“I think you vastly overestimate how sentimental I am.”
He shook his head. “Oh no, Miss Grant. I’ve had you pegged from the moment I first ran a background check on you. You’re weak. You’re inexperienced and think you know more than you do. You’re the kind of person who was made to be steamrolled, and I’m the steamroller. Now I’ve made it very clear what I want from you, and I’ve made it very clear how determined I am to get it. I’m not sure what you thought you’d accomplish by coming here, but I’m not one to take threats. I give them. Now, have you changed your mind about selling the property?”
“Not a chance in hell.”
“Then I guess you can be sure you’ll be seeing me very soon.”
Damask started to walk away, and she realized she’d failed. Toni had said they were going to return the cell phone to him, but she’d been watching carefully enough to know that no one had even come near him. And then, to confirm her self-doubts, Toni came through the earpiece. “Can you get him back for just a few more seconds? We’re done. We just need to make the drop.”
“How?” she said between clenched teeth so no one would see her speaking to herself.
“Don’t worry about it. Tristan is coming up with something.”
That was it. The competitive side of her kicked in, and she raced toward Damask. Before she knew what she was doing, she swiped a drink off a nearby tray and threw liquid through the air, where it crashed into the back of Damask’s head and jacket. Her eyes widened in shock as she realized what she did. She wasn’t sure who was more shocked, her or Damask, who had pivoted around to stare at her with a rage that she was a hundred percent certain everyone around them could read. She could only imagine the thoughts he wanted to spew at her right now. Considering the entire room had gone silent, everyone would hear what he said. So the seething silent rage would have to do. Shae swallowed down her own fear and squared her shoulders as she met his rage with her own silent threat. And as an army of waitstaff ran to start to dab off his now ruined jacket, Shae finally saw Hunter approach and the drop was seamless.
Her father was once again coming to grab her, and Shae knew she should be running. She should be getting the hell out of there now that she’d shaken as much information as she was going to get out of him, but she found herself frozen. Was she supposed to be running? Was she supposed to be playing it cool and confronting her father? It wasn’t as if she could go to jail for spilling a drink on someone, but the trespassing was another issue....
All things she probably should’ve thought of before she picked up the drink and threw it. Suddenly, a warm hand touched hers and strong fingers intertwined with hers. “I think it’s time to go.” Tristan led her out.
Shae looked over her shoulder, where her father rushed to Damask’s side and uttered what must’ve been a whole stream of apologies. But Damask looked straight at her still. She’d had an enemy before; now things had gotten real. He’d already sent guys to kill her. How much more real could they get? She didn’t want to contemplate the answer to that question. And then they were out the door, and she could no longer see him. She finally snapped out of whatever daze she’d been in and looked around. “Where’s the car?”
“Damask is going to have eyes on us. We don’t want to leave with any company. It’s better for as many people as possible to stay off-camera, you know?”
She was starting to think she really didn’t know. Before she could ask how exactly he planned to get out of here without Gage and Hunter, he walked right up to a sharp little black Mustang as though he owned it. It really did seem like he owned it as he took the keys out and unlocked it. Shae got into the front seat without asking any questions, and with a screech of burning rubber, Tristan drove off. She glanced behind them to make sure they weren’t being followed. It appeared as though they really did make a clean break. It was only then that she realized her hands were shaking.
Tristan must’ve noticed too. “Are you okay?”
Shae opened her mouth to answer, but a little voice in her head said, “Okay guys, good job. I’m working on getting full access to his phone. I’m going to dig around and see what I can find. There’s a chance he has an alarm system that will let him know that I’m here, but for now I have free access to his emails, text messages, schedules, and websites he’s been to. Take a break and take your time getting back. Make sure you’re not being followed, and call if you have any questions. Okay?”
A chorus of okays came through the earpiece as everyone seemed to be signing off. Shae fished the little piece of plastic out of her ear and started to pull the microphone out, first unclipping the top and letting it fall down her shirt. She could feel Tristan glancing over at her and really hoped he wasn’t remembering how he’d put the device on. “Whose car is this?” she asked, trying to change the subject in any way possible.
“I don’t know. I picked up the keys from the valet table. We’ll have to drop it soon enough, but it should get us far enough away.”
“You stole someone’s car?”
He looked over at her and frowned. “You do know I’m a thief, right?”
“I know. You’re just so casual about it. Don’t you feel bad? This is someone’s car. They need it to get around.”
“Please. You saw the people in there. They probably all have a garage full of spare cars they’re not using. Little toys they keep to look at. They never drive them—they just touch the paint job every once in a while to remember they exist. Besides, I told you I’m ditching it. The cops will come across it, and the owner will get their precious toy back. All it will be missing is some gas and a few miles. It’s almost a victimless crime.”
“That’s a lie.”
He scoffed and shook his head, keeping his eyes on the road now. “You’re not mad at me. You’re mad that you had to see your dad. It was a touching family reunion, by the way.”
That was it. “I’m not mad about that. I’m mad that I was just here to be your little distraction. Did you think I wouldn’t figure it out?”
“Oh no. We used you to help us do what we needed to do. If I remember correctly, helping us is what you wanted. And now you’re upset about it?”
“Pull over.”
“What?”
“You heard me. Pull the car over. I’m not sitting in here with you for one more fucking minute.”
“We’re in the middle of nowhere. What the fuck are you going to do if I pull over?”
“I don’t know. I’ll improvise. Isn’t that what you do all the time? Fake it till you make it?”
“Yeah, but I’m not stupid about it.”
“The only thing stupid I’ve done recently is spend so much time with you. Now please rectify that and pull. This. Car. Over.”
“No.”
“If you don’t let me out, this is kidnapping.”