Lie or Die: A Shelby Nichols Adventure Read Online Free PDF Page A

There’s also the matter of Kate and Hodges. I just found out yesterday that Hodges is dead, and Kate has disappeared. I’ve sent Ramos to Seattle to find out what he can, and hopefully find the money they stole. In the meantime, I’ve hired Doug Carter to help with security.”
    Marc was thinking that if things were a little dicey, right now might not be the best time to hire someone new. I thought he had a good point. I glanced at Uncle Joey and inhaled to speak, but he narrowed his eyes at me with a warning in his head to keep my mouth shut. It stopped me cold.
    “Doug came highly recommended by someone who owes me, and I feel confident in his abilities.” Uncle Joey stopped, realizing he was explaining himself. He never explained himself. He was the boss. He knew how to take care of business, and his men trusted him to do that. Didn’t they? Were they always questioning him in their minds? Or was it just me? That sort of thinking had to stop. He didn’t get where he was by making mistakes. He had friends in places most people didn’t even know about. That was what made him the man he was today. He deserved their respect, not a bunch of questions.
    Oh-oh. This was bad. Ricky and Marc straightened in their chairs. They could tell Uncle Joey was upset, but none of them knew what to say. Vic picked up on the tension and glanced at Uncle Joey nervously, then looked at me, thinking that whatever was going on, it was probably my fault.
    I inhaled sharply. Why was he blaming me? Of course, thinking about it objectively, it probably was my fault. Uncle Joey confirmed it when he spoke his next words. “I need to speak with Shelby for a moment.” He stood and left the room with the command, come with me, echoing in his thoughts.
    With great reluctance, I followed him to his office. Now what? Why was he so touchy anyway? I was only doing my job. Still, my stomach clenched with apprehension.
    He opened the door, allowing me to enter before him, and closed it tight. Taking his seat behind his desk, he waited for me to sit down, his fingers tapping on the desktop. “I think we need to set some things straight,” he began. “First of all, you are not to speak during our meetings. I don’t want your opinion, or that of my people, until after the meeting is over when we can talk privately. Is that clear?”
    “Sure,” I said. I thought about explaining myself, but decided against it. Uncle Joey did not want to hear it. He was angry, but lucky for me, not all of his anger was directed my way. There were other things he was worried about, and it didn’t take much to set him off.
    He took a deep breath, and got his anger under control. “Good. There are many things about my organization that you don’t know, and I think it would be better for you if we kept it that way.” His point made, he switched back to the matter at hand. “Now…I take it the only objection they had was about Nick’s father?”
    “Yes,” I quickly agreed. “They seemed fine with everything else.”
    “Good,” he said. He was thinking that maybe my abilities would be of better use to him in other ways than these meetings, where I wouldn’t hear something that could make me more of a liability than an asset. We had an agreement, but he knew I worked with the police, and he wouldn’t put it past me to stab him in the back if I got a chance.
    Surprise ran over me. Why was he letting me hear all this? He knew I was listening.
    “Would you do it, Shelby?” he asked.
    “Stab you in the back?” I blurted, caught off guard. “No…I wouldn’t do that. We have an agreement.” I hoped that was the right thing to say. Sometimes it was better to lie, especially when the alternative could be death.
    “I’m glad to know that. Just keep in mind that while you work for me, you are under my protection, which for you seems to be a good thing.” Uncle Joey was thinking that although Ramos had saved my life, it was because of him that he’d done it.