Faceless (Sinister Secrets Book 2), Candle Sutton [dar e dil novel online reading txt] 📗

Ever since Agent Lakes’ visit, all he could think about was getting to Tio’s warehouse and confronting him about Kevyn.

No doubt existed in his mind that Tio was responsible for whatever had happened to her.

So help him, if Tio had killed her, there was nothing that would stop him from going straight to the FBI. With what he knew, surely he could work out a deal to avoid prison.

For now though, he needed to make it to that warehouse without being seen.

A challenge, given that he was certain the FBI was watching the warehouse – and him – and would tail him wherever he went.

Following Agent Lakes’ visit, he’d begun preparing for this very moment.

The packed suitcase he always kept in his office finally came to good use. He layered a black t-shirt beneath the red striped one he’d worn from home that morning. Agent Lakes and his team would be watching for that red shirt. He hoped the black shirt would be nondescript enough to not catch their attention.

Next, he tucked a baseball cap into his back pocket and made sure his shirt covered it. If anyone looked closely enough, they’d probably see a small bulge, but there was nothing he could do about that.

He fell into step beside one of the guys and started chatting about baseball and who he thought would make it to the World Series.

It was mundane, but it needed to look mundane for whomever was watching.

The guys went to a fast food place about two blocks up the road.

As the guys got in line to order, Mitch slipped away to the restroom. Once there, he stripped off his red-striped shirt and tossed it into the garbage.

Pity. He’d really liked that shirt.

Fitting the cap over his head, he left the restroom and exited the restaurant through a side door.

The door opened onto a smaller side street where a string of cars parked in the sixty-minute parking zone.

Rather than heading back toward the docks, he headed the opposite direction until he reached an alley.

The FBI was surely watching the front. He hoped they hadn’t been watching the side also.

If so, it should be easy enough to spot a tail in the alley.

He followed the alley until he reached the next cross street, then glanced behind him.

No one was in the alley. Nor did anyone appear to be watching.

Still, he turned right, heading away from the docks.

Blending with the moderate foot-traffic, he walked to the end of the block, crossed the street at the light, and merged with the foot-traffic on the opposite side.

Still no sign of anyone following him.

He fell into step with a group of men he guessed to be dock workers and walked with them toward the dock.

No one seemed to be watching him.

They reached the dock. The men headed left, but he broke to the right.

He pulled out his phone and texted Tio. On my way. Not being followed. Be ready to let me in.

While it was possible Tio wouldn’t let him in, he doubted it. The longer he hung around outside, the greater the chance he’d be seen by the wrong people.

He strode down the drive like a man on a mission, his eyes always on the move.

Dozens of people bustled around the area, making it easy to blend in.

Any of these people could be FBI. He’d never know, not until it was too late. Yet he saw no sign that any of them had any interest in him or what he was doing.

His phone dinged.

Tio. Take last ramp down to the water. We’ll pick you up.

Okay. Going in by boat wasn’t exactly how he’d envisioned this, but it made sense.

Tio had taken great pains to make that warehouse look abandoned. If he walked right up to it and someone saw, it’d blow the whole thing.

Not that it mattered for much longer.

If Tio was clearing out tonight, they only had to stay under the radar for another day.

There was the boat ramp. He headed for it.

As he approached the base of the ramp, he heard the low rumble of a boat.

A cabin cruiser approached the dock. The driver, whom he couldn’t see clearly, pulled back on the throttle and eased up to the walkway.

As he drew closer, he recognized the man as one of Zane’s guys.

At least he knew it was the right boat.

He boarded.

The man reversed the throttle and turned the boat out to sea.

A fist knotted in his stomach. “Where’re we going?”

Maybe Tio was going to have this guy kill him and dump him in the ocean.

A month ago that would have seemed ludicrous. Now, he wasn’t so sure.

“Circling around. In case you were followed.” The man yelled over the noise of the engine.

That made sense.

He hoped.

The dock shrunk in the distance before the driver turned the boat back toward shore. Cutting a wide circle around the dock, he approached the warehouse from the opposite side.

The boat pulled inside. A door rolled down behind them.

The silence deafened as the engine noise died.

Florescent lights cast the area in an eerie hue. He stepped out onto the walkway surrounding the boat area. Solid walls and a steel door prevented him from seeing inside.

He climbed the short stairway to the steel door, which opened as he approached.

Tio stood inside the door, eyebrows pressing over his narrowed eyes. “What’s so urgent that you had to come now?”

“Where is she?” Mitch’s hands fisted.

“Who?”

Like he didn’t know! Mitch didn’t even try to temper his response. “My daughter! I know you did something to her and I want to know what. Now!”

Tio took a small step back and held up his hands in a pacifying