She answered low enough for only him to hear. “The entrance for the stairs I pointed out before is over there, on the second floor.” She motioned to the right. “The second story is all open railings and walkways, so once we get to the end of this aisle, we’ll be able to see if anyone is up there. Then her office door is about fifty feet to the left of that on the gangplank. The only problem is that if anyone’s up there, they will have an eagle-eye view of us.”
He was quiet for a moment and she could practically see the wheels in his head turning. Then he nodded once, as if coming to a decision. “Okay. Sit tight. Actually, go keep an eye on that guy and make sure he doesn’t get out of his bonds. I’ll be back.” And then he was gone.
It took everything she had not to follow after him, but she didn’t want to put him in more danger so she did exactly as he said.
Chapter 18
Though it felt like an eternity since he’d been gone, Ivy nearly jumped when Nash stepped back into the room. The bound man had wiggled around a little bit at first, but Nash had tied him so well he’d finally given up—only grunting what she assumed were obscenities at her from behind his gag. He wasn’t getting out of those restraints or moving anywhere.
“The guards are down. I’m about to breach her office.” Expression tight, he motioned for her to follow.
She had questions, like what the heck had happened, but as they hurried up the stairs, she spotted two bound men and she had her answer. Nash was really in the zone now and she was just grateful he was on her side.
He held his finger to his lips as they approached what she knew was Genesis’s office door. Then he handed her his cell phone, which still had Juan on the line. She nodded, understanding what he wanted. If shit hit the fan, she needed to let Juan know to call the cops. She moved farther down the gangplank and backed up against the wall at Nash’s instructions.
“I don’t know what you expect to happen.” Genesis’s voice carried from behind the closed door.
“If your friend doesn’t give me back what she took, I will kill you both.”
Genesis let out a laugh. “You’re making a big mistake.”
“I can’t tell you how many people have said that to me.”
“Everyone knows you owe the Gonzales crew money. Is that what this is really about?”
“Shut up,” the man snapped. Then before he could continue, Nash kicked the door in, weapon up.
There were multiple shouts. Ivy moved on instinct, following after him, taking in the scene in one sweep.
There were two men in the room and Genesis was bound to a chair by the window.
The man closest to her friend was wearing a suit and had no visible weapon.
A man right by the door, however, was armed.
Nash moved lightning fast again, quickly disarming the guy with such rapid movements Ivy could barely track it. Then he had two weapons up, one pointed directly at the previously armed man and the other at the suit by the window.
She had her own Taser up and ready just in case, but Nash had things under control. And that was way too sexy. Good God, he was a total badass, and seeing him in action was incredible.
“If you reach for your weapon, I’ll put a bullet in your chest,” Nash growled at the man still far too close to Genesis for Ivy’s liking.
Ivy didn’t know if he really would shoot the guy—she didn’t think he would. But the man must have believed Nash because he slowly held his arms up. “This is all so uncivilized,” he sniffed haughtily.
And that was when she recognized him—Gregory Jones, owner of the warehouse she’d robbed.
“Pretty sure we moved into uncivilized territory when you broke into my warehouse,” Genesis snapped, even as Ivy hurried toward her and started cutting her bindings free.
“Are you okay?” Ivy asked.
“I was so worried you wouldn’t understand what I was trying to tell you until you made that cranberry comment.” Genesis stood and began rubbing her wrists, looking none the worse for wear. “Did you guys have any trouble?”
“No. Where’s Bruno?”
“He’s not actually out of town but he is across town. I thought maybe that would give you a hint that I was lying. He never goes out of town without me.”
“Would you two shut the fuck up?” Jones snapped. His hands were still in the air as he glared at them.
“Pretty brave for a guy with two weapons on him. Now start talking. Who are you and why’d you try to lure Ivy here?” Nash demanded even as Genesis hurried to her desk and pulled out a cell phone from one of the drawers.
“This is Gregory Jones,” Ivy murmured to Nash. Nash would know the name by now.
“You took something from me,” Jones said, eyeing Ivy angrily as he sat in Genesis’s vacated seat. His arms were still up, but he crossed his legs as if he didn’t have a care in the world. Yet she could see the beads of sweat popping out over his forehead. Oh, he was definitely scared.
The guard to the left shifted forward slightly. It was subtle enough, but they both saw it.
“All right, on the ground, hands behind your back.” Nash slightly motioned the weapon at the guard without taking his eyes off Jones.
The guard did as he said, getting on the ground.
Without a word, Genesis grabbed flex-cuffs from one of her cabinets and pulled them tight around the guy’s wrists.
“So what do you think I took from you?” Ivy asked, facing Jones again.
“You might have been able to distort your face, but I know it was you who took it.”
“How are you so sure?” She wasn’t going to outright admit anything yet.
“I’m not telling you until you give me back what you took. I want those dolls and that music box—but the dolls are what matter!”
“Maybe it’s what’s inside them that you want?” She’d peeked inside, then just as quickly closed the dolls after confirming they did indeed have drugs. There’d also been a little baggie of diamonds on top of one of the bags of white powder in the second doll. She had a feeling the diamonds were all he cared about.
“Look. I screwed up here. Obviously. I just need what you took and we’ll call it even.” More sweat popped out on his upper lip as he eyed all of them. “We’ll just walk away and forget this happened. No harm, no foul.”
“He owes money, and not to the Gonzalez crew,” the guy from the ground said.
“If it’s not the Gonzalez crew… Oh, tell me you’re not stupid enough to work with the Russians,” Genesis muttered as she took a step toward Ivy, crossing her arms over her chest as she glared at Jones. “I mean, you deserve it after this, but please tell me you’re not that stupid.”
More beads of sweat formed now, this time across his upper lip. “I just need it back,” he whispered, all pretense of bravado cracking.
“Fine. I’ll give it back as soon as you tell me more about the Green crew.” Ivy didn’t want him so afraid that he wouldn’t talk. “And I want to know about the woman they’re working with. I want to know everything. You tell me that, I’ll give you what you want and we all walk away.”
“That’s bad business.”