Page 20 of Lose to Win: Lost Trilogy: Part 3
I finally find her wallet. I look inside and dig her driver’s license out. I don’t give this one to Devereaux. Instead, I stick it in the pocket of the long sleeved polo shirt I’m wearing. It was the first thing I grabbed from the laundry room when I came downstairs. The realization that I’m wearing a polo shirt almost makes me laugh out loud.
The front door opens, revealing Malone. The fucker is so massive, he’s not letting any daylight showing through.
“Are we ready?” His voice matches the rest of him.
“Yup.” I grab Emily’s hand and pull her behind me when she’s not moving.
“No, I can’t go wherever you think you’re taking me.”
“We’re not asking for permission, Em,” her father backs me up. “Move. Or we’re going to make you move.”
The scared look on her face tells me that she is taking us seriously.
“You don’t understand,” she starts, but at least she lets me lead her to the car without fighting me.
“No, babe. It is you who doesn’t understand,” I inform her as I place a hand on her head when I push her down to get in the car.
“Everything is set,” Devereaux tells me. “When you get to the airport, go around the gate in the back. It’ll put you about half a mile behind, but no one will be able to see you driving in through there.”
“Back gate, half a mile,” I repeat. “Got it.”
“The pilot’s name is Jeff. He is ready, and he will take off as soon as you board,” Devereaux continues. “This is what he looks like.” Malone walks over to show me a picture on his phone.
“Board what?” Emily intervenes. “What’s happening?”
“Upon landing there, there will be a car waiting for you. There’s the fob,” he points at Malone who hands me a key fob.
“Got it, boss,” I give him a two finger salute and get in the car.
“Do not use any other card except for the one I gave you earlier,” he continues to instruct me. “It is untraceable, I don’t care how good the person looking is.”
That reminds me to look in the backseat and make sure that my bag with the two laptops I have is there. I take it out and hand it to Devereaux for safekeeping.
“What about the judge? He ready?” I ask what I care about the most.
“He is. He is not leaving his office until you get there.” He then takes me by surprise when he smirks at me. “You know you could’ve just hacked into the system and created the records. No one would’ve questioned that.”
My mouth stretches into a wide grin.
“I know. But it wouldn’t be the same. Did the shop…” But he knows what I’m asking.
“Done.”
“Well, that’s it then,” I slap both hands on the steering wheel, then look at Emily. She is just staring at both me and her father with a confused look on her face. “You ready, babe?”
“Ready for what?”
“For the biggest and most important day of your life,” I wink at her.
She jumps startled when her father drops down on his hunches next to the car, his height still impressive even like that.
“Dad,” she whispers, a lone tear rolling down her cheek.
“I love you, Em,” he wipes at her face, making her cry harder. “It will be okay,” he assures her. “You should’ve known by now that I would never let anything happen to you. Unless it’s of the good variety,” he teases. I didn’t know he had that in him.
“But, dad,” she tries again. “Steve said…”
“I’ll have a word or two with Steve,” he assures her. He looks positively evil in this moment, proof that he did earn his reputation as a crime lord.
