Billionaire Misery by Lexy Timms Page A

already?
    Blake Wilkes.
    Damn him.
    The man had become impossible to catch. The agencies after him had been after him for nearly two decades, and they had never even gotten close. Katie was clueless to all of it. Jessie knew that because the FBI had sent in a guy, and he had actually enrolled in her college and dated her for a whole year.
    And had gotten nothing. Katie was not naïve, but when it came to her father and his business, she had been wholly unaware, and that was a testament to just how well Blake Wilkes hid his real business.
    The man was a genius at delegating then killing those who had carried out the bloodiest of tasks. He kept everyone in the dark, and never let his right hand know what the left was up to. He kept his legitimate business contacts either completely separated from his illegal ones, or he did what he had done tonight. He invited political figures from drug-addled countries whose men he did massive amounts of business with, and then introduced them as politicians or foreign businessmen to people who would rather not know anyway.
    Jessie needed to think tonight. She didn’t have back-up, at least in the police kind of way. She had her gun tucked into her dress. Craig had a gun too, and so did Morgan. Katie carried a short, very sharp knife. When Jessie had asked if she wanted a gun, Katie had retorted that if they all got tied up they’d need a knife to cut themselves free.
    That had amused Jessie, but it had made her think too. There were Wilkes’ bodyguards to consider, and a vast murderous group of men he employed that seemed to change daily. Her worry and eagerness left her jumpy and tense. Craig’s presence made her even jumpier.
    Usually when she went into a situation, she was the only one she had to worry about. If she lost her life, she had no one waiting at home to wonder if she was okay. Now she had not just herself to consider, but Craig—and Morgan and Katie too. This was not something she wanted. Katie was the one who would likely be least capable of handling herself.
    Or not. She’d heard from Nate how Katie had started shooting, and hit everything she aimed at, during that rowdy little throw-down at the bar, one she’d missed because she’d been sent out to ride a small amount of weed to a street-level hustler; something she knew was makeshift work to keep her busy while they went to the bar.
    So maybe Katie could take care of herself, and Morgan would also help with her. He wouldn’t leave her side no matter what.
    What if something happened to Craig, though?
    She wanted to protect him, and she knew that she was foolish for that. Craig was more than used to taking care of himself. But if things got sticky, and guns started going off, she had to make sure to keep her mind focused on what was important.
    Craig.
    No, damn it!
    Wilkes and the evidence.
    They pulled in to the long driveway. A valet moved to take the keys, but Katie stuck her head toward the driver’s window, and said in a firm voice, “Excuse me. I’m Katie Wilkes. I’m going to have my escort pull in to the family side of the drive.”
    The valet nodded and said, “Oh, yes, but of course, Ms. Wilkes,” and backed away.
    They pulled in to the drive, a small and empty spot that Jessie was relieved to see was clear. The valets weren’t parking other cars near the ones the family used, which meant if they had to go quickly they could.
    So far, so good.
    They got out and headed for the steps that led up to the house. Jessie shivered again from the cool night air and Craig slipped his jacket off. “Here, put this on.”
    She slipped her arms through without arguing. His warmth and scent filled her nostrils, and she hesitated for a moment. Straightening, she let him slip her arm around her.
    Craig cleared his throat. “Wilke’s office, ASAP.”
    Katie nodded and waved at people, and Jessie managed to do the same. She knew they all looked the part. Her mouth went dry as they swept into the massive house. It