Page 51 of Saving the Last Heir
When I got home, most of the people in the house were asleep. It had been hours since lunch, and my stomach was growling like mad, so I went to the kitchen. Not wanting to make too much of a mess, I put on a pot of water to boil and grabbed an entire box of spaghetti. While the water heated, I found a jar of sauce in the pantry, then started chopping lettuce for a salad.
Ten minutes later, I sat down with the huge bowl of pasta and a salad. Before I could start eating, my phone rang. When I saw the number, my heart sank and froze all at the same time.
Joseph Anitoli.
All I could do was stare at the name for a few seconds, letting the phone ring twice more. With a sigh, I answered it.
“Hello,” I muttered.
“Hey there, Jack,” the other man said in that slick, oily voice.
“To what do I owe this lovely call?” I asked, trying my best to keep my voice calm.
“Word has gotten around, my boy. Word, most definitely, has gotten around.”
“What word is that?”
“The wolf boy’s prized vehicle was stolen.That’sthe word. And several of his other precious toys got fucked up in the process.”
My stomach twisted in fear. Was he going to tell me the deal was off since I’d damaged the other cars? Was he going to kill my sister because I was a shitty cat burglar?
“Well done,” he said, chuckling, and I had to fight back a sigh of relief.
“I’m glad you approve of my work.”
“Issue is, this car was snatched a couple days ago.” He paused. “A couple of days, yet the car isnotin my garage. What are we waiting for Jackson?”
I’d hoped to get the car to this man sooner, but the damage had made that impossible. There was no way I could tell him the car was messed up. Even if I told him it was being repaired, he might consider that a failure and rescind the offer of giving my sister back.
“The car had a tracker on it,” I said, pulling a lie out of my ass so fast I actually surprised myself.
“The fuck you mean, atracker?”
“I mean, the car costs close to a fucking million dollars. You think Torrence didn’t put some insurance on it?” I was bizarrely angry about being questioned on something I knew was a lie.
“Well, why hasn’t Mr. Big Bad Wolf come to collect?” Joseph asked, his voice shrewd and probing. He could smell the bullshit. And fuck, that was a good question.
“I’ve, uh, I have one of my people moving it every hour or so. The thing is attached to the circuitry. I’ve got a guy who can remove it without damaging the computer or electrical system. Should have it done day after tomorrow.”
I held my breath, waiting for Joseph to lose his shit. My heart hammered. Although, it wasn’t that far-fetched, was it? Peoplewouldput trackers into their expensive cars. I’d ask Shyanne to check for one tomorrow. I’d never be able to live with the guilt if the Torrence family did something to her or her business. I’d dragged her into this, and she’d bent over backward to help me.
“That little prick,” Joseph said. “Shoulda known Alessio would do something like that. Good job, Jack. You remembered I wanted it back in mint condition, and you’re going above and beyond. I like that. Shows initiative. I was a little worried you were thinking of double-crossing me. That would be averybad idea.”
“Not a chance,” I said, wiping sweat from my brow. “I’m a man of my word. You’ll have your car soon.”
“That’s good. That’s really good.”
I was just beginning to breathe easy when the next words came and nearly stopped my heart.
“Once I have my prize, we can discuss the next job you do for me.”
My free hand shook, and I pushed away the bowl of pasta. My appetite had vanished.
“Ex…excuse me?” I said, my voice trembling.
“You heard me, Jack. Get me the car, then we can get to the next thing on your list.”
I shot to my feet, rage replacing my shock and fear.
