Page 157 of Tattooed Love

She rolled her eyes. “Of course you wouldn’t know him personally, he keeps a low profile. Well, not here, but back home. I think he has only visited twice, and I met him once.”

I frowned still. “So you knew this Tae guy from here?”

“Tae Neal Smith, Jax!” she repeated. “I helped you sell guns to them! Well, his empire at home that is. His one in England is larger.”

“You helped with TNS.” I said, not making a connection, but recalling how mature she had been when she’d handled that deal, and how they’d trusted her. Then it hit me slowly. Tae Neal Smith - TNS. “YOU’RE WORKING FOR TNS!”

“God, wipe the shock off your face will you!”

“Amber, they are dangerous. How the fuck did you get involved with them?”

She shrugged. “He was waiting for me at the airport.”

That pissed me off instantly. “He was waiting for you?” He must have been keeping tabs on her.

“As soon as I got off the plane, he was there, standing with my aunt.”

“Did he have a track on you?” I wanted him dead. Keeping track on her. He must have been watching her, to just be waiting for her at the airport.

“He was monitoring me, yes. As soon as I ended it with the HellBound, he was interested in recruiting me. Then he found out I was working for you a lot so he monitored me again. Then he said my passport flashed across his screen when I boarded a plane to England.”

I was furious. “So, did he recruit you?” I had not only pushed her away, but I had pushed her into the arms of a man nearly as deadly as me.

She really attracted bad men in her life.

“Yeah, he did.”

“AMBER!”

“Calm down Jax. I’m well looked after.” She gave me a pointed look. “Tae doesn’t put me in harm’s way. And I don’t do anything I can’t sleep with.”

“So, have you been doing those hits? They were linked to TNS in the paper!” I was furious. She was meant to be creating a new life! One that didn’t involve getting a criminal record!

“You’ve been reading the headlines? The London news headlines?” She said alarmed, like it wasn’t possible.

I was a subscriber to the London times because, well, it was a connection to her. “Yes or no Amber?”

“Yes,” she said simply.

“YOU’VE BEEN KILLING PEOPLE!” I was up and she was fucking lucky she was in another country. “WITH A SNIPER!”

“I’ve been trained, yes.”

“Don’t sound so cold!” I hated hearing coldness in her voice. Like she was disconnected from the world. Like she was disconnected from her heart.

“What did you expect, Jax? Like I said, you nearly killed me.” She wiped an angry tear away. “I have to go.”

“No you don’t. Don’t you dare hang up. Do your brothers know what you’ve been up to?”

She scoffed. “I think you would know if they knew.” She shook her head. “You should get some sleep.”

“I’m not tired,” I said through gritted teeth. I was more concerned about her, more concerned than I was a minute ago. At least then I thought she had moved on in a good direction.

“You look tired.”

“I can’t sleep without you. So, unless you are coming back, I won’t be sleeping,” I snapped. “What does he have you doing? Killing people? What else?”

I needed details because that man kept in the shadows. Lived on the dirty money and his empire but no-one knew his face.