“It’s a house—a really big house in Las Vegas. Looks like a fortress. Give me a sec to see who owns it.” More keyboard typing, and then Nina uttered a curse. “It…it belongs to my Uncle Konstantin. God, I haven’t seen him since I was a little girl. Is he the one—”
“Yeah.” The person who wanted Nina dead. She could only imagine how the poor woman felt. Awkward silence choked the air before Essie found the right words. “Considering the amount of press your death received, there’s no reason for your uncle to doubt their accuracy. Plus, with him living clear across the country, he might not come to verify it himself.”
“But if he ever does, or if he ever sends somebody…”
“It’s the risk we took with this approach. Unless you’d like to take preventive measures now that we know the identity of the contract holder.”
An edge crept into Nina’s voice. “You mean kill him.”
Potato, potahto. “I mean taking the necessary steps to eliminate the threat to you and your family.”
“I understand that. But I…this is…” Another pause, this one longer than the last. “He’s family.”
“Yes, and being family didn’t stop him from offering multiple hitmen five million dollars to murder you.” Yeah, that was harsh, but she needed to hear the cold, unvarnished truth. “If he finds out you’re alive, we’re back to square one, and next time you probably won’t have the luxury of an advance warning.”
Nina blew out an audible breath. “Can I have some time to think about it?”
“Of course. You know how to find me.”
Finished with the call, Essie switched off her phone and tucked it into her bag. “Her uncle took out the contract.”
“Shit, that sucks.” Jackson slanted her a look as he slowed to a stop at the red light. “I was hoping it wouldn’t be family.”
“Things would be a lot easier if it wasn’t. She’s not sure she wants Uncle Konstantin eliminated.”
“I wish I could say that surprised me. In spite of her upbringing, she’s a gentle soul. It’s going to be hard for her to pull the trigger, especially when it’s blood.”
The light turned green, and Jackson drove through the intersection. A few more miles, and they’d be home. It struck her then, with a bit of a shock, how quickly she’d come to view the house as her home, bullet holes and all. Honestly, it didn’t matter where she lived, as long as she was with Jackson. Everything else was details.
“She’ll come around,” Essie said. “Not to save her own skin; she’ll do it to protect Austin and the rest of the Flints. They’re her real family now.”
Jackson nodded in agreement. He hooked a left onto the quiet country road that led to the house. “So when do you go back to work?”
“Funny you should mention that,” Essie said. “Austin offered me a job. He seems to think my skill set would be a good fit for Six Points’ new corporate counterintelligence unit.”
“Is that so?”
It was all she could do not to roll her eyes. “Don’t act like this is news to you. You’re not nearly the actor Austin is.”
A slow smile spread over his face. “Busted. Austin mentioned it the other day. He wanted to make sure there wouldn’t be any problems with us working under the same roof. Are you going to take it?”
“It’s tempting, but no,” she said with a shake of her head. “Good pay, solid benefits. I could set my own hours. But as much as I love working with you, I need my own space. No offense.”
“None taken. Does that mean you’re going back to your job?”
“No. I’ve decided to go in a different direction.”
When she didn’t elaborate, Jackson said, “Okay, I’ll bite. What direction are you planning to take?”
Essie shifted in her seat. “You remember that guy from the country bar and the Cuban restaurant, right?”
Irritation narrowed his eyes. “How could I forget that greasy little peckerneck? What about him?”
“Far too many women have assholes like that in their lives. It felt good to help his wife break free of him. I want to do more of that kind of work.” It wouldn’t pay as well as corporate America—at least not in the beginning—but acting as a white knight against injustice would be infinitely more satisfying than guarding the secrets to healthy hair.
“Legally?” Jackson asked.
She shrugged. “Whenever possible. I still need to iron out the details, but I believe I can make it work. What do you think?”
