Page 72 of Game of Love
“Not a damn thing.”
I stared at him and from the way he looked at me I could tell there was more he wanted to say, or wanted me to say. So I took the bone he was throwing me.
“With security tight the way it is, I’m real shocked those guys got all the way to the conference room. Even had a drink, maybe two.Fuck, I thought it was Fort Knox when I first got here. I was searched and questioned before I could even speak to you. I’m a little offended to be honest.”
His face hardened. “Mr. Cage, you…” His voice trailed off.
“Me?What me? What were you going to say? I took this job, got on the wrong side of the knights because I’m told I basically got special treatment. Got bumped up the line and inside the Castle where you supposedly keep your secrets. Now the question is why? You’ve exhibited very erratic behavior Boss. Acting like someone who has something to hide.”
“How dare you? You forget you work for me. I could fire you right the fuck now Xander Cage.”
I smiled at him. “But, you won’t. Know why? It goes back to that thing, the thing from the beginning. The recruitment. You’re looking for the strongest guys. Attention to detail you said. That’s me. You need me and you know all your knights put together couldn’t make one of me. You also fucking know that someone let the bad guys in last night and spoiled the party.” I paused knowing what I had to say next would really get him. “You know that when it came to it, I was the only person who did exactly what I was told, what you told me to do. I dropped everything and went for the girl. I protected your daughter first above all else. Even you, Boss. Pretty sure you would have given that talk to all your other knights.”
That got him. Got him good.
He blew out a breath and balled his fists, staring me down.
“What’s going on Giovanni?” I added. Best to cut to the chase while I had him cornered. “What is happening? I wasn’t aware that incidents like last night could just happen like that.”
“They don’t.”
“So, who do you believe these guys are?”
He gave me a long hard stare. At first it seemed like he wasn’t going to say anything else or give me an answer. Then his face softened easing the hardness in his eyes.
“Terrorists,” he breathed and I had to say that my nerves spiked and my stomach clenched. “A terrorist group.”
“What?”
“You heard me and I won’t say it again. That is the answer.”
That was very interesting, considering his association with The Chameleon meant he was in league with a would-be terrorist. Maybe he wasn’t though.
In fact it would make more sense for him as a mobster not to be. So who were they all working for?
It could be anyone and realistically it could still be some terrorist group. I couldn’t rule that out.
So, two big players were in this game and he was a pawn.
Who would have a mob boss as a pawn and what kind of terrorist group would go after him.
And… he’d said terrorist group. Like he might know who they were.
Jesus… it really did get harder every hour. It was hard to believe that this was still the same day and it wasn’t even mid-day yet.
Fuck.
“What makes you think they’re terrorist?” I had to ask.
“They’re the only people who are big enough to take me on.”
“Why? Did you do something?”
“No.”
But he had something. Those prints in the hands of terrorists would screw us all to fucking kingdom come.
“Do you have something they want?” Again that was me pushing more than my foot through the door, just to see how far I could get.
