Page 49 of Iron Willed Warrior

Garon Westwick, the leader of Stillwater, stood just a few yards away. His ash-blond hair was slicked back from his face, his chinos neatly pressed. So unassuming. Like a suburban dad more than a high-powered investor. Certainlynothing like what you’d expect a dark-web criminal mastermind to be.

But that was how men like him always operated. Right there in plain sight, pretending to be righteous, hiding their evil behind closed doors as if their power would always protect them.

I’d thought so many times about how this moment would go. Should I hang back, play the shy card? Wait for him to notice me? But as I sat there, I knew that was the wrong way to go.

Cole put his hand on my knee, his palm hot against my bare skin. Like he already knew what I planned to do and wanted to stop me. But I was going to follow my instincts.

I jumped up and walked straight over to him. “Mr. Westwick, right? Sorry, I just couldn’t wait to meet you. I’m Brianna Waverley. I’m signed up for your seminar.”

Westwick had been chatting quietly with Donovan Ryker, his head of security, who towered over the other man. As soon as I approached, they went silent. I’d been careful to leave my cover-up hanging open, my bikini on full display. Westwick did a quick sweep of my body, and his clean-shaven face broke into a grin.

“Miss Waverley. Yes, I’m Garon. I’m happy to meet someone who’s excited to hear me speak. I hope I live up to it.” He laughed self-deprecatingly. Both his hands closed around mine, and I worked hard to keep my smile in place, though I was cringing with disgust on the inside.

I had looked killers in the face before. As a special agent, I had interrogated them. Heard them recount, with no remorse and a charming smile, the monstrous things they had done. I saw that same glassiness in Westwick’s dilated pupils right now. Dead eyes that hid the depths of cruelty beneath. This was the guy who’d ordered kidnappers and killers to go after my best friend.

Oh, I was going to enjoy taking him down.

“It’s a pleasure,” I said.

“I promise, the pleasure is all mine.”

Cole came up behind me. I felt his hand rest protectively on my waist, his body angling next to mine, as if he wanted to be sure he was in place to step in front of me at a moment’s notice.

“Mr. Westwick, this is my manager and boyfriend. Cameron Clay.”

“Cameron, is it?”

“That’s right,” Cole said.

The head of Stillwater shook Cole’s hand. The men’s knuckles turned white as they gripped each other’s fingers. Behind his boss, Ryker shifted closer.

Molly and her husband hurried over to meet Westwick and ask questions about the upcoming event on Saturday. Cole’s arm snaked around my waist and his hand splayed on my bare stomach. He subtly pulled me back from the group.

“You could’ve given me some warning you were going to do that,” he murmured into my ear. “You ran straight for him.”

“I had to make sure he noticed me.”

“Oh trust me, he did.”

After a few minutes, Westwick clapped his hands together. “I’d love to have you all join me for dinner tonight. My treat.” He’d included everyone in our group, but his eyes connected with mine as he spoke, like it was an invitation directly to me.

“That was way too easy.”

Cole paced across the room in his long black pants andcream linen shirt. I swiped mascara onto my lashes in the bathroom mirror.

“I planned everything about my appearance and cover story to appeal to him. Is it that surprising that Westwick took the bait?”

“But I was standing right there. You would think he’d be a touch more subtle about it. The guy already has designs on my girlfriend after meeting you for all of five minutes.”

I chuckled. Cole sounded like he was taking personal offense. Like this wasn’t exactly what we’d wanted. “I did my best to give him the right signals. You should be glad I know what I’m doing.” Westwick wasn’t the type to get pulled in by a femme fatale. I had to make him believe I was a sweet ingenue who looked up to him for his business success. All the better for him to take advantage of me.

Yuck. I tasted bile in my mouth.

But soon, if this all went well, the state and federal authorities would have enough evidence against the man to put him away for good and shut down Stillwater forever.

Cole grumbled something inaudible as he paced.

I finished with my makeup and fluffed my hair. I really wasn’t used to the blond, and the texture was off too from the bleach. “Westwick moved up his timetable for a reason, and I doubt it was for more vacation time. We have no idea how the rest of his schedule might change. He might even leave the resort earlier than we expected. We have to take this chance at him while we’ve got it.”

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