She couldn’t blame him. Wyatt’s mother was about as nurturing as an angry python, particularly when a blustering, messy child set about placing their sticky fingers on her priceless furnishings.
Wyatt snapped to attention and offered his hand as though he’d just realized Trevor even existed. “Good to meet you again. Travis, wasn’t it?”
Trevor moved only enough to grip Wyatt’s hand. His grin said he knew damned well what Wyatt’s game was and wasn’t the least bit put off by the slight. If anything, it was Wyatt who flinched from what she imagined was Trevor’s unyielding grip. “Trevor.”
“Ah, right,” Wyatt said. “Sorry. I get so many names coming through the office, I have a hard time keeping them straight.”
Which was another load of crap. Wyatt Jordan never forgot a name, especially when he thought the connection might glean something for him in the long run.
Natalie motioned to the trees behind them. “I don’t mean to be rude, but we promised to help Trevor pick out a tree and we don’t have a lot of time if we want to get it unloaded and decorated before Levi’s bedtime.” Okay, maybe the part about being in a hurry was pushing it, but the tiny fib was worth it to see the irritation flash across Wyatt’s face.
“Oh, absolutely. Yes.” He cast a doting smile down on Levi then nodded at her and Trevor. “I didn’t mean to intrude. I was just surprised to see you here and didn’t want to leave without saying hello.”
Right. More like snatching a chance to interfere in her life while he had the chance. Some things never changed. She nudged Levi’s shoulder. “Why don’t you give your dad a hug, kiddo, and we’ll get back to finding the right tree.”
Levi jerked an uncomfortable-looking nod and made quick work of the request, being as nice to his dad as he could while obviously impatient to get back to his tree selection.
As Wyatt strolled to the weathered shack on the side of the lot, where wreaths hung on hooks along the outside wall, Trevor steered them back to the taller trees. He leaned in close enough Levi couldn’t hear his voice. “You really think him showing here’s a coincidence?”
Natalie slowed her steps and pulled away enough she could gauge Trevor’s expression. Not one hint of humor or sarcasm marked his face. “What else could it be?”
Ahead of them, Levi wound between the trees, studying each one carefully before he moved on to the next.
“He ever visit a live tree lot when you were married?”
She frowned. “No, not that I know of.”
“His mom ever have real wreaths when you visited?”
Beneath her feet, the thick mulch that covered the lot was damp but still crisp from setting up for the holiday season. Wyatt’s mother never had a living anything in her house, and any shrubs or flowers outside were maintained by a service company. Dirt and disorder sent the woman into outer orbit. “I don’t remember any.” She snapped her gaze back to Trevor’s. “You think he’s following us?”
Trevor shook his head and chin lifted toward Levi, who’d paused in front of a nine-foot tree in the back row. “He doesn’t have to. That phone’s got location services on it and I’d be willing to bet it’s active.”
“He wouldn’t.” She swallowed and glanced back at the shack.
Wyatt strode toward his car with two smaller-sized wreaths looped over one arm. Small wreaths. Not something fitting for the grand entrance of his mother’s estate, and definitely not something he’d put in his pristine car if he didn’t have to.
“On second thought,” she said, “he absolutely would.” She checked to make sure Levi wasn’t listening and lowered her voice. “So what do I do?”
His gaze roamed her face, the intensity behind his eyes snapping with a protective glint. “Nothing for you to do. You’ve got nothing to hide.” He cupped the side of her neck and his lips lifted in a devious grin. “That said, I’m not too fond of his surprise visits jackin’ with your head. You got any problem with me teaching you how to deactivate the locator in the phone?”
“You can do that?”
“Just a flip of a switch and he won’t have a clue where to find you, not unless he’s got serious connections with the government.”
Hard to tell with Wyatt. He collected favors with influential people the way young girls fan-girled over teenage heartthrobs, but most of the people he rubbed shoulders with were politicians and businessmen. “So we’d just disappear?”
“Yep.”
Which, if he were really trying to track them would totally piss Wyatt off. Her cheeks strained on a huge smile. “I’m totally in. Show me how it works.”
