“Your sister is a damn fool. She might think I’m madly in love with her, but in truth, I can’t stand the sight of the pretentious bitch. Regardless, she served her purpose. She got me close to you, and now, I have no use for her or your adoptive parents.” He sounded so cold and menacing as he said, “And in case there’s no love lost between you and them, I’ve added an extra precaution. I’ve secured an explosive to your boyfriend’s bike. One foul move, and he’s history.”
“Oh my God! You’re sick!”
“I’ve been called worse.” He leaned forward to place the chain around my neck. When I tried to stop him, he warned, “This is not a game, Marlowe. I will kill them. I will kill them all.”
Knowing he meant every word, I froze. Once he was done, he walked back and sat down across from me. “Why are you doing this?”
“I was in business with your father for a long time. We were partners of sorts, but he was always more like a father to me than a partner. I was just a kid when he took me under his wing and showed me how to run the business, and he taught me well.” He looked up at ceiling, sighing as he considered a thought, then turned his attention back to me. “I knew just what to do when he came up missing. I slipped into his role and did what needed to be done, leaving no one the wiser that he had never returned from Nashville. In fact, for a while, things had never been better.”
“If things were going so well, why are you here?” I pushed. “Why are you dragging me into all of this?”
“Because your friends have interfered once again. They’ve cost me a great deal of money and time, but that’s all about to change. Now that you’re in the picture, I will have the means to set the business back on the right course again.” A sinister smile crossed his face as he said, “Seems your father was right to lead you here. Your presence is going to be quite beneficial in bringing this thing with the Sinners to an end.”
“And what makes you think I can do anything?”
“Don’t you see? You already have. You’ve not only gotten your foot through the door, but you’ve also established camaraderie between yourself and the brothers. That’s all I need to find the information.”
“What kind of information?”
“Everything there is to know about them, just as they’ve done with me.” He reached across the table and grabbed my phone. Without even bothering to ask for my password, he started pressing buttons and installed some kind of program on my device. As he enabled the program, he said, “I must say, these men are smarter than I gave them credit for. They’ve already found my bookkeeper and are close to discovering that I’m no longer in San Antonio. But none of that matters. With you, I’m one step ahead. I purchased the bar where you had been working, and—”
“Wait, you bought Crockett’s?”
“I did. It was an investment of sorts,” he answered with a sinister smile. “Having a base of operations was an important part of the plan, and Crockett’s was the perfect place. It’s in the center of Nashville, but away from the crowded main streets. I also knew once I shut the bar down that boyfriend of yours wouldn’t let you go without a job. It was only a matter of time before he brought you into their fold, and now that you’re bartending at their precious club, I have all the access I could possibly need.”
“I won’t be a part of this. I won’t help you.”
“Unfortunately, you don’t have a choice, Marlowe.” He stood, and as he started for the door, he told me, “I’ve placed cameras all over your apartment. I’ve also tapped into the security cameras at the club. I’ll be able to watch your every move, and with the mic I just placed around your pretty little neck, I’ll be able to hear every word you speak. If you try to remove it, well, let’s just say that would be a mistake.”
“What exactly are you expecting me to do?”
“Just what I said before. Use the relationships you’ve established to find out everything you can about them. I need to know where and how they do their business, where they store their weapons and drugs, and what their weaknesses are.”
I had no idea what he was talking about. I’d known Country and Rafe for over a year, and never once had I heard either of them discuss any kind of illegal activity. I’d certainly never heard them talk about drugs and weapons. I had no idea how Eric expected me to find out about something I never even knew existed, so I asked, “How am I supposed to get this kind of information from them?”
“You’ll figure it out.” He pointed to his watch as he warned, “The clock’s ticking, and remember, I’ll be listening.”
“But—”
Before I could finish my thought, he was gone. I was left to make sense of the storm raging in my mind. I just wanted it all to disappear, but there was no escape. I could feel panic rising up in the pit of my stomach, and there was nothing I could do to stop it nor the tension that had taken over every inch of my body. My mind kept replaying every moment, every word that had been said—first by Eric and then by Kate. It was all too much. My breathing became more rapid, more shallow. It was as if I was stuck in my own personal hell and I just wanted to run as far away as possible, but as I looked around at the cameras Eric had placed around my apartment, I realized there was no escape. If I wanted the people I loved to survive this, I would have to find a way to get Eric the information he wanted.
I felt completely numb as I picked up the phone and called the club. After I’d canceled my plans with Rafe, I locked all my doors and went to my room. I curled up in my bed and stared up at the ceiling. I remained just like that through the night. The next morning, I was still lying in the same position, thinking about the mess in which I’d found myself. A piece of me wanted to blame Kate for bringing Eric into our lives, but it wasn’t her fault. He’d used her just like he was trying to use me now. I wasn’t stupid. I knew the guy was a complete lunatic. No matter what I did or what information I uncovered, he would still go after Rafe and his brothers. It was a no-win situation, which made me want to stay hidden away in my apartment for the next century or two. Sadly, I didn’t have that luxury. Eric was not only watching; he was listening to every move I made. I’d already called into work the night before. I feared there would be major repercussions if I tried doing it again.
As I got up and started getting dressed, I was careful to stay away from view of the cameras. I wasn’t even sure where they all were, so it wasn’t easy. I spent most of my time in the bathroom where I knew there was no chance of him seeing me. By the time I was ready, I was eager to get out of my apartment and out of Eric’s watchful eye, but as I headed out the door, I remembered the microphone he’d placed around my neck. Even when he couldn’t see me, he could hear every word I said. I was screwed. There was no escaping him. It was a thought that stuck with me as I walked into work. I’d barely made it behind the bar before Rafe came over to me. “You okay?”
“Um-hmm. I’m fine,” I lied.
“I tried calling.”
“I know. I’m sorry. I just had a lot on my mind.” I put my things under the counter and tried not to seem too out of sorts. “I just needed some time alone to think things through.”