Read Online CrossFire (Love & Lies #1) by Alex Strong - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Alex Strong
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could see the annoyance in Casimir’s face, but he said nothing as the blue-eyed gentleman spoke.
“That’s what you told me last time. You’d better be right, because I won’t be cleaning up your fucking mess again.”
The corner of Casimir’s mouth twitched into a slight sneer. The other man put his hands into his pockets and strode off towards the door.
“Now, if you don’t mind,” he said, “I promised to take my Love to brunch this morning.” He was almost out the door when he turned to Jillian and said, “Good luck to you, Miss Sandro. I hope for both our sakes that Reid Jackson is up to the task.” And he was gone.
“Sit,” Casimir instructed Jillian. “We will eat.”
“I’m not hungry,” she said quietly.
“It was not a question.”
“Being hit, drugged, and kidnapped kind of killed my appetite,” she said. “I’m not hungry.
Casimir’s stone gray eyes burned into her, but she stood her ground, until he slapped her across the face with the back of his hand so hard that she fell to the ground.
“I told you it was not a question,” he said, adjusting the cuff of his right sleeve. “Now get up before you drip blood on the carpet.”
Jillian touched her stinging lip. The ring on his finger had split it. She stood up and sat down on the chair, fighting back tears.
“Good,” said Casimir as he took his seat. “Was that so hard?”
Reid had tried to warn her how dangerous he was. Which again begged the question, how did Reid know this man?
“Eat,” Casimir ordered and this time Jillian knew better.
Her unsteady hand speared a piece of cantaloupe from her plate and she forced it to her mouth. It was ripe and juicy, but all Jillian could taste was the metallic tang of her own blood.
Reid pocketed the burner phone and redialed Aaron.
“Casimir has Jillian,” he said the second Aaron picked up.
“That’s insane. What would Casimir want with Jillian?”
“He’s offering to trade her for John Davies,” said Reid. “Or the codes. Neither of which I have access to.”
“This still doesn’t make any sense. How would he even know about her?”
“I haven’t figured that part out yet.”
“You need to go to Rollins,” Aaron told him.
“I can’t,” said Reid. “She’d be dead before they figured out what to do. And chances are they would decide to do nothing. We don’t negotiate with terrorists, remember?”
“Jesus, Jackson. You’re looking at treason just for thinking about giving Casimir what he wants.”
“I’m not an idiot,” said Reid. “Of course I’m not going to give him anything.”
“That what are you going to do?”
“I have to get Jillian.”
It was so quiet on the other end that Reid thought the call had been dropped until Aaron let out a long, slow breath.
“I’ll help you,” he said.
“I can’t let you risk everything too.”
“And what the hell am I supposed to do? Just sit here on my hands and hope everything works out for you? Not happening, man.”
“Be my support then,” said Reid. “Help me get info when I need it.”
“I can do that. What’s your first move?”
Now the silence came from Reid’s end.
“Jackson?”
“I’m thinking.” Reid remembered his conversation with Casimir. “He told me not to do anything stupid, which means he probably has someone tailing me.” He wondered if someone was watching him now. Whoever dropped the phone couldn’t be far. They might even be listening to him right this minute.
“I’m headed to Sea-Tac,” he said into the phone. “I think I might know where Davies is.”
“But I thought—”
Reid cut him off. “I’ll call you when I have more info.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
The Seattle-Tacoma International airport was packed as usual with travelers as Reid got in line for the nearest ticketing agent. He scanned the crowd, looking for anyone suspicious and found him almost immediately, but kept looking. In a terminal full of
“That’s what you told me last time. You’d better be right, because I won’t be cleaning up your fucking mess again.”
The corner of Casimir’s mouth twitched into a slight sneer. The other man put his hands into his pockets and strode off towards the door.
“Now, if you don’t mind,” he said, “I promised to take my Love to brunch this morning.” He was almost out the door when he turned to Jillian and said, “Good luck to you, Miss Sandro. I hope for both our sakes that Reid Jackson is up to the task.” And he was gone.
“Sit,” Casimir instructed Jillian. “We will eat.”
“I’m not hungry,” she said quietly.
“It was not a question.”
“Being hit, drugged, and kidnapped kind of killed my appetite,” she said. “I’m not hungry.
Casimir’s stone gray eyes burned into her, but she stood her ground, until he slapped her across the face with the back of his hand so hard that she fell to the ground.
“I told you it was not a question,” he said, adjusting the cuff of his right sleeve. “Now get up before you drip blood on the carpet.”
Jillian touched her stinging lip. The ring on his finger had split it. She stood up and sat down on the chair, fighting back tears.
“Good,” said Casimir as he took his seat. “Was that so hard?”
Reid had tried to warn her how dangerous he was. Which again begged the question, how did Reid know this man?
“Eat,” Casimir ordered and this time Jillian knew better.
Her unsteady hand speared a piece of cantaloupe from her plate and she forced it to her mouth. It was ripe and juicy, but all Jillian could taste was the metallic tang of her own blood.
Reid pocketed the burner phone and redialed Aaron.
“Casimir has Jillian,” he said the second Aaron picked up.
“That’s insane. What would Casimir want with Jillian?”
“He’s offering to trade her for John Davies,” said Reid. “Or the codes. Neither of which I have access to.”
“This still doesn’t make any sense. How would he even know about her?”
“I haven’t figured that part out yet.”
“You need to go to Rollins,” Aaron told him.
“I can’t,” said Reid. “She’d be dead before they figured out what to do. And chances are they would decide to do nothing. We don’t negotiate with terrorists, remember?”
“Jesus, Jackson. You’re looking at treason just for thinking about giving Casimir what he wants.”
“I’m not an idiot,” said Reid. “Of course I’m not going to give him anything.”
“That what are you going to do?”
“I have to get Jillian.”
It was so quiet on the other end that Reid thought the call had been dropped until Aaron let out a long, slow breath.
“I’ll help you,” he said.
“I can’t let you risk everything too.”
“And what the hell am I supposed to do? Just sit here on my hands and hope everything works out for you? Not happening, man.”
“Be my support then,” said Reid. “Help me get info when I need it.”
“I can do that. What’s your first move?”
Now the silence came from Reid’s end.
“Jackson?”
“I’m thinking.” Reid remembered his conversation with Casimir. “He told me not to do anything stupid, which means he probably has someone tailing me.” He wondered if someone was watching him now. Whoever dropped the phone couldn’t be far. They might even be listening to him right this minute.
“I’m headed to Sea-Tac,” he said into the phone. “I think I might know where Davies is.”
“But I thought—”
Reid cut him off. “I’ll call you when I have more info.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
The Seattle-Tacoma International airport was packed as usual with travelers as Reid got in line for the nearest ticketing agent. He scanned the crowd, looking for anyone suspicious and found him almost immediately, but kept looking. In a terminal full of
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