Page 117 of Almost Beautiful (Beautiful 3)

“Yeah, he will,” Marks said. “Kostas will help with your cover at home as well as serve as an extra eye on Abby while you’re in Vegas.”

I turned to look at Kostas, and then my brother. “You’re assigning this Greek God-looking dude to my wife? You’re out of your fucking mind.” I glanced back at him.

“Well, he is Greek,” Taber said with a wry smile.

“And Macedonian,” Kostas added.

“Fuck no.” I perched my elbow on the arm of the chair, touched my fingers to my lips and shook my head.

Thomas leaned forward. “You keep thinking you have a choice. This is already in motion, Travis. We’re briefing you, not asking your permission.”

I breathed out of my nose, trying to keep my cool.

“Kostas has experience as a trainer. Taber and Marks are going to take you downstairs and will direct you on surveillance, gun safety, and intel gathering.”

“Real spy shit,” Taber said, raising her eyebrows.

“How can I act as Benny’s security and go to school and work and see my wife?” I asked, exasperated.

Thomas frowned. “Benny said before he’d work around your schedule if you fought for him, right?”

“Yeah, but … how did you know that?”

Thomas ignored my question. “Make him work around it. Everything will be the same as you thought it was going to be when you were considering working for him before. Kostas is going to keep sending you toconventions,” he said, using his fingers for quotes, “when you get extra time. Probably two weekends a month during school, more during breaks, and in the summer. You only have four semesters left before graduation. We’ll all band together to make this work for you. We’re not going to give you more than you can handle, or so much that Abby will begin to get suspicious.”

“She’s already suspicious! She’s not stupid, Tommy!”

Liis held up her hand again. “We’ll set her mind at ease, just like we did for this trip. It will all check out.”

“So when do I go to Benny?” I asked, defeated.

“Tomorrow,” Marks said.

“Tomorrow?” I stood and began pacing. Everything was happening too fast.

They’d obviously been planning this for a while, but it was my first day and it was all being dumped on me. I wasn’t sure Abby would believe me. What if she asked questions I couldn’t answer? I’d have to keep lying and there was no end in sight. If she ever found out, would she forgive me? Would I forgive me?

I was glad I wasn’t going to jail, but I was surrounded by suits, aMen’s Fitnessmodel was going to babysit my wife every time I was out of town, and I didn’t have a say in any of it.

On top of everything else, Thomas didn’t seem bothered by my situation. He was my damn brother and he was sitting there, smug, and I wanted to choke him with his stupid tie.

Kostas watched me, amused.

“Quit smiling at me, you prick,” I said. I stopped pacing and pointed at him. “And if you look at my wife too long, I’ll gouge out those pretty blue eyes with a fucking fork.”

“Travis,” Thomas warned.

“Why a fork?” Taber asked.

“Listen,” Thomas began.

“Why not a pencil, or a knife, or …” she continued.

“Damn it, Taber,” Thomas boomed.

“Sorry, sir,” she said, righting her posture and clasping her fingers in front of her.

“We’re a team,” Liis said. “And if we all work together, Travis is safe, Abby is safe, and we nail these assholes. Then, Travis, you go back to your life, back to your wife, and we get the warm and fuzzy ending for which we’ve all worked so hard. I know it’s a lot to take in, but you’ve been around Benny. It will all be organic, believable, and most importantly, safe. Or, as safe as one can be in the company of bloodthirsty criminals.”