from me. We’re meant to be. Sure, she needs a firm hand but what woman doesn’t?
But the moment between Sloane and Vance is over quickly and he spurs into action. “Ok, I think we need to take a look at VDB’s study. We need to understand what’s making him work with Kronin. And if he’s selling Schiller’s corporation, we need to find his books. Not the doctored ones the FBI seized during the investigation that saw Royce’s dad convicted. His real books, the ones that must keep a ledger of all the money he embezzled.”
Sloane intervenes. “Yes, that should be our priority. It would be enough to put VDB behind bars, right? And it hopefully would exonerate Royce’s dad.” Vance nods at the interruption but I shake my head. That insolent little bitch! She’s gotten some real bad habits while she was away from me. She’ll really need to learn her place, I think adding another thing to the list of all the shit those assholes will have to pay for. Sloane knew better than to interrupt when a man was speaking. But those two are hanging on every word she said as if she were so fucking smart. Losers, women are there to please us and need to be controlled. Nothing good comes out of allowing them freedom.
Vance considers Sloane’s words and nods. “Sure, it is a priority but remember that my bosses want Kronin. The deal is that we get both him and VDB. I hate to have you spend any time with that weirdo, baby, but the latest report that I received is that what the Russian is selling isn’t the weapons themselves. Those somehow have already been smuggled into enemy territory. But for those weapons to be used, they need activation codes and that’s what Kronin has. We need to find out where he keeps them and when they are going to be passed onto their buyers. But right now, we’re here, so let’s look at VDB. I’ll look at his desktop in his study and any other electronic devices he might have there. Can you look in his filing cabinets and anywhere in the room that looks important?”
Little bitch nods and the bastard that used to have the man bun, the one with all the tattoos, asks what he should do.
“Rivs, you’ll be our lookout. We should have some time before VDB is able to leave that bathroom downstairs but just in case he or Alicia are here, you need to stall them and text me.”
So Vance sits at VDB’s desk and starts typing on the computer’s keyboard, while Sloane begins rifling through a filing cabinet. I’m sure that computer must be password protected but I heard rumors about Vance’s hacking skills. Apparently the guy was going to law school but he minored in computer science, this is why he scaled the ranks so quickly after he left the military. Several minutes pass and River is sitting on the couch in the living room when a pale VDB stumbles into the room, supported by his fiancée.
They both freeze when they see the intruder but VDB seems too sick to even care and runs into his bedroom, probably directly to the toilet. Alicia Barrington seems surprised to see the tattooed scumbag and when she asks what he’s doing there, the man apologizes to her.
“I came here to say sorry for the whole ‘Stifler’s mom’ incident.”
Alicia smiles. “It’s ok, River. I can’t say that I’m not disappointed but you could’ve told me that you batted for the other team, you know?”
I can see River’s fingers frantically moving on his phone screen as he pretends to check a text. “Uhm, I haven’t exactly told my family yet, so I would appreciate it if you could avoid outing me.”
I lose interest in the conversation happening in the living room and focus on the study, where Vance looks at his phone and lets out a string of curses. Ah, Sloane, how low you have stooped. These guys lack the class that you deserve. Even the brothers are so nouveau riche, that it’s almost embarrassing.
“Baby, we need to leave now! VDB and Alicia are back.”
I smirk when I see him realize that there are only two ways out of that study: either through the door they just came in from—and that would totally get them caught by Alicia—or the balcony.
Vance might be an annoying pain in my ass but he isn’t stupid, so he parts the curtains and then slides open