Page 47 of No Saint

“Two?” He quizzes, bringing his dark brows down, “I only heard about the cargo ship.”

“The warehouse was targeted down at the industrial district, the whole building is gone.”

“Shit,” he hisses. “What do you need?”

“You’re a part of my family now, Talon,” I tell him, “I saw something in you I haven’t seen in a long time.”

He nods.

“Well, what I need from you is going to need to stay between us. No one can know.”

His eyes light up like a damn fourth of July parade, “What is it?”

There was a traitor in my damn city, one giving away my secrets. I had no idea who it could be, and everyone was a damn suspect, even family. I couldn’t ask my own in-house guys without risk, so Talon was my next option though bringing the boy in before he was ready was a risk in and of itself.

“I need access to every camera in this city.” I tell him.

His eyes widen.

“I want to be able to view the last six months of footage and I want you to run checks on my men.”

“Checks?” He swallows.

I nod, my hands buried in the pockets of my suit pants, “Everything on them, I need it. Even if you think it’s miniscule, I want folders on everything they’ve done, money they’ve spent, they’ve earned. Where they’ve been. Can you do that?”

“Well of course, but that won’t be quick.”

“I know,” I agree and pull out an envelope from inside my pocket, handing it over, “This is seventy-five grand. Half of what I will give once the job is complete.”

His eyes bug out of his head. “Mr Saint, I can’t – it’s…” he trails off.

I pat him on the shoulder and turn back the way we came. He follows slowly behind.

“I’ll send you my employee files,” I tell him, “The rest is on you.”

We make it back to the front of his house and I look upon it, shaking my head. “And Talon, start somewhere fresh in the city. You can afford it now.”

“I – I can’t,” he stutters, “What would I say?”

I shrug, “Not my problem, but those women deserve better and you can provide.”

I leave him outside the house and drive away. Truth was, I liked Talon and I did believe he deserved better. The women he looked after since his father died, deserved better. He was shy in himself right now but he had a powerful mind.

And I would use that, for my own gain but his also.

I glance out the window on the drive back to the house, the sun bouncing off the waves far beneath the cliff top road. Turning back, I continue further up until I’m pulling through the gates leading to the house and further beyond that, Amelia.

It’s not until I’m slowing that I realize the gates were open, that the grounds were too quiet.

I leave the car in the courtyard, the sun beating against the back of my neck but that’s not what makes my skin hot.

In a world as dangerous as mine it was detrimental to learn when and how to trust your instinct. It could mean life or death in any moment and that feeling, the one where you know you are being watched, stalked, it was almost always real. I do not stop but I subtly reach into my jacket, unholstering the weapon at my side, thumb clicking off the safety. When I reach the door, I find it slightly ajar.

Gritting my teeth, I push it open to find a massacre inside.

20

It was long after Gabriel left that I decided to leave the room with Lincoln. I knew he wasn’t here, oddly enough my body was scarily in tune to his presence. My heart beat just that bit quicker, my blood and skin feeling just that little bit warmer.

---