Run, Hide - By Carol Ericson Page 0,43
warm flush threatening to creep up his neck and suffuse his face. “You’ve come to the wrong place, and don’t try to hit up Kyle. He takes on more pro bono work than paying clients in that law practice of his.”
“The way I see it, you’re a virtual gold mine.”
“You’ve got the wrong Navy SEAL.” Cade held up his hands before taking a gulp of beer to put out the fire in his belly.
“Don’t hand me that bull. You’re not a Navy SEAL anymore.”
Cade clenched the handle of his mug, feeling as if he could break it clean off.
“And I know for a fact you’re married to a girl who’s rolling in dough. Oil money, right?”
Cade’s eye twitched. How had Kevin found out so much about him? Mom? “That’s my wife’s family. My wife has no money.”
“When the parents have wealth like that, it eventually trickles down to the kids.”
“My wife is estranged from her family. Even if she did have access to her parents’ money, what makes you think I’d hand it over to you?”
“Come on, Cade. You’re talking to an old grifter here.” He folded his hands around his mug looking almost pious. “I know all kinds of ways to make people part with their money.”
“This meeting is over.” Cade hunched into his jacket and yanked some bills from his pocket.
Kevin’s eyes narrowed to slits. “Get me some money, Cade.”
The man had lost his grip on reality. Cade crumpled the money in his fist and threw it in Kevin’s face. “Here’s your money. The only money you’ll ever see from me or my wife.”
Kevin plucked up the bills and flattened them on the table, running his thumb across the creases. When he looked up again, the customary smile had replaced the hard lines.
“Get me your wife’s money, Cade.” He took an almost delicate sip from his mug. “Or I’ll lead them straight to your son.”
Chapter Eleven
Cade slid his weapon from his inside pocket, swung it beneath the table and released the safety with a click. “Tell me what you told them right now or you’ll never be able to father another sorry SOB as long as you live.”
The lazy smile froze on Kevin’s lips. His faded blue eyes darted around the bar.
“Looking for support? Hoping to muster a defense from those fair-weather friends at the bar? Or maybe the waitress you disrespected will help out? Don’t you get it, Kevin? The people you charm and con aren’t real friends. You don’t have the depth or loyalty to have a real friend...or a family.”
Kevin wiped a trickle of sweat from his brow with the back of his hand and chugged the rest of his beer. “Just so you know, I didn’t contact them. They contacted me.”
“That’s not saying much, Kev. How would you know to contact them, anyway?” Cade rested the gun on his knee. “How did they get in touch with you, and what kind of offer did they make you?”
“They called me out of the blue last month. Said you had something they wanted, and they’d be willing to pay big bucks if I could get my hands on your kid and turn him over.”
Cade tightened his jaw. “You never talked to Mom before she died about me, my son or anything else, did you? You found out about my son from a bunch of international thugs.”
“That’s what I told them, boy.” He hunched forward, almost tipping over his empty mug. “I said I didn’t even know you had a son, so there was no way you were going to let me get anywhere near him.”
“Did they believe you?”
“I think so. They didn’t contact me again, although I think they followed me for a bit. I can tell when I’m being shadowed.”
“Maybe it was the FBI tailing you again.”
“Those boys got nothing on me.” Kevin winked. “So where’s my thanks? I told them to get lost.”
“Only because you spoke the truth. You knew I’d never let you within a hundred miles of my son.”
“We can do this together, Cade.”
The man couldn’t sink any lower in his estimation. “You really expect me to help you turn my son over to an arms dealer who has the worst intentions toward our country?”
Kevin tapped his head. “I’ve got it all figured out. If that rich bitch you’re married to won’t give you any dough, this can work out for you, too.”
Did he just call Jenna a rich bitch? He should shoot him now and be done with it.
“Let me take