“I hear you, baby. Done.” Jason waited until Bartosz and Dmytro shifted their attention elsewhere before bringing Ajax a half tumbler of vodka. Ajax discreetly slipped it into his drink.
He drank the sweet, boozy slush gratefully. The only problem was dripping alcohol on his busted lip. The third time he dabbed at it gingerly with his napkin, Jason said, “Look at you, pretty boy. You got banged up good. Let me get you some ice in a paper towel.”
When he came back with that, Ajax held it to his lip.
Jason asked, “Are you okay? You got anything you want to tell me?”
A little buzzed and unsure what he meant, Ajax nodded and lifted the ice pack to say, “This smoothie is very delicious. Thank you.”
“I don’t want your gratitude.” Jason rolled his eyes. “Are you okay hanging around muscle like that? They hurt you? You got a choice? Or are they—”
“No—yes… They’re not—” Ajax’s fresh grin hurt. “Ow.My parents hired them. It’s fine. They’re my security detail.”
Jason nodded, but he didn’t look reassured. He leaned against the counter, arms folded. “They any good? ’Cause I gotta wonder, what’s with them bringing you here and getting the place all shot up.”
“I’m sorry about that. No. They’re the good guys. This time the bad guys won a round, I guess.”
Ajax couldn’t imagine how he’d make it up to the owners. Oh, he’d be the first to admit he’d done some stuff his parents had to throw money at. He’d had some fender benders and was responsible for a memorable homemade slip-and-slide in the corridor of his dorm. Now he earned his keep, and he paid his own way. He’d made good money doing the Freedom gig, and he’d spent very little of it. But someone’s restaurant had to close because of him. Someone had beenhurtbecause of him.
“Give me your phone.” Unblinking, Jason held his phone out, and Ajax typed his lawyer’s phone number into it. “Can you tell the owner to call this number? That’s my—that’s the number he should call to talk about reparations for all of this. Tell them when this is all over, I’ll make up for the business they lost because of me.”
If he made amends, he could disappear aboard the Iphicles boat and lie low.
Jason took his phone and squinted at it. “Owner’s name is Chance, and I’ll give this to him, but I’m sure his insurance will cover it. I’m just glad you’re okay. I came here from LA to get away from drive-by shootings.”
“I’m sorry.” Ajax felt like the first rat off a ship carrying plague. “It won’t happen again. Get in touch. Seriously.”
“You okay, Ajax?” By the time Dmytro stopped by with another Iphicles operative to talk to him, Ajax was a little looped.
“I’m okay.”
“Do you remember Peter?” Dmytro put his hand on the man’s shoulder. “You met him that first night at your place. He took point on setting up the decoy, and now he’ll help us rig the trap.”
“I do. Pleasure.” Ajax held out his hand. They shook.
In daylight, Peter’s wide brown eyes were remarkably intense. He wore his hair cut in a fade with a deep side part. Unlike the rest of his men, he wore a casual but business-friendly plaid shirt, loose-fitting, slouchy blue jeans, and hiking boots. He had gauges. Along with a thick, luxurious beard, he epitomized the modern male.
Were the men from Iphicles hiredbecausethey were hot?
Ajax asked, “Can I go home now?”
“Which home?” Peter winced. “Because your dad’s in Geneva at an oncology conference, and your mother’s in Luxembourg on business.”
Ajax sighed. “Back to the motel, I mean. Or back to LA.”
“No.”
Ajax’s heart dropped. “Please?”
“Nope. Your uncle Zhenya wants you on that boat,” Peter said sternly. “From now on we’ll be moving you constantly. Let me just iron out a few details, and we’ll make it happen. Bartosz says you like the coast, eh?”
“The coast,” he admitted, “not the water.”
“The boat’s not a safe house per se, but Iphicles will be watching from land, sea, and air. Until we find out more about the most recent emails—”
“What emails?” Ajax asked. “I’m on enforced digital detox.”
“He doesn’t know?” Peter glanced to Dmytro, who shrugged. “You know we cloned your phone before we took it away from you. Whatever threatening messages you’ve received since we came on board are part of a database we’re using to find the assholes who are sending them.”
