Chapter 20 The Hunter Becomes the Hunted #3
Back at the Black Site, energy pumped through Teddy. He was one step closer to stopping The Day of Destruction, one step closer to taking down Haqazzii. While he had no proof that Bjorn Shariff was Muhammad Haqazzii, he had to follow the breadcrumbs.
“C’mon, give me something,” he said while working in the conference room.
Teddy was laser-focused on trying to hack into Robby’s laptop. He’d plugged in a propriety software program designed to identify passwords, but that took time. The number of iterations were in the millions, so Teddy had to be patient.
He’d run out of patience weeks ago.
BING!
A text from Tara.
Boss, Gabriel left for Italy. I need help with waitstaff schedule. G didn’t do payroll. Are you coming in soon?
“Dammit,” Teddy bit out.
“What’s going on?” Sydney asked from across the table.
“Gabriel went dark and Tara’s been running the restaurant by herself.” Teddy shook his head. “I gotta step up.”
“We’ll go tonight,” Sydney said. “With King A gone, so is the threat.” She grinned over at him.
“The threat isn’t over, Sydney,” he pushed back. “If Haqazzii is doing business with your cousin—and they find out you eliminated him—there’s a major effin’ target on your back.”
Sydney pushed out of the chair. “I’m done hiding. I can’t live like this. It’s insane. I’m going to make us breakfast.” Before she left the room, she pointed a finger at him. “You and me, we’re going out to dinner.”
She breezed out, leaving him alone with his thoughts.
Going to the restaurant was risky for them both. But Sydney was right. They couldn’t hide indefinitely. If Robby had been doing business with Haqazzii, it was only a matter of time before they’d realize he wasn’t responding to their texts.
Teddy stared at Robby’s phone also plugged into the software while the computer sorted through millions of possible passwords.
He typed out a text to Tara.
I’ll be there tonight
Perfect! We need to talk
Great, she’s probably quitting.
Then, he remembered Tara was a webcam model for Robby’s company—TSM—and his chest tightened. Her former boyfriend, Hollywood—Crafty Lamar—was working her to take on more clients. Then, the lightbulb went on and he relaxed back in the chair.
Tara was the informant they needed. She was the foot in the door to get them to the next level.
Sydney beelined in carrying two bowls. “I’m going to make us breakfast, but we get this first.” She set the bowl near him as she eased down beside him. With a sweet smile, she leaned over to kiss him.
Instead of kissing her back, he stared into her eyes.
“Theodore Santini, don’t you want to kiss your girl?”
“I’m sorry, babe, what did you say?”
“Meet me halfway so I can steal a kiss.”
When his lips met hers, he jumped to the now, and kissed her back.
“There’s my secret fiancé,” she whispered.
“My floor manager, Tara, was the former girlfriend—and sex worker—for Hollywood. She needs to talk to me tonight. I think she’s quitting.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” Sydney scooped chocolate ice cream into her mouth.
His mouth watered at the sight of the sweet dessert. “Where’d you get that?”
She tapped his bowl with her spoon. “Earth to Tank.”
He glanced down, then grinned up at her. “Ice cream for breakfast. If I hadn’t already proposed, I’d be doing it now.”
“Sex and sugar. So easy to please.”
He chuffed out a laugh. “I’m headed to the restaurant later today.”
“We,” she corrected him. “Ain’t no way I’m staying in Creepy Secret Zone alone, bud.”
With a loose plan in place, they finished their ice cream and headed to the kitchen to make breakfast. Teddy felt rejuvenated, in part, because of the sugar hit, but more so because he had someone on the inside at TSM.
Someone he hoped had answers to the questions that plagued him.
THAT AFTERNOON, just after three, he and Sydney rolled into Santini Ristorante, their laptops tucked in their backpacks. He was on his home turf, at the family business, checking on his team. And he had his woman by his side.
For a brief second, his world felt normal.
The first dinner seating started at five, so Teddy had time before the team got busy with customers.
“You got the sexy-sexy vibe goin’ on, babe,” he said. “Your hair looks great.”
Sydney was dressed in a snug, white sweater and form-fitting black pants. She’d pulled her hair into a French twist, the updo giving off movie star vibes.
“All for you, baby.”
“I promise you, we’re gonna have a regular date,” he murmured. “You deserve way more than this.”
She stood tall, dropped a soft kiss on his cheek. “This is a regular date for us,” she whispered. “We’re assassins. This is as normal as it gets.”
“If this was a date,” he said, “you wouldn’t have your laptop.”
“Gotta make the most of my time while my man runs his business like a boss,” she murmured. “Love you in a Santini suit, my sexy badass.”
As they made their way through the main dining room, Sydney told him she’d hang at the bar.
“No,” he pushed back. “Don’t put your back to the room. We’ll sit in the owner’s booth. How many weapons do you have?”
“Two,” she replied. “You?”
“Same.”
They shared another kiss before he seated her. “I gotta check in with the staff. Can I bring you something to drink?”