Chapter Eighteen
Over two weeks Trevor had waited for this moment. Nineteen days biding his time while Knox, Beckett, and his friend Gia worked their magic and prepped for today’s setup. He’d been more than willing to cast his vote when Wyatt had dared to dig into his life, but the second he’d dragged an innocent boy and Natalie into his games, Wyatt had sealed his fate. Whether the plans Trevor had made with the brotherhood to take him out via the drug sting panned out or not, Wyatt Jordan was fucked.
Arms crossed against his chest and boots planted shoulder-width apart, Trevor glared at the row of uneventful video feeds they’d hacked via Wyatt’s security company as if that might somehow hurry along the action. Knox was kicked back behind his desk with three different keyboards laid out in an arc in front of him and his combat boot-shod feet propped up on the ledge. Axel, Jace, and Danny were sprawled on the sofa and oversized club chairs on one side of the room, and Beckett was camped out in the good doctor’s parking lot with a live eye on the scene in case anything went south. Zeke hadn’t been able to shake his trauma shift, but he’d texted for updates almost as much as a teenage girl.
Trevor uncoiled his arms and braced his hands on the back of the empty chair in front of him. The only sounds that registered through the high-end speakers mounted in each corner of the room were the subtle pings and the chatter of background office noise. “What the hell’s takin’ them so long?”
Knox waggled a pen between his fingers. “Patience, brother. It’s a doctor’s office. You’re used to rapid access with Zeke, but the old-fashioned wait-your-turn bullshit takes forever.”
Forever as in thirty minutes past Gia’s scheduled appointment time. His phone vibrated in his back pocket, no doubt another request for an update from Zeke. As strung out as Trevor was from waiting, he’d be smart to ignore it, but then Zeke would just think something had gone wrong. He tugged it out, let the fingerprint reader do its thing, and punched the text app.
Instead of Zeke, a message came in from his secretary.
Can you swing an overseas trip the day after you’re back from Tahoe? Just had a booking request from Quinn Dixon for a four-passenger trip to London. They mentioned something about a Broadway Tickets holiday package?
Trevor grinned and met Jace’s stare across the room. “Your woman scored the booking.” And not just any booking either. As influential people went, you couldn’t get much better than Dallas’s former mayor, Quinn Dixon, but paired with the Chief of Police, Randy Trammel, and both of their wives, he’d have some serious character witnesses at his back if things went bad. “Looks like they fell for the holiday promotion package, too.”
Danny lifted his head off the back of the chair. “What holiday package?”
Jace smirked and gave his toothpick a twirl. “Viv caught wind that Dixon and his buddies were planning a quick run to London for Christmas shopping, so she mentioned how Trevor’s company was offering a free layover in New York City complete with Broadway tickets to all overseas customers booked and chartered in the month of December.”
“Niiice,” Knox said. “They get a free show and a night on the town while Trev unloads his product.”
“The lass is a fucking genius.” Axel slid his gaze to Jace. “You’
re a bloody lucky bastard.”
Trevor tapped out a response.
Book it. I’m flying. Jerry’s copilot. The tickets are a perk. Ask Dixon what show his crew wants to see and pass it on to me. Book two suites at The Plaza for layover night.
He hit send, tucked the device back into his pocket, and nudged Knox’s shoulder. “Hope your fancy hacks can work a few wonders on Broadway. I got a feeling scoring the kind of tickets Quinn Dixon will want won’t be easy.”
“If he can’t, I can.” Axel kicked his feet up on the coffee table and laced his hands behind his head. “I may not have nimble fingers that get me in all the cyber nooks and crannies of the world, but I know a pretty little lass I can call in New York.”
Jace chuckled. “Worked your nimble fingers on her, did you?”
“My fingers, my cock, and a good number of toys.” He smirked. “No Scot worth his salt leaves a lass anything but happy and sated.”
The sound of a door opening pinged through the speakers followed by a woman’s distracted voice. “Mrs. Jones?”
