The Alpha Bodyguards Books #4-6

Chapter Eight

I rrationally pissed, my trigger finger itching, I drove too fast into the Luna and Associates garage. An old, restored Bronco pulled in after me, and a blond guy got out.

He tipped his chin as he followed me to the elevator. “What’s up?”

He looked familiar, but I couldn’t place him. Barely acknowledging him, I hit the lobby level for him and the third floor for me. The doors closed and a few seconds later opened on the first floor.

The guy didn’t move.

I glared at him. “You get out here.”

He shook his head once. “I’m meeting Luna.”

My eyes narrowed. “Luna doesn’t meet clients on the upper floors.”

The prick smiled an insincere money smile at me. “Not a client.” He reached past me and hit the door close button.

Fucking dick.

The elevator rose to the command floor where the offices were and the doors opened. The guy stepped out as Tyler walked past.

Coming to an abrupt stop, Tyler grinned. “Goddamn, Christensen, long time no see.” He held his hand out. “I thought you were on tour.”

Christensen ?

The prick shook hands with Tyler as he grabbed his shoulder. “Just got back. I hear you’re a prince now.”

Tyler smirked. “Wasn’t I always?” He glanced at me. “Ty, meet Myles Christensen. Neil’s nephew,” he added.

That’s why he looked familiar. Not only was he a spitting image of his Danish ex- Special Forces Neanderthal uncle, he was in some famous band I didn’t listen to. “We met,” I lied.

Myles chuckled. “Yeah, I gave him a coronary when I didn’t get off the elevator in the lobby.”

Tyler laughed.

What the fuck ever. “Nice meeting you,” I lied again, stepping around them.

“Let me know if you and your lady want backstage passes next time we play local,” Myles said to Tyler.

“Copy that.” Tyler smiled like it was fucking Christmas. “Thanks.”

“No problem. See you later,” Myles answered before catching up to me. “Looks like we’re heading in the same direction. I’ll walk with you.”

Striding toward Luna’s office, I didn’t comment. I didn’t give a shit who Myles was, I needed to see Luna first.

“You must be new. I haven’t seen you before.” Myles nodded at Collins as we passed his workstation.

I didn’t bother with a reply. I knocked once on Luna’s door, then strode in.

Standing behind his desk with his phone to his ear, Luna glanced at first me, then Myles. “I understand that, Mr. Loic, but I can’t in good conscience agree to those terms if you want me to retrieve your daughter.” Luna frowned. “I’m not saying anything will happen, but you have to understand what we’re dealing with.” He paused. “That’s your prerogative, and if I were in your situation, I would consider all of my options… No, that most certainly is not a threat, it’s a statement of opinion. If you want me to pursue this, then you’ll have to trust that I’ll do my job to the best of my ability. Unfortunately, this is not my first encounter with this type of situation, and I guarantee you that my experience will give you a better shot than attempting to give in to their demands. That said, the choice is up to you.”

Luna glanced at his watch. “I can give you thirty minutes to make a decision. Anything past that and I’ll lose the advantage of time, which is crucial in a situation like this, so call me back and let me know.” Luna hung up and came around his desk, his hand out to Myles. “ Jesucristo , Christensen. Good to see you. You here for your uncle’s big day?”

Myles gave Luna a bro hug. “Ditto, man, ditto. And yep, wouldn’t miss it. But I have a favor.”

I lost patience. “I need to speak to Luna in private.”

“No problem, man.” Myles nodded. “I’ll be around. We can talk later.” He walked off.

I shut Luna’s door. “When did it happen?”

Luna ran a hand over his head. “Her father got a nine-one-one text from her shortly after oh-five-hundred. Fifteen minutes later he got the call.”

“Fuck.” I kicked a chair. “ Fuck . I was right fucking there. I saw her driver pick her up. What the fuck happened?”

Luna glanced at the chair then leveled me with a look. “You know this chica?”

“Yeah, I fucking know her. She was at the club all night with Tank’s group.”

Luna crossed his arms. “Not what I’m asking.”

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” I knew what it meant.

