Page 77 of Stone Coast

“You’re telling me Mr. X paid my bail?”

“And my fee, which isn’t cheap.”

“What’s the catch?”

“No catch.”

“Nobody’s that generous. Money always comes with strings.”

“Think of it as a gift. He feels bad about the other night.”

I regarded him with suspicion.

“Of course, you do have a choice to make.”

“What choice is that?” I asked, knowing the answer.

“You can walk away, keep the bail as a gift, and handle your affairs from here.”

“Or?”

“You can join the organization, enjoy the best legal defense money can buy, and help take bad guys off the street.”

My eyes narrowed at him. “Why is X so interested in me?”

“X has an eye for talent. He knows a good thing when he sees it.”

I continued to survey him. “What’s your angle in this? Just a hired gun?”

Prescott smiled. “I believe in the mission.” After a thoughtful pause, he said. “My wife was murdered two years ago. They broke into our home, they…” his throat tightened, and he had to stop as the emotions swelled. “Well, I don’t need to go into the details. They took a few pieces of jewelry and some cash. Nothing worth a life.”

He bottled it all up and shoved it down. Prescott’s face turned to the window. He didn’t want to show his pain.

“I’m sorry.”

“Cops never caught the perps. I met X, and he told me about the organization. He promised he would do everything in his power to bring the perpetrators to justice.” Prescott looked back at me and smiled. “I was sold.”

“And you’re hoping I’ll be sold?”

“Xzavier thinks you’d be a good addition to the team.”

“Xzavier?”

Prescott realized he’d let the name slip. “You have two options. Go about your life on your current trajectory, or do something that makes a real difference. And in the process, get assistance from powerful people and have your legal defense completely covered. It’s totally up to you, but you need to make a decision. Do I take you back to your marina and drop you off? Or do I take you to meet the rest of the team?”

38

At this point, I was between a rock and a hard place. Xzavier had bailed my ass out of jail, which I was eternally grateful for. But I didn’t like owing anybody anything. A lot of thoughts swirled through my mind. I wasn’t ready to commit to anything, but I was willing to listen to his pitch. At the time, it didn’t feel like the wrong thing to do. What could it hurt?

We drove to an abandoned building in the warehouse district. It was the same place that I had been taken to the other night. The driver had hauled ass, making twists and turns, doubling back around to make sure we weren’t followed.

Florida sunlight cascaded through the broken windows. This time, none of the team members wore masks. They all revealed their faces. It showed a high degree of trust, but it was also dangerous. I knew their identities. That made me a liability. Again.

A dapper man in his mid-40s approached with a brimming smile. He had wavy silver hair, sculpted features, and a strong jaw. His narrow blue eyes were like lasers. He was impeccably dressed, wearing a Di Fiore suit, waistcoat, tie, and matching pocket square. His shoes were expensive. He looked fashionable and dignified. He extended his hand, and we shook. “I’m Xzavier. I’m so glad you decided to come.”

“I haven’t committed to anything yet,” I said.

“Certainly. Take your time. Get to know everyone, but I don’t play games. I’ll need an answer by the end of the day.”