Page 56 of Over the Top

“How much did they ask for?”

“Fifty million dollars US. I told them it would take me a week or more to get that much of my assets moved into liquid cash. I expect to hear from them the day after tomorrow.”

“It goes without saying, don’t hand over the money until we know if the child in my associate’s custody is Kamiko. If you need to stall them, demand fresh proof of possession and of the child’s health first.”

Tanaka made a noncommittal noise. Spencer got it. If his kid were being held hostage, he might go ahead and hand over the cash just in case the bad guys had her.

Spencer said gently, “You’ve been extremely helpful, sir. And thank you for trusting me. I sincerely hope Poppy turns out to be your daughter and that we can return her safely to you very soon. I do have to warn you, however, that there are people attempting to take her away from my associate. Since you trusted me, I will tell you that we do not know if the Oshiro gang or someone else is pursuing her. We hope to learn that shortly. We’ve set a trap to capture one of them and question him or her.”

“But you will keep Kamiko safe at all costs, yes?” Tanaka blurted. “I’ll pay—”

Spencer cut him off. “I don’t want your money, Mr. Tanaka. And I assure you, she’s not anywhere near the trap. She’s absolutely safe, I promise.”

“Thank you, Mr. Newman. I will be happy to fly over as many of my father’s men as you might need to deal… discreetly… with these criminals.”

“That’s a very generous offer, Mr. Tanaka. For the moment, I can probably operate best on my own turf, using my own people. But if we should need assistance, I will definitely call you.”

“Would you be willing to give me your personal cell phone number, Mr. Newman?”

“Of course.”

They traded cell phone numbers, and Tanaka ended with, “Please call me, day or night, if I can be of any assistance.”

“Same, Mr. Tanaka. Call me any time. And before you ask, yes, I will keep you informed of any new developments.”

“You had better be who you say you are, Mr. Newman. If you are playing me, I promise you will regret it for the rest of your extremely short life.”

Spencer laughed. “Never fear. I’m the real deal.”

AFTER HEwent through the motions of dressing the doll that Charles Favian had brought them and tucking her into the playpen, Chas hustled around the motel room, checking that the doors were locked and the blinds were closed, turning down the bed, and turning off all the lights. He turned on the TV low enough not to be distracting but loud enough to provide a little background noise. Motels like this notoriously had paper-thin walls, and he planned on Gunner making some noise in the near future.

He stripped out of his clothes and crawled into bed just before Gunner emerged from the bathroom, damp, flushed, and wearing nothing but a towel slung low on his hips. His abs rippled with muscle that terminated in a sharply definedVpointing down toward his groin. The man was a little intimidating to contemplate having sex with. He looked like the kind of guy who could split him open if he wanted to.

Except this was Gunner. His best friend. The boy he’d grown up with, that he’d fallen in love with, that he’d loved pretty much his entire life. He’d seen Gunner gently rescue kittens out of a rain catch basin, seen him chase off bullies when they’d picked on him. And more recently, he’d seen Gunner fall asleep with Poppy on his chest, his arms cradled protectively around her.

Gunner moved over to the bulky duffel bag he’d carried inside and pulled a large handgun from it. Chas recoiled, alarmed.

Gunner laid it on the one remaining nightstand, murmuring, “It’s a precaution. Nothing more.”

“You got any condoms in there?” he replied. “If we’re going to be having sex regularly, we should probably invest in some.”

“Yeah, actually. They’re a standard part of a go-bag for SEALs.”

“Of course they are,” he responded dryly.

Gunner grinned. “We put them over the ends of our rifle barrels to keep sand out.”

“Riiiiight. That’s how they all get used.”

Gunner shrugged, grinning. “It’s how I used most of mine. I only had sex with a woman once when I got hassled by the guys so much I couldn’t avoid it any longer.”

“Did you like it?” Chas asked curiously.

“You want the truth?” Gunner murmured.

“Yes. I do.”

“I closed my eyes and pretended it was you.”

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