“It means how involved with her are you? Because shit’s beyond FUBAR, it’s fucking nuclear, and if you fucked the chica and can’t remain impartial, we’re not gonna have this conversation.”

“Jesus fucking Christ, I just got off shift thirty minutes ago and my ass is here.”

Luna raised his eyebrows. “And?”

“Do I look like I took the time to fuck her? I didn’t touch her.” Motherfucking goddamn it . “But I should’ve made damn sure she got in the Town Car with her driver.” Or took her ass home with me like I’d wanted to. Then she wouldn’t have gotten fucking snatched. FUCK .

“That’s the problem.” Luna eyed me. “She did.”

I stilled. “Her driver took her? The guy was fucking eighty.”

Luna shook his head. “Not her usual driver. When she called nine-one-one, she told the emergency operator that another driver had kidnapped her. Someone named Chuck.”

What the hell? “When she was dropped off, she called her driver Marius.”

“That’s the old man who’s missing.”

Goddamn it. “He’s dead.” I was sure of it.

“Presumably. But that’s not what I’m worried about. I’m worried about who her padre is and the phone call he received.”

“Who’s her father?”

Luna blinked. Then he looked at me like I was out of my mind. “Her last name is Loic.”

“So?”

“You don’t know who her familia is?”

“Would I be fucking asking if I did?”

“National Bank, United Securities, First Interest Holdings?” Luna rattled bank and company names off like I should know what the fuck he was talking about.

“And?”

“Jesu-fucking-cristo, Asher. Her entire family is generations deep into the biggest bank holding company in the country.”

I fucking knew she was loaded. She was too classy not to be, not to mention the rocks she wore in her ears. “So she’s rich. You take one look at her, you know that.”

Luna slowly shook his head. “She’s not just rich. Her familia’s so steeped in wealth, not even the next three generations will have to work.”

Jesus fucking Christ. “And she only had one goddamn geriatric bodyguard with her? Who the hell thought that was a good idea?”

Luna shrugged. “Her condo, her padre’s estate, they’re both guarded. If she goes out of town, she takes personal protection with her, but she’d never been a target before this and none of the other family members, immediate or extended, have ever had any attempts either.”

“So that was reason to slack on security?” Jesus fuck. “How much does the kidnapper want?”

Luna leaned against his desk and leveled me with a look. “They didn’t ask for money.”

“Who the hell doesn’t ask for money from a family like that?”

From the look on Luna’s face, I knew who before he said shit.

“The cartel,” he said, confirming it.

Mother.

Fucker .

I sank into a chair.

“Who is it?” She was as good as dead. And if they took her an hour ago, if she wasn’t already at the bottom of the ocean, she could be anywhere.

“Dante Cortez.”

Fuck, fuck, FUCK. “My old boss’s boss.”

Luna nodded. “You take out the cartel’s number-one money launderer, they’re gonna need a replacement.”

It didn’t take a genius to put it all together. “They want her father to launder their money.”

It wasn’t a question, but Luna confirmed it. “Yep, and he’s only giving Loic forty-eight hours to produce results.”

I scrubbed a hand over my face. “She’ll never make it out alive. In their eyes, she belongs to them now. He’ll only keep her alive as long as she’s useful.”

“I know,” Luna quietly agreed. “But we gotta try to get her out.”

Now I knew what he fucking meant when he said my kinda job. “You want me to go back in.”

Luna nodded. “But there’s a caveat. Her padre doesn’t want to start a war. He wants her back with no casualties because Dante said if there’s any attempt at extraction, they’ll kill her on the spot.”

Jesus Christ. “Is Loic out of his fucking mind?” This was the cartel we were talking about. There was gonna be bloodshed.

“No, he’s scared.”

“And I’m pissed. So fucking what? There’s only gonna be one way to get her out.” That’s why he’d called me.

Luna stared at me.

There was something he wasn’t saying. “What?”

“Loic has history with Dante.”

My jaw ticked. “What kinda history?”

“Dante was Loic’s first big account at his bank.”

Fucking Christ.