Knox dropped his feet and sat up straight. “That’s us.”
Sure enough, Beckett’s petite friend stood, hooked her purse over one shoulder and sashayed toward the woman in pink scrubs standing in the open doorway.
Axel, who’d missed Gia’s arrival at Wyatt’s office, sat up on the couch and twisted for a better look. “Christ, but she’s a looker.” He stood and paced closer, his eyes locked on her prominent curves. Her dark brown hair was loose and styled to compete with Dallas’s most elite women. “Tell me Beckett’s not sleepin’ with her.”
Knox shifted enough to give Axel a warning look. “I wouldn’t go there if I were you.”
Axel’s shoulders dropped. “Fuck, he’s already on it.”
“Not hardly.” Knox swiveled back to the screen. “More like treats her somewhere between his best friend and his little sister. You even think of doing the kinky shit you do with your women, Beckett will gut you with a plastic knife.”
Frowning, Axel pulled one hand from the pocket of his tailored slacks and ran his fingers along his bearded jaw. He cocked his head to one side just as Gia disappeared through the door. “It might be worth it.”
Danny and Jace snickered from their seats while Gia and the nurse shared idle chitchat about the weather and her weight on the way to the patient rooms.
“The DEA is getting this too?” Trevor said.
Knox nodded and punched some keys on the keyboard. “Gia leveraged her contacts. She’s got two bugs attached to her purse, one for us and one for them.”
The nurse guided Gia into a room and shut the door behind her, leaving them with only audio. Paper crinkled and something sounded against the industrial tile floor. Likely one of those rolling office chairs given how muted it was.
“So, what are we seeing you for today, Mrs. Jones?” the nurse said.
Gia’s voice was as smooth and tempting as her curves with a thick Georgia drawl. “I was rather hoping Dr. Jordan could help me with some stubborn wrinkles. I know loads of people who’ve had success with fillers, but my body seems immune. I’m just not ready to try surgery yet.”
The soft click of the keyboard registered before the nurse spoke. “I don’t blame you at all. And don’t worry, Dr. Jordan is known for his advanced techniques. I’m sure he’ll be able to find something to help you reach the results you’re after.”
The back and forth continued, the nurse reviewing Gia’s medical history and medication list and confirming insurance information. By the time the nurse finished up and left the room, they’d killed another ten minutes.
Knox put on his headset, pulled up a map with Beckett’s coordinates near Wyatt’s office, and punched a button on the keyboard. “Any movement from our Feds, Beck?”
Beckett’s voice squawked through the speakers. “Not a thing. Two agents in a silver Corolla in the next to the last row. One woman, one man, both too damned obvious if you ask me.”
The blue dot indicating Beckett’s location pulsed in a slow, hypnotic rhythm.
Trevor grinned, remembering how judicious and downright gleeful Natalie had been with Levi’s location settings the last week. “I tell you about Wyatt’s latest ploy?”
Knox spun enough to make eye contact with Trevor and raised an eyebrow.
“Fucker bought Levi a smartphone. Top-of-the-line.”
“Christ,” Axel said. “When I was seven, all I had was a stick and an old bike to play with.”
Jace chuckled and stretched one arm along the back of the couch. “We were also learning how to pick locks and could pocket just about anything out of a convenience store. With or without electronics, Natalie’s kid’s a saint compared to us.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t think Wyatt got it for him to play with,” Trevor said. “I think he got it to keep dibs on me and Natalie. He showed up at a live Christmas tree lot we were shopping at a little over a week ago with some bullshit line about picking up wreaths for his mom. Problem is, Wyatt’s never dabbled in Christmas decorations. If he had the sense God gave a goose, he wouldn’t have tipped his hand and shown at all.”
“Too big of a temptation,” Jace said. “A guy like Wyatt thinks he’s invincible and wants the world to know it.”
“You turn the services off on the phone?” Knox said to Trevor.
“Before we even left the lot. Taught Natalie how to set ’em, too.”
Knox nodded, started to spin back to his computers, but frowned and froze. “Levi got your number programmed in his phone?”
