Page 118 of Guarding Grace
“No. You come in and let Lucas Hawk talk to Russo. He knows them. By staying out there, you’re putting me in danger.”
“You’re safe. Captain America won’t let anything happen to you.”
I shook my head at his stupidity. “Elliot, they’ve tried to kidnap me more than once, and yesterday they shot at us. You hear me? I almost died because of you. You call that being safe?”
“You gotta give me money. Or do you want them to kill me? Is that it? That’s what happens if I don’t get out of town. Maybe you’d like that.”
“Of course not,” I insisted, horrified that he’d even say such a thing,
“If you don’t give me the money to get out of town, you’re signing my death warrant.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m telling you to come in and have the best security firm in town protect you.”
“Nobody can protect me. Not from him. But that’s what you want, isn’t it? Me out of your life once and for all.”
Guilt ate a hole in my stomach. If I didn’t give him money, and he did get hurt or killed, how would I ever live with myself, knowing I could have stopped it? “Okay, but I don’t have much.”
“Remember, you can’t tell Captain America about this.”
I rolled my eyes. Typical Elliot. Not even athank you, cousin. I’m so grateful, cousin. You saved me, cousin. “You have to tell me everything that’s going on, and I mean everything.”
“Right. When you get me the money.”
“I mean it, Elliot. Everything.”
“Sure.”
“I’ll have to go to the bank to get it.”
“Text me when you do. I’ll give you the meet. Oh, and you gotta ditch Captain America for that too. I’ll get another phone and call back later.”
Ending the call, I dropped the phone in my purse.
Peyton looked up when I opened my door.
“Is Zane still on his call?” I asked her.
“He took it in demo two.” She stood. “Do you need him?”
“It can wait until he finishes.”
Zane appeared a few minutes later. “Good news. Jordy has narrowed down where Elliot is, and thinks he’s only a day away from nailing him. This is almost over.”
“That would be nice,” I said without feeling the conviction I tried to add to my voice.
Zane stepped out, and as he closed my office door, Elliot’s words came back to me.“I hear they’re working with my boss.”
Leaning back in my chair, I felt trapped. How could I know if Elliot was telling the truth about the Hawk people working with his boss? I did the one thing I knew was right.
“Kitten, glad you called,” Terry said when he answered.
He deserved my trust. “I have a problem,” I told him.
His voice lowered. “Go ahead.”
“Are you looking for Elliot to turn him over to his boss?”
He paused a second. “You know we’re looking for him, but to find the case and settle this, not to turn him over.”
