been at the marina tonight. And we’ll need to talk with Bryce.”

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