Trevor shook his head. “Not yet. I’d planned to until Wyatt showed up, but then thought better of it. Kind of sucks ’cause if he’s gonna have the damned phone, I’d like knowing there’s a way for Levi to reach me if he needs to.”
A fresh screen popped up on one of Knox’s monitors. “Not a problem,” Knox said. “We’ll get you a VoIP number and forward it to your mobile. Program the interim number into Levi’s phone and you’re set.”
“Hate to mention this, brother,” Axel said. “But if our goal’s to make sure Wyatt suspects there’s a new load of pharmaceuticals coming in, it might be wise to mention your trip over the pond to Levi the next time you see him. As much as Wyatt’s likely pumpin’ the lad for information, it’s bound to come out you’re takin’ a trip overseas.”
“No.” The second the sharp response came out, Trevor regretted it. Axel was one hell of a strategist and was likely right about the info getting back to Wyatt, but he’d be damned if he used Levi to make it happen. “Nat and Levi are in the middle of this because I caught that asshole’s notice. I’m not drawing them in any farther than they already are.”
Danny leaned forward and braced his elbows on his knees. “Wouldn’t matter if you drew his notice or not. So long as Doc Jordan is in their life, they’ll be wrestling one shit storm or another. Only difference this time is you’re the lightning rod instead of them. And don’t forget, if this works, they won’t ever have to deal with his shit again.”
The truth of Danny’s statement weighted the room, yet another powerful reminder of the biggest reason why Wyatt needed to go down.
As if on cue, the asshole in question strolled down the hall toward the room where Gia waited. He rapped twice on the door and eased the door open. “Mrs. Jones?”
The same high-level back and forth ensued. Medical history, why she was there and what issues she’d encountered in the past. From Botox to Juvéderm, Gia listed every injectable on the market along with a healthy dose of desperation.
“I just don’t understand it,” she said. “Lots of my friends have seen great results, but I’ve seen no difference at all.” She paused for a moment, the light crinkle of the paper liner covering the exam table filling the pregnant silence. When she spoke again her tone was lower, hushed and conspiratorial. �
�I hope it’s okay to share this, but a friend of mine told me she’d had problems like mine. She said you were able to help her.” Another hesitation. “She said you were able to access more advanced medicines. I was hoping you could help me, too.”
Wyatt cleared his throat. “Mrs. Jones, I pride myself on always providing the best care possible. Perhaps if you could provide me the name of the client who steered you my direction, I might have a better idea of the treatment you’re referring to.”
Knox sat up taller in his chair.
Trevor couldn’t blame him. He’d have been tense too if he’d been the one tasked with hacking into Wyatt’s medical records and siphoning out the most likely candidates who’d paid for Trevor’s bootleg products. It’d taken Knox the better part of a week to compare delivery dates, treatment types and price structures, but he’d finally zeroed in on a list of ten very high-paying women.
“Roxie Royce,” Gia nearly whispered.
Silence buzzed through the audio feed, and Knox waggled the pen balanced between his fingers double time.
Wyatt couldn’t quite hide the surprise behind his voice when he spoke. “How do you know Ms. Royce?”
Not too surprising of a question considering Roxie was the star entertainer at one of Dallas’s most popular gentlemen’s clubs. Thankfully, Roxie had been on the top ten list, and Jace had all kinds of naughty connections in the local entertainment biz. She’d been more than open to sharing her success with Dr. Jordan and his cutting-edge treatments.
“We were friends back in high school,” Gia said. “Our lives took different paths, but we still stay in touch. She told me you were the best.” She hesitated. “So will you help me?”
“Mrs. Jones,” Wyatt said. “I feel compelled to tell you that Ms. Royce’s treatment was very...aggressive. Those procedures come with risks I can’t guarantee, and your friend signed releases acknowledging that in advance.”
“I understand,” Gia said. “Whatever I need to do, I will. This is important to me...” Her voice quavered. “It’s important to my marriage. Whatever the cost or risk, it won’t be an issue.”
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