Love & Redemption Read Online Free Page B

him. I’m not changing my mind. I need that money.”
    “Fine.” Shelley crossed one leg over the other and raised the phone to her ear. “The little criminal says he doesn’t want your protection, and he’d like Paul to kill him in some tortuously awful way. We both know how sadistic S.A.T.O.’s fearless leader can be.”
    Gavin glared at her. “Give me the damn phone.”
    ***
    Gavin took a deep breath. Though he wanted to walk out and not look back, he realized no amount of money was worth his life. Shelley made it sound like he was some hardened criminal, but she really knew nothing about him.
    Except this one job, he hadn’t stolen anything since he was a street kid, stealing as a survival mechanism. After spending some time in juvenile hall, he cleaned up his act and had been a respectable member of the community for the last eleven years. Well, until Crystal ruined everything.
    He couldn’t deal with scary men with guns, especially not ones adept at torture.
    Grabbing his courage, he raised the phone. “What are you prepared to pay me for the diamonds?” It couldn’t hurt to try.
    The man on the other end laughed. “You want me to pay for stolen diamonds?”
    “It’s Nick, right?”
    “Yes.”
    “Well, Nick, I have a buyer paying me two million for these. What can you offer?”
    Nick laughed again. “How about I see how you handle yourself the next few days? I might have a position for someone with your skills on our anti-terror task force.”
    “Anti-terror?” Gavin glanced at Shelley, and a fleeting smile crossed her face before she looked away. “Who the hell are you people?”
    “Right now,” Nick answered, “we’re the people interested in you staying alive, which is more than I can say for your buyer. He’ll probably sell you out to Paul in a heartbeat.”
    Gavin bit his lip and sank onto the end of the bed. Unfortunately, Nick had a point. If these men were as ruthless as Shelley seemed to think, he was in trouble. He had no fighting skills to speak of. Street smarts, sure. Sneak into a window, climb a building, all while keeping a low profile—piece of cake. Outrun bullets...that could pose a problem.
    “If that isn’t reason enough for you,” Nick continued. “I could just have Shelley kick your ass, take the diamonds, and leave you there for Paul’s men to find.”
    Now it was Gavin’s turn to laugh. “What makes you think Shelley could kick my ass? She’s a refined, beautiful woman, and you don’t know anything about me.”
    “You can take down a karate black belt who’s also a champion shooter?” Nick asked. “By all means, keep your precious diamonds. You must not need our help.”
    “A black belt?” Gavin raised his eyebrows at Shelley.
    She waved her hand through the air. “You might be able to beat me. I had to go easier on my practices after my injury.”
    “Injury?”
    “Focus, Gavin,” Nick ordered. “My fiancée just finished making dinner, and I want off the phone. Don’t make this more difficult than it needs to be. Stay with Shelley for now. The two of you stick together and keep the diamonds safe.”
    The diamonds were his ticket to freedom, his chance to start over. He had no hope of finding a job because of what Crystal did. Unless... “If I do that, you’ll seriously consider giving me a job in your anti-terror thingy.”
    “Thingy? Great. We need a name for this group.”
    Shelley laughed. “Thingy? Really? You’re a dork, Gavin.”
    The criticism hurt more from Shelley than Nick. It seemed he couldn’t win with her. She was determined to see him as an idiot and a criminal. Maybe he was. Crystal certainly thought so...and played him for a fool.
    “I really will think about it,” Nick continued. “Oh, get rid of your cell phone. Shelley’s line is safe, but yours is compromised since you deal with criminals.”
    “I’m not John Dillinger or Pretty Boy Floyd,” Gavin protested, finally losing his patience. “Until two months ago, I