Read Online Damage (Havoc #2) by Stella Rhys - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Stella Rhys
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eventually both pushed aside by the leggy brunette manager. As she asked to get us drinks, giggling endlessly at Jesse’s request for “all of them,” I looked around, realizing what a complete and utter spectacle we were. It was my first time in public with these guys and for those who didn’t recognize Abram, Jesse or both, we were still a table of three handsome men, two of them impossibly so. Male or female, it felt as if every set of eyes in the restaurant was glued on us. I even noticed a few familiar faces in the crowd – the ladies of the bachelorette party, dressed to the nines, nudging each other with their fluttery eyes wide and their jaws on the table. I took comfort in everyone’s attention. Unlike last time, I had a feeling that being in public would keep the guys calm while discussing business.
After our wine arrived, Jesse broke the silence. “Well, since I suspect you gentlemen aren’t interested in making a toast right now, let’s get right to it. Clearly, the first order of business is finding my piece of shit brother so how about you tell me what general area he might be right now. I know his spoiled ass could never do a proper government relocation so what half-baked method did he end up choosing to try and hide forever?”
I sipped my wine and eyed Abram over the rim of my glass, zipping my lips and trying to simply follow the conversation.
“The deal was that he cooperated with our plan and let us make his death look believable,” Abram said, briefly looking toward me. “Which we made sure of. But his end of the deal was that we’d get no details of his relocation. Where he was going or what name would be on his new papers. He knew who he wanted to approach to have them made and all we did was ensure that that person was experienced with forging these kinds of documents.”
“You’re telling me you entrusted my idiot brother with some sort of responsibility? You realize this was a kid who still called our mom to make his dentist appointments, right? He doesn’t even have his own credit line.”
“Well, he had cash hidden somewhere because he took off with it,” Nate said. “And now we’re hanging our hope on the guy who made his papers. Hopefully, we can get some sort of information out of him.”
“And what’s his name?” Jesse asked.
“We don’t have it.”
“You guys are great at this.”
“A name should hardly ever stop you from finding someone,” Abram said in a clipped tone. “We know where he is.”
“Yeah? Where’s that?” Jesse asked, drumming his long fingers on the table as we waited for Nate to pull up the information on his phone. In the silence, I kept sipping awkwardly on my Cabernet, only realizing I’d gone too fast when my skin got suddenly hot. Setting my empty glass down, I shed the poncho cardigan I’d thrown over my short uniform before leaving work with Jesse. The second it slunk into a heap behind me, Abram’s eyes lifted. As they settled on my body, he set his wine glass down, his thumb running up and down the lower part of its stem as he studied every line and seam on my little black dress. A little smile twisted both his voice and his lips.
“Is that what you wear to work?”
Jesse and Nate looked over. But while Nate instantly sneered and returned to his phone, Jesse’s stare remained. I swallowed. With both his and Abram’s eyes on my body, at once and at the same damned table, I felt suddenly naked. More exposed than if I was actually sitting there without my clothes on. With a stiff nod, I answered Abram’s question, unable to act naturally around him with such an audience – certainly not one that included Jesse. I bit my lip as Abram gave the slightest tilt of his head while eyeing my thighs under the table. Never meant for sitting, the dress only just covered my panties. From the corner of my vision, I saw Jesse’s drumming fingers curl into a fist as Abram
After our wine arrived, Jesse broke the silence. “Well, since I suspect you gentlemen aren’t interested in making a toast right now, let’s get right to it. Clearly, the first order of business is finding my piece of shit brother so how about you tell me what general area he might be right now. I know his spoiled ass could never do a proper government relocation so what half-baked method did he end up choosing to try and hide forever?”
I sipped my wine and eyed Abram over the rim of my glass, zipping my lips and trying to simply follow the conversation.
“The deal was that he cooperated with our plan and let us make his death look believable,” Abram said, briefly looking toward me. “Which we made sure of. But his end of the deal was that we’d get no details of his relocation. Where he was going or what name would be on his new papers. He knew who he wanted to approach to have them made and all we did was ensure that that person was experienced with forging these kinds of documents.”
“You’re telling me you entrusted my idiot brother with some sort of responsibility? You realize this was a kid who still called our mom to make his dentist appointments, right? He doesn’t even have his own credit line.”
“Well, he had cash hidden somewhere because he took off with it,” Nate said. “And now we’re hanging our hope on the guy who made his papers. Hopefully, we can get some sort of information out of him.”
“And what’s his name?” Jesse asked.
“We don’t have it.”
“You guys are great at this.”
“A name should hardly ever stop you from finding someone,” Abram said in a clipped tone. “We know where he is.”
“Yeah? Where’s that?” Jesse asked, drumming his long fingers on the table as we waited for Nate to pull up the information on his phone. In the silence, I kept sipping awkwardly on my Cabernet, only realizing I’d gone too fast when my skin got suddenly hot. Setting my empty glass down, I shed the poncho cardigan I’d thrown over my short uniform before leaving work with Jesse. The second it slunk into a heap behind me, Abram’s eyes lifted. As they settled on my body, he set his wine glass down, his thumb running up and down the lower part of its stem as he studied every line and seam on my little black dress. A little smile twisted both his voice and his lips.
“Is that what you wear to work?”
Jesse and Nate looked over. But while Nate instantly sneered and returned to his phone, Jesse’s stare remained. I swallowed. With both his and Abram’s eyes on my body, at once and at the same damned table, I felt suddenly naked. More exposed than if I was actually sitting there without my clothes on. With a stiff nod, I answered Abram’s question, unable to act naturally around him with such an audience – certainly not one that included Jesse. I bit my lip as Abram gave the slightest tilt of his head while eyeing my thighs under the table. Never meant for sitting, the dress only just covered my panties. From the corner of my vision, I saw Jesse’s drumming fingers curl into a fist as Abram
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