Chapter 23 Brady #2
But apparently Vincent isn’t done with his lecture. “I’m serious, Brady. He’ll have security. This won’t be easy.”
“I’m not going in guns blazing. I just fucking told you I was going to do surveillance.
” My voice sharpens. “And yes. I’m the best person to do this.
I’m the only one who can do what needs to be done.
I won’t stop until Carrow tells me exactly how to make the Lapidarists leave Elizabeth the hell alone.
“He’s in New York,” Finn tells me an hour later.
Frustrated annoyance curls tight in my chest.
“Not all bad news though,” Finn says. “He’s got a shareholder meeting here in Atlanta tomorrow afternoon. He’ll have to be back for it. Looks like his board is trying to oust him over losses.”
Good. Twenty-four hours should be enough to set up everything I’ll need. “I want full surveillance of his estate—number of guards, shift changes, camera locations—”
Finn waves a hand, cutting me off. “If I didn’t know you were so wound up, I’d be offended.”
“I’m not wound up.” I glare at him, but he ignores me.
Elizabeth is not happy about being left behind when I prepare to leave later that night. But once I remind her that half my head would be with her if she came with me— even locked in an SUV—she caves. I’m learning she gives in a lot faster when the risk is mine instead of hers.
“Is this dangerous?” she asks from the doorway, arms folded.
“I’ve got his back,” Vincent answers for me.
Her eyes cut to him. “You’re going with him?”
He nods, and the tension leaves her shoulders. She shifts on her feet, clearly still anxious, and I want to kiss her. Tell her that everything will be fine. But Sera is watching, and the last thing I need is another argument.
We park a quarter mile from Carrow’s estate.
Fortunately, because these estates sit on multiple acres for privacy, the streets are dark without much traffic.
The entire property isn’t fenced, and we cut through the adjoining woods, branches brushing against my black long-sleeved shirt as we move into position.
From our vantage point, the property appears vacant under the moonlight.
I lift my scope. “Two guards.”
“Look at these lazy shits,” Vincent grouses. “That fucker is on his phone.”
“Should have hired us,” I say, scanning the line of the building. “I count four cameras on this corner.”
We creep closer and circle the house slowly, taking mental note of every security feature and all the points of strength and weakness.
By daybreak, we’ve timed their rotations down to the minute, and all the weak points are logged.
I’ve clocked the extra guard inside the house patrolling.
The guards change out at seven a.m., and the housekeeper arrives at eight.
When the daytime surveillance team arrives, we retrace our steps to the SUV.
“So, we can count on three for sure,” I say, turning the key in the ignition. “Maybe one or two more when he’s home.”
“Easy peasy.”
I turn my head slowly and stare at him in the passenger seat like he’s sprouted a second head.
“What?”
I gape at him. “Did you just say easy peasy?”
He flushes and mutters a denial.
“You did.” My eyebrows go up. “Are you having a stroke?”
“The kids say it.”
It clicks. Vincent is cold with no compunction about hurting people.
However, over the last few years, he has spent holidays and birthdays with the Bloom family.
He guarded the billionaire family for decades, and after the patriarch David Bloom’s death, he slid into the role of pseudo-grandfather for the newest generation.
I can’t help it. I chortle as Vincent scowls darkly at me.
“Keep smiling, dickhead.”
I only grin wider, not even pretending to hide it.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, shutting the door behind me.
Elizabeth is sitting on the sofa in the common room when I find her. She looks sad with a slightly guilty expression, which makes me instantly pissed off at whoever upset her.
“My parents saw Keith’s obituary in the paper.”
I stop halfway across the room. “The paper?”
“Yeah.” She lets out a slow exhale and sets the phone down. “They’re upset I didn’t tell them. And… They’re not wrong. I should have called them. They were never his biggest fans, but they knew him for a long time.”
I drop into my chair across from her. “You’ve been a little busy.”
“I know. But…” She rubs her forehead, her voice quieter now. “He didn’t have a family. I don’t even know who would’ve submitted an obituary. And now my parents are asking about a service. We were divorced. I’m not supposed to arrange that, am I?” She wrinkles her nose in distaste.
My jaw clenches. “You don’t owe that asshole a damn thing. Besides, the police won’t release the body for a while.”
She nods, sighing, her shoulders sinking from where they had hunched by her ears. “Thankfully, my parents don’t know the circumstances, but I had to promise I’d come visit soon. Whenever it’s… safe, I guess.”
“We can arrange for you to visit.”
Her mouth twitches in a humorless smile. “Guess I’ll get to explain why I have a bodyguard sleeping in their guest room.”
I snort. “Guest room. That’s cute.”
The corner of her mouth lifts, but before she can answer, my phone buzzes in my pocket. One glance at the message and exhilaration spreads through me.
“Finn has the deleted voicemails from Keith.”