“I’m fine. Go do your thang. Introduce me to everyone as Sierra Turner, including Tara.”
One nod before he made his way to the kitchen, checked in with his head chef. “Everything good?”
“Mr. Santini, we are flying without a net,” joked his chef. “No Santini to boss us around.”
Teddy chuffed out a laugh.
“I hope Mr. Gabriel he stays in Italy. Mio Dio, what a micromanager.”
Again, Teddy chuckled. “Talk to me about tonight’s menu.”
After the chef updated him, he checked in with the kitchen staff. Two call-outs, but they were prepping ahead of schedule. Next stop, his head waitress. She was on it, and her staff was at full capacity.
“How was Thanksgiving here?” he asked her.
“Crazy busy, but the tips rocked. It was a great weekend. Sorry you missed it, boss.”
“Sorry I couldn’t be here.”
“Don’t let Gabriel manage us again,” she said. “He’s off the freakin’ rails.”
Teddy laughed. “Yeah, that sounds like G.”
As he was heading toward his office, Tara exited the salon off the main dining room and broke into a grin. “Yay, you made it.”
“Tara, I’m sorry,” Teddy said. “I should have been here over the holiday weekend.”
“It’s all good.”
“I’ve got time to talk before the restaurant gets busy. Come meet Sierra first.”
“Who?”
“A friend of mine,” he said.
He brought her to his booth. “Sierra, my floor manager, Tara.”
“I’ve heard good things about you, Tara,” Sydney said.
Tara glanced at Teddy, then back to Sydney. “Thanks. Can I get you something to drink?”
Sydney pushed out of the booth. “Let me grab us sparkling water. Tank said you wanted to talk. I can make myself scarce.”
“No, you can stay.” Tara waved down a server and ordered the beverage.
The three sat in the booth with Sydney in the middle, Teddy with his back to the wall, and Tara with her back to the dining room.
“How was your holiday?” Teddy asked.
“Super busy,” Tara replied. “When the last customer left, we locked up, had our own Thanksgiving dinner. I loved it.”
“I’ll make sure everyone gets paid time and a half for the holiday,” Teddy said.
Tara’s face lit up. “That would be great. I could use the extra money for holiday gifts. My mom and dad are flying out to visit me. I’m super excited for them to see the restaurant.”
Teddy loved the pride she took in her work.
“Tara, I wanted to circle back about taking time off for your Hawaiian vacation,” Teddy said.
The server delivered the bottled water and got busy filling three glasses.
“About that,” Tara said, “The event got moved up from Christmas week.” She glanced nervously at him. “I know it’s our busy season, but I earned this trip—it’s all-inclusive for top performers—and I’m going.” She squirmed in the booth. “I hope that didn’t just get me fired.”
“Fired? I thought you were quitting.”
Her cute giggle made Sydney smile. “If I could deal with Willie Boy and his total inability to run this restaurant, then work for your sick-handsome brother, Gabriel—there’s no way I’m quitting on you.”
Sydney laughed. “So, of all the handsome Santini’s, Gabriel did it for you.”
“Holy hell.” Tara tucked her hair behind an ear. “I melted every time he looked at me. But, he was my employer and way too difficult to work for. He ran the restaurant like a mafioso.” She shrugged. “I’ve said too much. Now, you probably will let me go.”
“You’ve earned your vacay,” Teddy said.
She grinned. “Yay! I can’t wait!”
“The trip is with your side hustle, right?” he asked, trying to keep his tone lowkey.
“Sure is.” She drank down half the sparkling mineral water. “The Sovereign Method.”
“I’m interested…” Teddy began.
Normally not at a loss for words, he didn’t know how to ask her for information on TSM without sounding like he was stepping over a line. “I’ve never been to Hawaii. I’m curious, where are you staying?”
Tara pulled her phone off the table. “We’re flying to the big island, then staying at a fancy resort.” Seconds later, she showed him and Sydney the member-only app with a photo of a ritzy hotel.
I need access to that app.
“Tara, I would love to find out more about what you do.” Using her sister’s cover, Sydney said, “I’m a cosmetic consultant, but the industry has changed, a lot. If Tank will let you hang with me for a few, I’d love to learn more about your gig.”
“Really?” Tara asked. “You’d be perfect.”
Teddy fixed his gaze on Sydney. He really was the luckiest. She was his partner in every way conceivable. She picked up where he’d reached a dead end. And she did it with complete finesse.
Smooth as silk.
Teddy guzzled the water, pushed out of the booth. “Take my spot,” he said to Sydney who put her back against the wall.
“Tara, if you’re still talking to Sierra when we open, I got you.”
Tara’s eyes widened. “You’ll seat the guests?”
“I always help you,” he said.
“You’re right, you do.”
As he locked eyes with Sydney, a smile ghosted across her face. She would get him the information they needed.
Whatever To Serve Man was really up to, it wasn’t good.
Of that he was certain.