Chapter 19
She makes me wait
Endo
My collateral said she’d never been on a boat.
Since we retire old boats and convert them into restaurants on the beach side of the harbor, I thought she might enjoy eating on the deck while I chatted with her father. From her phone.
The main reason I’m giving her her phone back now is because it took time to remove the bug someone (her father or Wilfred) put inside it and replace it with my own.
Even though I think Scarlett knows nothing about my brother or her father’s business, it doesn’t hurt to keep track of her conversations with her father or Wilfred.
Otherwise, I’m uninterested in her private business.
Like, for example, the relationship between her and her sister, who has called Scarlett over a hundred times.
She left messages too, which I haven’t listened to because they’ve got nothing to do with what I’m after.
Tom, the server, comes by again and tops off my sparkling water.
“Another water, sir?” he asks.
I shake my head.
The clinic closes for lunch at noon, but Scarlett changed the schedule, so when Dec went to pick her up, she told him (and me by default) to wait. Dec knows better than to return here without her, which means I’ve been sitting at this table for over two hours.
Waiting.
I’ve never waited for a woman before in my life.
Not even my first shag, a girl named Yannelis, who told me she’d meet me at the abandoned lighthouse when we were in high school.
The next day, she confronted me about not showing up.
I told her she mustn’t have been on time because I arrived at the top of the hour, and the lighthouse was empty. Yannelis told me I should’ve waited.
Scarlett would’ve probably said the same thing. But this time, I did wait. Not ten minutes. Or fifteen. Two hours. I hate that I remembered Yannelis and the lighthouse, because I remember why I didn’t wait back then. The girl wasn’t worth it.
I check my watch: two thirty. Correction. Scarlett is making me wait for two and a half hours. This means the phone meeting between her father and me is also going to be late. Her father called three times. Wilfred called twice.
I have a team of hackers in seven different locations around the world waiting for my call after the meeting in case Scarlett’s father gives up my brother’s location. They’ll activate the nearest rescue units.
Cass better not be dead.
If he is, Scarlett is never leaving this town. Ever.
I run a hand through my hair. I can’t even rush her because she’s providing medical services to the locals, who will, in turn, remain healthy and happy, which means fewer problems for me to deal with. Not to mention, she’s taking care of Marquis.
When she’s working, Scarlett is professional and no-nonsense. Today, she didn’t allow any visitors besides Marquis’s husband, who asked to sleep the night next to Marquis. Philip is beside himself with worry.
This is all Daniel Pembroke’s fault. Wilfred’s too. I’m this close to calling in a hit on them. This close.
My phone pings a message.
It’s Declan.
We’re on our way.
Today?
Haha. Fair warning. She has a dog.
What? Who gave it to her?
Larry came in to have his pain meds refilled. Scarlett found nothing wrong with him and sent him home without meds. As a thank-you, Mirna gifted her a puppy.
Larry’s wife, Mirna, breeds small dogs, so the dog must be cute.
I doubt Scarlett could resist. But the thing about dog breeders like Mirna is, they don’t give away puppies that sell for thousands of dollars to just anyone.
She must’ve seen something in Scarlett she liked.
Or Mirna gave Scarlett a puppy to keep the doctor around. People with dogs usually have a home.
I knew the town was desperate for good medical help, but gifting someone a dog is too much. Next thing you know, people will start naming babies after Scarlett.
I order a bottle of white wine and fried calamari for starters, and by the time Tom delivers the calamari, Scarlett is walking up to the table. Dec’s behind her, carrying a terrier puppy.
I kick her chair away from the table so she has space to sit down.
“Hey,” she says as she sits down with a smile. “I’m so hungry.” She forks up a calamari and pops it into her mouth, then chases it with a glass of wine. “Lunch on a boat, huh?”
“Uh-huh.”
“You can be really thoughtful when you want to be.” She snacks on the calamari and looks around. The beach is quiet at this time, and we’re the only people at the restaurant.
“Is that your dog?”
Scarlett’s shoulders slump. “I didn’t want a dog, but I folded when I saw how cute she was. I’m used to flowers or a box of chocolate, so when Mirna thrust a puppy into my arms, I was thrown off guard. Utterly helpless, faced with her cuteness. Look at her.”
I glance at the puppy. “What are you going to do with her?”
“Not sure.”
“You could keep it.”
“I would, but she needs care.” Scarlett pauses for another bite of calamari. “And I have a six-month assignment overseas.”
I doubt Scarlett will ever make her dream of working in her mother’s old country come true. Her father has plans for her.
“I’ll keep it, then,” I say.
“You will?”
“Yeah. Might help Marquis with recovery. He’s on the waiting list for one of the litters.”
Scarlett finishes the entire plate of calamari. I don’t think she realized how ravenous she was, or she wouldn’t have touched it at all. Or maybe she’s warming up to me and forgot her manners, which dictate we should share the appetizer.
I stare at the empty plate, struggling to keep a straight face.
Scarlett’s eyes widen. “Oh my God, I ate all the calamari.” She cups her red cheeks.
I laugh. “I ordered it for you anyway.” No, I didn’t. Did I? I shouldn’t be having a good time with this woman. She’s the damn enemy.
Saving me from myself, Tom arrives to take our order.
It’s a seafood restaurant, so we order fish.
Tom returns with some peanuts and carrots soaked in vinegar and salt.
I guess he feels bad for me since I’ve been sitting at the table with an empty stomach for hours, only for my collateral to arrive and scarf down all my food.
