Emily's eyes widened a fraction. Kenneth hit a nerve and he knew it. Emily kept her face and body as passive and smooth as possible but she couldn't help the panic that rose up in her gut. The panic didn't last though, thanks to Nova's teachings. Instead, as she held her composure, the panic melted and turned to steel determination. None of this shift showed on her smooth features as she held Kenneth's gaze.

"I will find this man, whoever he is. If he's alive, I will find him and deliver him to you," Emily said with cold finality.

Kenneth studied the features of his underling. Nova had done wonders with Emily. He didn't recognize the scrawny, dirty, street rat that he had dragged into his office only a few short months ago. Now, the woman that stood in front of him was self-possessed and confident, with a real strength and conviction in her that had been completely absent when he first met her.

"Then what are you waiting for?" Kenneth gestured with a flick of his wrist, sweeping his hand towards the elevator.

Emilly spun around on her heel and walked back the length of the office and disappeared behind the closing of the elevator doors.

She rode the elevator down to the garage level. She went to her car and sat in the driver's seat gripping the wheel. She rolled her mind over what had just happened. What the hell was he talking about? Chess… poker? Yeah, go out and find a six foot four-inch-tall guy with black hair and blue eyes. Yeah, and while you're at it, alphabetize a value bag of M and M's.

She shook her head, clearing it. Letting her red hair softly displace itself from her carefully done up curls. Kenneth knew that her button was her farm. She had tried to give up on the idea of her owning her farm. Through her studies she had begun to learn that if anyone knew your leverage point, you would be a slave to that person. And the only way to get rid of that leverage against you, was to not care about the object that was that leverage point, or put it out of reach from the one who was using it against you.

She had tried, but that farm was hers. She knew how pathetic that was, and that there were other things she could achieve besides one farm. Maybe one day she would get there, but for now that farm had kept her alive on more than one occasion. So, she would hold onto that, regardless of what Kenneth asked of her.

She started her car and pulled out of the garage. She drove through the city, not quite aimless, but she didn't have any real idea of where to go. She didn't keep tabs on Amir as a general rule, but she did know that he hung out at a place called the Skybar. She found herself driving in that direction.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

She picked up her phone and dialed Amir's number.

"What do you want? We aren't scheduled to meet for another 2 weeks." The voice was Amir's, not rude but cold.

Emily knew this would raise red flags but she had a job to do, "Amir I need to meet with you, it's not about our arrangement. I want to meet at the Skybar. I believe you know the place?"

There was a silence on the other end and for a few moments Emily thought the idiot might have actually hung up on her.

"Fine, I can be there in an hour." The phone went silent as the call ended.

Emily slipped her phone into her red leather handbag; it matched her belt that snugly wrapped around her waist. She was committed now and drove with purpose to the Skybar.

She had to park a long way away, she couldn't use the hotel parking garage. The Skybar was a popular place. She didn't mind though, walking along the street with her designer heels wasn't a problem for her. She got a few cat calls as she walked along the street. She smiled and continued on her way. Cat calls were fine; she didn't mind as she may once have. If those calls became something more aggressive, well she could deal with that too.

She walked through the Hotel lobby and rode the elevator up and stepped out onto the Skybar. The place was gorgeously lit with the cool blue of the large pool as a center piece. The ivy-covered pavilions were a nice touch and the view over LA was almost as good as Kenneth's penthouse office.

The place was busy, but not super crowded. Emily decided to sit down and ordered a Vodka and cranberry juice. She had no idea if Amir would show up or not. She had no reason to believe that he wouldn't, but they had never met up outside of an exchange. This was different for both of them. She settled down for a long wait, as she scanned the crowd of people, keeping an eye on the exits, making sure she paid attention to who was arriving, and taking note of who was leaving.

She sipped her drink, enjoying the night air and the ambiance of the bar. And then Amir walked in through the doors. He had a smile on his face as he shook hands with a few people at the door and a few patrons sitting around the pool. As Emily watched, she found how disarmed people were when they were around him. His technique of being open, friendly, and smiling seemed to put these people at ease almost immediately. Amir knew what he was doing, he had never shown any of this charisma when he had dealt with her, but then, they were business partners, and she was not some idiot at a bar that was impressed by a smile and a handful of cash.

Emily didn't move from her spot at her table. Instead watching the man work the room, making a slow circuit around the pool. When Amir made eye contact with Emily, that was when she lifted a few fingers from her hand idly, nothing that anyone else would notice, but a simple gesture to ensure that Amir knew who he was looking at.

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