Page 19 of Captured Pawn
“Professionals. That’s all you need to know.”
He didn’t look placated. “Outsiders come with their own level of risk. Too many people already know about the leverage old man Bishop has on us.”
“I’m not an idiot. The kind of people I’m bringing in won’t ask questions and I’m sure as hell not going to tell them anything they don’t need to know.”
Nathan exhaled and finally leaned back in his chair as he threw his cloth napkin from his lap onto the almost full plate of food he wasn’t going to be eating.
“Fine, little brother. I’ll let you keep your plan, but the deadline is only a few days away. I don’t think I need to tell you how important it is to get inside the Bishop mansion before we run out of time.”
“Trust me,” I said much more confidently than I felt. Losing Matty had not only been a blow personally, but he was the one man on my crew that I truly had trusted with my life. The thought of pulling off the upcoming mission without him by my side was unsettling.
It was Margaret who interrupted the staring contest between my brother and me. “Would you like me to take breakfast up to our guest?”
It took me a second to realize she was talking about Matt’s sister. It pissed me off that the very second I conjured the vision of Sophie Locke, my dick twitched in my jeans. The sooner I got the mission behind me, the sooner I could get the bratty brunette the hell out of my life.
I nodded. “Sure, thanks. You go ahead and get her breakfast laid out on her table. I’ll be right behind you.”
I must have zoned out for a few seconds as I found myself anxious to see her tied to the headboard. Of course, my brother wouldn’t let it pass.
“Don’t you dare.”
“Dare what?”
Nathan pinned me with the angry glare he’d perfected. The one that caused the employees at Knight Industries to shrink in fear when confronted with it.
I learned long ago not to shrink. It only fed his already out of control ego.
“I saw that look in your eye. You don’t have time to fuck around playing house all day today.”
“Believe me, the plans I have for Ms. Locke are far from playing a game of house.”
“You don’t have time to play big bad wolf either. Send her packing.”
“I can’t do that. The Bishops know too much. They know who she is, which means she’s in danger. I’ll get rid of her as soon as we have the materials we need back under our control.”
I pushed to my feet, ready to take my leave from my brother. Between the bad news Robert’s phone call had brought, and my brother’s shitty attitude, my day hadn’t exactly gotten off on a good foot.
Maybe playing the big bad wolf with Sophie Locke would make me feel better.
CHAPTER9
Sophie
I’d been awake for over an hour by the time I heard the lock in the door opening. I was ready.
“Damn you! My arms are killing me, and I need to pee!” I shouted at the opening door. Only after shouting did I see the rolling cart full of food and drinks, followed by the uniformed Margaret.
She ignored my cursing with a cheery, “Good morning, Miss Sophie. I hope you got some rest.”
I choked back the complaint I wanted to spew back at her. It was Nick Knight who had earned my fury, not the nice housekeeper who’d so far been nothing but kind. I needed as many allies as I could get, and Margaret was the closest I would get while still under the Knights’ roof.
“I’m so glad to see you. I really need to go to the bathroom. Can you please untie me?” I asked as politely as I could muster under the circumstances.
Rather than helping me, she instead started moving all of the plates, bowls, cups, and cutlery from the tray over to the round table close to the window.
“Today’s weather is supposed to be perfect. You should ask Mr. Nick if you could spend some time at the pool.”
Was the woman crazy? “I’m not here on vacation. I need to leave…now. I have a business to run—all by myself now that Matty isn’t around.”
