Blaze (The Stark Affair Book 3) Read Free

say.
    “Two
years.”
    “Why
didn’t you say something before?”
    “Because
I didn’t need to. Now I do. Lately I’ve been getting the feeling that you’re a
danger to me. That’s the real reason I want to bring you more into the
day-to-day operation. I don’t want to have to insist, but if I must then I
must.”
    I
get another ugly mental picture of Jasper with underage girls.
    “Forget
it,” I say, gritting my teeth.
    “Oh
Colton, don’t play it this way. I’d hate for your little program to get in the
hands of the FBI. It’s a Federal crime, you know. Plus, I don’t think orange is
your color.”
    I tap
my fingers together.
    “You’re
funny, Jasper. Real funny. Okay, so you found one of my algorithms. Did you find the other?”
    Jasper
remains stone-faced as he lets me talk.
    “Ha!”
I say. “I can tell by your eyes you haven’t. The other is more recent and written
in a completely different code. In fact, it’s a self-executing program on a USB
flash drive.”
    Jasper’s
jaw sinks a little as his expression grows more concerned.
    “Once
the flash drive is plugged in it activates a program that sends information to
computers all over the world. What info, you ask? Oh, Jasper you’re going to
like this... this one has it all. Every transaction of Stark
Worldwide. Going back to 2001. That’s thirteen years, Jasper. Every deal, every transaction. The real ones. Not the ones that are
on the official books. Suffice it to say there’s enough to put you in your own
orange jumpsuit. If anything happens to me, the program activates. Poof. Just
like that. So you’d better protect me. Because if I go, you go.”
    Jasper
folds his hands, examining my face for a trace of bluff. His squared jaw
confirms to me that he believes me.
    “Clever,”
he says. “You’re far more clever than I thought, Colton. But one thing
perplexes me. If you have this evidence on this hidden USB flash drive, why
haven’t you used it as a bargaining chip to get your 49%?”
    “Because
I actually have other passions.”
    Jasper
stares at me for a while longer, then gets up. He
buttons his blazer and heads toward the door.
    “Nice
stalemate,” he says. “You’re much more clever than I thought. Much more. But I
have my people, Colton. I’m going to have them find your evidence. And once
they do, I can’t say in what ditch your Bentley will end up. And how many
pieces of you will be feeding the alligators.”
    He
walks toward the door. I stand up.
    “You
know, Jasper, you really should stop watching Miami Vice reruns and read some Elmore Leonard instead. Your bad
guy speech needs more panache. You’re like a walking talking cliché.”
    He
walks out. Hector glowers at me as he walks backwards out the door and slams it
shut.
    I
walk over to the window and look out at the water.
    I
picture the hidden USB flash drive in the rusted-out shack in Key Largo. The Go-Fast boat waiting for me with its fake passport,
credentials, and credit cards.
    All
ready to go.
    The
Talon Group is all taken care of. Their funds are in a safe bank account that
only Eduardo can access. They’ll do fine without me. The plan is in motion.
    All
I have to do is get in my car right now, drive two hours, plug it in, and zip
away across the waves to Cuba. I could be sipping a mojito with my completely new identity in Havana by dinnertime, a bouncy Cuban girl on
my lap.
    Easy.
    So
why don’t I just go?
    Right
now.
    Why
don’t I just go?
    I
get a flash of those eyes staring up at me as I fuck her.
    They
stare into me.
    Through
me.
    They
know me.
    I’ve
never seen eyes like those.
    I
was in love once. She broke my heart. I swore I would never let it happen to me
again.
    And
it’s ridiculous to even think that it is. I just met this girl four days ago.
Only spent less than two hours total with her so far.
    But
those may be my favorite two hours. Ever.
    I
can’t go yet.
    I
can’t believe I’m saying this, but...
    I
may have found the only person who