Page 58 of Wrecked
Chapter 18
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“Mr. Kovac?”
Kovac smiled at his buxom date, a model he’d met recently at a cocktail party, then flicked his attention to the maître d' of his favorite Michelin restaurant in London. “Yes?”
“There is an urgent call for you.”
Who could even know he was here? He’d made this reservation himself.
He excused himself from his dinner companion and followed the maître d' to a private room and waited for the door to close. He lifted the receiver on the landline. “This is Kovac.”
“Everything is on schedule, yes?”
Kovac went from relaxed to stressed in seconds. This was the Russian who ruled his life until Sunday. “All done. I—”
“Cease speaking. Reply yes or no when I ask question.” W’s smooth voice could be a radio announcer if not for the underlying threat he lobbied.
Kovac opened his mouth to say he understood, but he’d learned by now to do exactly as told even if it infuriated him for anyone to speak to him this way. He questioned the safety of speaking on this phone but knew W would not have reached out to him here if the line was not safe.
W next instructed, “If your part is successful, Phoebe will be returned, and you will receive payment.”
Kovac knew that. Why was W bringing it up again? He remained silent, which he decided was defiant at this point. Not subservient.
“If not, she will be used to point finger at your part in this exercise. Should that happen, the world’s most elite forces will find you before you can use money you have been accumulating to escape.”
What had happened?
Kovac struggled to keep his tongue still. When he’d first learned they’d kidnapped Phoebe, he’d hadn’t cared. She’d been an unexpected birth and a future leech on his fortune. But he’d been looking for a big opportunity like this one for the past five years and made the appropriate concerned noises as her father. He’d wanted W to think he had the upper hand by holding Phoebe.
Kovac had considered offering to let W keep her as a token of his friendship once the job was done.
Now? She could turn into a deadly anchor capable of sinking his entire world.
Shit. What was the chance that bitch Hallene looking for Phoebe would be successful?
None. That meant he could not afford anyone in the chain between his shipping operation and that Chinese submarine to screw up.
Kovac gripped his phone hard enough for his hand to shake, but he waited for his chance to speak.
“I am sure you wonder why I bring up Phoebe. I believe Hallene Clarke is your stepdaughter, yes?”
Oh, shit. “Yes.”
“She appeared during an operation in Venezuela where Phoebe was being kept for short time. Hallene interfered but managed to escape. I wonder at first if you are foolish enough to attempt to rescue Phoebe and cross me. You are not foolish, are you?”
“No, Sir.” Kovac couldn’t get that out fast enough. That damn Hallene!
