Page 26 of Cruel Proposal
Robert gets the roast in the oven. "I have other business to take care of for the auction, but that needs to be in there for a few hours. I'll send you a message when it's time to take it out. And you should think about doing a dinner for the men soon. We used to have them all the time when Dad was alive."
I nod, turning the idea over in my head as he leaves the room.
Dinners might be a way to earn more loyalty with the men working for me. I'm going to need it in the coming months.
"This shipment looks good."I nod to the pallet of cocaine while Hector, my head enforcer, eyes the people bringing in more pallets. "We're going to have to work to move this quickly, though. The moment the Lyndes know it's here, they're going to torch it."
Hector tucks his hands in his pockets. "Teams are already on their way to pick it up, but there's something else you should know."
I arch an eyebrow, turning to him.
He shakes his head and leads the way outside and away from the warehouse, out beside our cars. None of the others are around to hear us.
"You've got a rat. Someone close to you, but you knew that already." Hector leans against his car and pulls out a cigarette, holding it to his lips and lighting it.
I shake my head when he goes to offer me one. "I did, so why are we standing over here and talking about it?"
"Because there's something big coming down the line. I've been talking to some people who have connections with those outside the family. They are willing to talk, for a price."
"Do I want to know how much this'll cost me?"
He shakes his head. "Probably best you don't ask. Didn't get a name from any of them but did find out there's something big coming. Not sure exactly what—none of them were high enough up to know—but apparently arms have been trading hands a lot this past week."
Not information I can use right now, but better than nothing.
If a lot of arms are moving, something is definitely in the works. My inventory numbers have been good, though, at least the ones I've seen, which means someone with the books is involved.
"Leave it for now, but keep an eye on the arms books. They're going to be off. Don't let anyone know what you're doing, though." I open my car door, prepared to go home and eat the roast I've been dreaming about all day.
"You sure?"
"Yes. I have an idea about who might be running things, but I don't want to spook them until I know for sure." It's a bluff, but I do have my suspicions.
And in the off chance I'm wrong and Hector is one of the ones involved with the traitors, then I don't want him knowing everything.
My father always said that was the key to staying in power: feed people a little bit of information at a time and feed different people different information. Eventually, the truth is going to come to light one way or another.
When it does, I want to be ready.
There's more than one way to catch a traitor, but I don't know if catching the traitor is going to cost me the war.
Chapter Nine
NOAH
She doesn't knowI'm here. How could she? She can't see the camera I've installed in the bookcase. I made sure there was no chance she was ever going to be able to find it.
After all, what good is a prisoner in a short dress if you can't watch them and get yourself off at the same time?
Though, the getting myself off is going to have to wait.
She moves around on the screen, bending over something in the corner, and stays that way for a while before getting up and going over to the dresser. Her scream comes out loud and clear on this side of the wall as she realizes the drawers are glued shut.
Gluing them shut in the middle of the night was due to her trying to throw one at my head yesterday.
I don't know how a person so small can be so filled with rage, but she is.
She screams again.