Even the puppy got a treat before I did.
“About my phone…” she says, eyeing my peanuts.
Christ. I push the little bowl toward her. There you go, hungry little monster.
“Let’s eat first,” I say. I presume the conversation with her dad won’t be pleasant, and I have no clue how Scarlett will react to anything he and I discuss. I would rather deal with everyone on a full belly. It’s for their own safety. I pop a peanut into my mouth.
Scarlett twirls her wineglass.
“How is my friend?” I ask.
“He’s good. Under observation. I’ll spend the night at the clinic until he’s stable.”
“Isn’t your staff supposed to monitor patients?”
“Is my staff even licensed?”
“Of course they are. It’s a clinic in my town, and I take care of my people.”
“Marquis might need me.”
The only reason she spent the night at the clinic was because I let her. It’s not something I’d like to repeat since I didn’t get much sleep. “One of your staff will monitor him.”
Scarlett grinds her teeth.
I eat another peanut and wink. “You’re still my collateral.”
“I didn’t forget.”
“No harm in reminding you of it.”
Silence falls. Apparently, she and I can’t have pleasant conversations. We seem to always jab at each other, if not outright argue.
Tom brings our meals, and we dig in right away.
I haven’t eaten since yesterday. I also hardly slept, so I’m barely hanging on to my humanity at this point.
By the time we polish off our plates, we’ve also finished the bottle of wine.
Scarlett’s rosy cheeks tell me the alcohol warmed her up, but she doesn’t appear buzzed.
“When your father calls, you will tell him you want to go home.”
“What if he really doesn’t know where your brother is?”
I slam my palm on the table. “He knows,” I bite out, irritated that Daniel is denying involvement.
“Your father is not who you think he is. He might be a good father and a protector of his family, but he’s not a good man.
When he answers the phone, press him for my brother’s location. You think you can do that?”
Once I get a nod from her, I dial Daniel from her phone.
“Scarlett?” Her father picks up on the second ring. I have people tracking the call via her tapped line.
“Hi, Daddy,” Scarlett answers with a hitch in her voice.
“Scarlett! Oh thank God you’re okay. You’re okay, aren’t you?”
“I’m fine.” Her eyes drift to where my guns lie on the table. “For now.”
I nod in approval.
“How are you?” she asks. “How is your leg?”
“Forget my leg. I’m worried about you. Hope he’s treating you well. Is he?”
Scarlett opens her mouth, then closes it, opens it again. I don’t think she knows what to say.
“I’d like to come home,” she finally says.
“I know, honey, and I’m working on it.”
“Work faster,” I interject.
A long pause before Daniel speaks again. “I’m trying. Most of my connections don’t know your brother or where he is.”
I grit my teeth. “If you deny your involvement with Cass again, you will regret it. I’ve been patient with you.” I lock eyes with Scarlett. “And I’ve been patient with your daughter, but if you continue with the charade, I will do what I must.”
“His guns are on the table. Please tell him what he wants to know.”
Nice. I give her a thumbs-up.
This time, Daniel doesn’t deny anything. “I need more time.”
Scarlett blinks. I’m not sure what she expected, but I’m sure by the end of this call, she’ll understand I’m not the only villain here. “Can Wilfred help you find this man?”
“Wilfred?” I ask abruptly. Inwardly, I curse myself for the outburst. There’s something strange brewing under my skin. I don’t like how she asked about Wilfred. But she’s not my fiancée, and even if she were, a woman can speak another man’s name, for fuck’s sake.
“He’s helping already,” Daniel answers.
“How?” I ask. Might as well ask now that she brought him up.
“He’s reaching out to his contacts in another part of the world.”
“Which part of the world is that?” she asks.
This should be fun.
“Scarlett, dear, don’t worry yourself with this. I’ll deal with the Macarley problem.”
“I know you will.”
“Answer her question,” I snap.
Daniel pauses, then says, “I have other contracts. Ones that the government could offer you instead of your rival.”
I smile. “I’m not interested.”
“They’re valuable contracts. With those, your business can go legitimate.”
“Let me get this straight. The man you hired to sell your cargo is now missing, and you want his brother, that’d be me, to work with you lot? Nah, I’m good. But I can recommend you to my rival so you could put him out of business.”
Scarlett is quiet. That smart brain of hers is putting together bits and pieces of her life as I confront her lying father. It really turns me on that she’s a bright, capable woman, not easily rattled.
“We meant no offense,” another voice says. Wilfred. I glance at my Nighthawk on the table.
“Wilfred excels at research,” Daniels says. “Among other things. This is what he and my daughter have in common.”
Scarlett’s eyebrows draw down. Smart but clueless, clearly kept in the dark about her dad’s plans for her future. I may tell her about his plans. I may not. It depends.
“During his research, he found holes in your paperwork,” Daniel continues. “Your business setup isn’t as tight as you think it is. Wilfred connected two shipments from your harbor to the Cortian crime family.”
“Did he now?”
“Shipments of what?” Scarlett asks.
When neither he nor I answer, she presses despite the tremble in her voice. “Weapons? Are we talking about an arms trade?”
“No,” Daniel and I say in unison, but Scarlett knows the truth because I showed her the list of goods we transported.
Scarlett sits back.
“It’s shocking to find out your father is an illegal arms dealer and a liar like me. Isn’t it?” The seed of doubt has been planted.
I hang up.