Chapter 14
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Penn
“You take me to the nicest places.” My gaze swept over the shipping yard.
Gideon snorted. “You wanted to come with me.”
I shrugged. “Nothing else to do, figured why not.”
He shook his head and when we rounded the corner, I saw Toni outside of a large shipping container. He opened it, and inside was pretty much what Gideon had told me would be there.
Alex and Danny were relaxed and alert, but the third man, Nathanial Vernon, was not.
He was in a light-gray button-down shirt that he’d sweated through, black pants covered in dust, and he was sporting a fresh bruise on his cheek.
He was in a chair, loosely tied to it. He didn’t appear to be much of a fighter, and I knew if he’d tried to escape either Alex, Danny, or Toni would have subdued him.
“M…Mr. Hendrix, what’s going on? Why am I here?” Nathanial trembled like a leaf.
“Oh, I think you know why I’ve asked my guys to bring you here, Nathanial. But I’ll give you a hint. The Marion Estate.”
Nathanial closed his eyes and released a shaky breath. “I had to.”
I leaned my shoulder on the container wall next to Danny and watched Gideon advance on Nathanial. He gripped the front of his shirt and jerked the man forward. Nathanial was tied, so the binding dug in unpleasantly.
“Had to? What kind of bullshit is that? You wouldn’t let Hank contact me.
You have lunches with Calvern, got a new car, and you’re taking a vacation to St. Barts with your wife.
If that wasn’t enough, I discovered the house you’re staying at happens to belong to Benito.
So tell me more lies, Nathanial, because I fucking love it. ”
Was it weird that I wanted Gideon to fuck me against the metal crate right now? Possibly, but I was going to remember this, and maybe he could bring me back here someday and let me live out the fantasy.
Nathanial was quiet for a beat, shaking and sweating. When he spoke, his voice trembled. “I’m sorry, Mr. Hendrix. I—”
Gideon stepped a few inches away and punched Nathanial right in the face. “You’re not sorry. You’re fucking greedy.”
“You don’t understand.” Nathanial whimpered. “I needed the money.”
Gideon chuckled darkly and looked over at me. I shrugged. “He needed it, babe,” I joked.
“Mmm.” Gideon gripped Nathanial’s chin. “You needed a new car, a vacation? No, that’s not a need—it’s a want.
” Nathanial tried to speak, but Gideon’s hold was too strong.
“Greed always, and I do mean always, leads to destruction. Sometimes it’s just of one person and other times, more.
Families, countries, whole civilizations.
In just a few lunches with Calvern, you sold your soul to the wrong fucking devil, Nathanial.
” Gideon leaned closer. “And sealed your own fate.”
Gideon released his grip and stepped away.
“You’re going to kill me because I let him buy a house?” Nathanial’s eyes were wide.
“Why would I keep you alive? You’re no good to me; you’ve shown that your loyalty comes with a price tag. You’re a liability.”
“I-I-I…wait. I know things.”
Gideon glanced at me, but all I could do was smirk. I wasn’t sure if Gideon would really kill Nathanial, but I did know he wanted info, and it seemed like he was going to get it.
“What things?”
“Things Benito told me when we were hanging out. One night, he was pretty drunk. He has a plan.”
Nathanial didn’t elaborate, so Gideon motioned for him to go on.
Nathanial swallowed loudly, his gaze darting around the crate to each of us staring at him. His eyes finally landed back on Gideon.
“He mentioned one night—and remember, these are his words and not mine, Mr. Hendrix.”
“Noted, go on.” Gideon sighed.
“He said you and Lorcan were idiots. You were both clawing at each other’s necks, desperate for power, and neither one of you saw him lurking in the background, waiting to pounce.
I asked him, ‘Why not choose a side, and that person would be grateful?’ ” Nathanial rolled his eyes.
“Benito said he did choose a side, his. He mentioned how you lost so much and it was a beautiful thing.”
“Makes no sense,” I said, garnering everyone’s attention. “If what you’re saying is true, why’d Calvern wait two years to go at Gideon?”
Gideon hummed. “Interesting point. Nathanial, care to shed some light on that?”
“I don’t know. I only started talking to him a couple of months ago.”
“Who’d know then, Nathanial?” Gideon’s tone darkened. “It’s obvious he wants everything I have; you’re not telling me anything new.”
“Uh…um…he has a lot of people who work for him, a…a driver. Maybe he tells him things, his wife.”
“Wow, thank God you gave us this plethora of knowledge; we would be so lost without it,” I deadpanned and Gideon chuffed.
“Nathanial, you’re useless to me. I can’t trust you, and as I said before, you’re a huge liability.”
“Please, Mr. Hendrix. Tell me what I can do, anything just…please.”
Gideon grinned. “Work out how to kill the housing deal.”
“What? I…how?”
Gideon shrugged. “That’s for you to figure out. You have one week to make it happen. If you don’t, you’ll never make it to St. Barts.”
“If I, by some miracle, am able to squash the deal, he’ll come after me.”
Gideon pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes. His thinking face, I liked to call it. “I’ll make you a deal, Nathanial. You make this real estate problem of mine go away, and I will give you round the clock protection until I’ve figured out the best way to neutralize Benito.”
“Okay, I can try for an injunction, maybe. I have a judge who owes me a favor. I need to speak with Gretchen.”
“I don’t give a shit how you do it. Just do it, Nathanial. You have one week. If I have to take this into my own hands, it’s going to be very fucking ugly.”
“Right. Okay, Mr. Hendrix. But you understand the second Benito gets wind of what’s going on, he will come after me.”
Gideon turned to Alex. “Call Raff. I want a team of four guys on Nathanial at all times, starting when he leaves here today.”
“Yes, Boss.” Alex began texting, and Gideon faced Nathanial.
“There, done.”
Nathanial nodded. “Okay, I’ll do whatever I can.”
Gideon slapped Nathanial’s face none too lightly. “Good man.”
The four men arrived to take Nathanial out of there, and I waited until Gideon and I were in the car on the way home.
“Do you think he’ll make it happen?”
“He better. I wasn’t kidding; if he doesn’t, I will have to get my hands dirty.”
I reached over and slotted my fingers between his. “Is it a safety thing? Is that why you really don’t want Benito living in that house?”
Gideon looked at me, his expression stormy.
“That’s part of it. But it’s strategic. Benito thinks he can do whatever he wants, thinks I’m easily moved out of the way.
He clearly wasn’t watching too well these last two years if he thinks any of that to be true.
So, I have to show him just how far my reach goes. ”
I lifted his hand to my mouth and pressed a kiss to his knuckles. “Then we show him, and I’m sure once he realizes he’s underestimated you, his tune will change.”
“Damn straight it will.”