couch.
When he’d offered Julia his bed, he’d thought only of putting an end to her prodding. In no way whatsoever had he considered his own comfort. Rubbing his sore muscles, he seriously regretted that decision.
With a yawn, he stood and walked around his living room. His efforts to ease the tension in his muscles didn’t help, and his lack of success only added to his frustration. That was, if he could be any more frustrated.
After several long moments the pain began in his back began to ease. And as irritable as he was feeling, he understood why he’d done what he had. Each moment that he and Julia spent together, every time she laid out the facts about their presumed arrangement she came that much closer to learning the truth. That Colin wasn’t FBI. That he was a crime boss, sole chief operator of one of the most profitable diamond smuggling operations across the globe. And her father was nothing but his pawn.
A knock came at the door. Becoming aware of the sound, Colin realized that it had been going on for several minutes, and the incessant pounding had woken him from his sleep. Having no desire to wake Julia, he hurried to the door. Opening it a crack, he was stunned to find Desmond on the other side.
Colin’s next-in-command looked even worse than he had the other night. His hair was a wreck, and his clothes, expensive as they were, looked as though they’d been slept in for a week.
Desmond’s bloodshot eyes went wide. They settled against the rope burns on Colin’s neck. “What happened to you?”
Colin urged him into the hall. Lest his houseguest should get any ideas about listening in on his conversation, he shut the door behind them. “This is what happens when someone throws a noose around your neck.” Not wanting to draw the neighbors’ attention, he lowered his voice. “I take it your early-morning visit means you’ve located John Rizzo?”
“Negative, boss.”
“Come again?”
Desmond hesitated. He took a half step backward. “Rizzo’s sort of…gone off the grid.”
Rage boiled in Colin’s veins. He’d given Desmond one simple assignment, and even on that, he couldn’t deliver. Perhaps he should recruit Julia Dyson. At the present moment, he imagined she could do a better job than most of the imbeciles in his employ.
He tapped his foot against the carpet. “That must have been quite a feat for him, considering you’ve been watching his every move since our last conversation.”
“Yeah, about that. I sort of never found him in the first place.”
“You what ?”
Desmond held up two hands. “I knew you’d be furious if I told you the truth. I thought Rizzo might surface at the party last night.”
“And?”
“No one there would tell me a damn thing. The furniture, the carpets—everything was gone when I went back this morning.”
Impossible. He’d had a guy over there last night and early this morning. As of 4:00 a.m., they hadn’t moved a thing.
He snatched Desmond by the collar. “You incompetent son of a bitch. Do you have any idea what you’ve done? Do you? Allow me to clue you in. I almost died last night because of your ineptitude!”
“If I’d had any idea they were going to try and kill you, I would have told you not to go,” Desmond said, fighting to break free. “You and I both know that last night was a setup, and that it’s very likely Rizzo’s working with an accomplice.”
“Make that two accomplices,” Colin said, loosening his grip. “There was more than one guy in the room with me.”
“Rizzo,” Desmond suggested, “and someone else. It does seem like a bit of a stretch, the idea that he would have put this whole fake party together alone.”
Colin considered this. It didn’t much seem like something Rizzo would have done on his own. More than likely, he’d been recruited by someone else to do their dirty work.
“What about Tucker’s daughter?” Desmond asked. “How did she take the whole attempt on your
When he’d offered Julia his bed, he’d thought only of putting an end to her prodding. In no way whatsoever had he considered his own comfort. Rubbing his sore muscles, he seriously regretted that decision.
With a yawn, he stood and walked around his living room. His efforts to ease the tension in his muscles didn’t help, and his lack of success only added to his frustration. That was, if he could be any more frustrated.
After several long moments the pain began in his back began to ease. And as irritable as he was feeling, he understood why he’d done what he had. Each moment that he and Julia spent together, every time she laid out the facts about their presumed arrangement she came that much closer to learning the truth. That Colin wasn’t FBI. That he was a crime boss, sole chief operator of one of the most profitable diamond smuggling operations across the globe. And her father was nothing but his pawn.
A knock came at the door. Becoming aware of the sound, Colin realized that it had been going on for several minutes, and the incessant pounding had woken him from his sleep. Having no desire to wake Julia, he hurried to the door. Opening it a crack, he was stunned to find Desmond on the other side.
Colin’s next-in-command looked even worse than he had the other night. His hair was a wreck, and his clothes, expensive as they were, looked as though they’d been slept in for a week.
Desmond’s bloodshot eyes went wide. They settled against the rope burns on Colin’s neck. “What happened to you?”
Colin urged him into the hall. Lest his houseguest should get any ideas about listening in on his conversation, he shut the door behind them. “This is what happens when someone throws a noose around your neck.” Not wanting to draw the neighbors’ attention, he lowered his voice. “I take it your early-morning visit means you’ve located John Rizzo?”
“Negative, boss.”
“Come again?”
Desmond hesitated. He took a half step backward. “Rizzo’s sort of…gone off the grid.”
Rage boiled in Colin’s veins. He’d given Desmond one simple assignment, and even on that, he couldn’t deliver. Perhaps he should recruit Julia Dyson. At the present moment, he imagined she could do a better job than most of the imbeciles in his employ.
He tapped his foot against the carpet. “That must have been quite a feat for him, considering you’ve been watching his every move since our last conversation.”
“Yeah, about that. I sort of never found him in the first place.”
“You what ?”
Desmond held up two hands. “I knew you’d be furious if I told you the truth. I thought Rizzo might surface at the party last night.”
“And?”
“No one there would tell me a damn thing. The furniture, the carpets—everything was gone when I went back this morning.”
Impossible. He’d had a guy over there last night and early this morning. As of 4:00 a.m., they hadn’t moved a thing.
He snatched Desmond by the collar. “You incompetent son of a bitch. Do you have any idea what you’ve done? Do you? Allow me to clue you in. I almost died last night because of your ineptitude!”
“If I’d had any idea they were going to try and kill you, I would have told you not to go,” Desmond said, fighting to break free. “You and I both know that last night was a setup, and that it’s very likely Rizzo’s working with an accomplice.”
“Make that two accomplices,” Colin said, loosening his grip. “There was more than one guy in the room with me.”
“Rizzo,” Desmond suggested, “and someone else. It does seem like a bit of a stretch, the idea that he would have put this whole fake party together alone.”
Colin considered this. It didn’t much seem like something Rizzo would have done on his own. More than likely, he’d been recruited by someone else to do their dirty work.
“What about Tucker’s daughter?” Desmond asked. “How did she take the whole attempt on your
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