Chopje 1 Waking Up 

Chapter 71: Waking Up 

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There was a brief pause on the other end of the line, followed by the sound of Neil’s voice, cool and collected as always, “Did something happen?” 

“Someone is following Anya. Not one of ours. Find out if anyone caught them on camera,” Daniel instructed. 

“I’ll get my people on it,” he said, his tone light and somber. “We’ll find out what we can. But you know it could be them instead of Stanley, right?” 

“I know,” Daniel answered, glancing back at Anya’s sleeping form. 

“Your tricks have put a target on her back. Now they know what you would do to get her; they can’t wait to get their hands on her,” Neil said. 

“We don’t know that it is them,” Daniel said with a frown. 

“True, but the chances are getting greater each day. Why couldn’t you do like other men who have messed up and gone on your knees and begged? This is a lot of mess to clean up; are you sure you want to keep dealing with this legally? You know, there are many other ways…” Neil 

started. 

“It will not come to that. Find Stanley,” Daniel instructed. 

“Yes, boss,” 

Daniel had only just ended the call; when his phone rang again, it was his mother. Worried that the sound would wake Anya, 

“Mum,” he answered. 

“I heard what happened. How is Anya?” she asked. 

“She is fine, mom,” he answered. 

“How could you let this happen? I thought you put some security on Anya,” she said. 

“She didn’t like them, so I had them stay away. There is only one team around her. They are supposed to stay away and observe. It is not ideal. If something happens, they can’t get close enough to her in time like today,” he said, running his hand through his hair, 

“Briny her home later; I will convince her to let you put security on her.” 

“Okay,” Daniel answered. 

“How is she doing?” his mother asked. 

“She fell asleep,” he answered. 

Changer 21. Waking Up 

“Okay, then. Your maternal grandfather says you should meet him when you get back,” she informed him, and Daniel paused. 

“Okay,” 

But even as he hung up the phone, Daniel couldn’t shake the feeling of unease that lingered in the pit of his stomach. He knew that until he got rid of all the threats, they couldn’t rest easy. And he was determined to do whatever it took to keep Anya safe, no matter the cost. 

In the dimly lit recesses of a seedy bar in Angelo City, the air was thick with the mingled scents of stale beer, cigarette smoke, and quiet menace. Three men huddled over a battered table, their hushed tones and furtive glances lending an unmistakable air of illicit business. 

One of the men, a bulky brute with forearms like gnarled tree trunks, slid a crumpled piece of paper across the scarred wooden surface with a meaty hand. “Word just came down. The updated take list dropped.” 

His compatriots leaned in immediately, eyes narrowing as they scanned the meticulously printed list of names. An array of influential figures from the realms of business, entertainment, and politics–people of wealth and power who all have bounties on their heads. 

Tracing a calloused fingertip down the list, one of the others grunted in surprise. “Hold up, who the hell is Anya Shaw?” 

The third man snorted derisively, rolling his eyes as if his companions were particularly slow children. “Are you kidding me? You don’t know who that is?” He shot them a pointed look from beneath his lowered brow. “That’s Daniel Shaw’s wife, you fools.” 

The implications settled over the table like a dark cloud. Even in their shadowy underworld ecosystem, the name Shaw carried a certain weight. Her name was still on the updated list? 

Eventually, one of the men chuckled darkly. “I had first thought that whoever put the contract on that broad has a damn death wish, but it is the 12 guns. Getting in between these two groups will not end well. 

Gang Up 

They all agreed with this. Only high–up organizations would take the job. It was risky. 

“Yeah, well… I heard Jimmy already took that job.” One of them said. 

One of the other men froze, eyes cutting toward the speaker with disbelief. What did he just hear? 

“Wait, wait… You talking about our Jimmy? Tell me you’re shitting me, man,” he asked. 

Only then had they realized that this was bad. 

Rather than saying a word, the third man slid a burner phone across the table and began punching in a number with his thumb. 

Jimmy was in trouble. This was clear in their minds. They had to get to him quickly. 

The line was ringing once… twice…. 

In the capital city, Jimmy jolted upright at the shrill ring, shattering the silence of his dingy 

motel room. 

He’d been lying on the sagging mattress, mentally replaying his failed attempt at nabbing his latest target. 

The woman had been leaving an art store when Jimmy made his move. 

But before he could come close to her, she’d fled straight through the doors of the imposing Shaw Group building across the street. 

Chapţi 21 Waking Up. 

After that, trying to extract her would have been pure suicide. 

Jimmy frowned at the unfamiliar number flashing on his burner’s cracked screen but swiped. to accept the call. “Yeah?” 

“Jon! Hey man, what’s good?” Some of the tension bled from Jimmy’s shoulders at the deep sound of the familiar voice. 

His old friend and former partner–in–crime wasted no time on pleasantries. 

“You out on a job right now, Jim? There in the capital?” Jon on the phone asked. 

Unsure of Jon’s angle, Jimmy’s brow came together in a frown. “Yeah, got another pick–up and grab on the docket. Didn’t pan out so hot this time around, though.” 

“This job…” Jon pressed, a sudden urgency in his voice. “The target’s name isn’t… Anya, is it?” 

The loaded pause that followed was deafening. Jimmy felt the blood turn to ice in his veins as he felt in his heart that something was wrong. 

When he finally managed to force out a response, his voice was filled with caution. “How… how’d you know about that?” 

The person on the other end suddenly exploded from the phone’s speaker, screaming curses so loud, it would have caused a man’s ears to bleed. 

Jimmy frowned at his outburst. What could have caused hirn to react this way? 

“Are you out of your damned mind?!” Jon roared once he’d burned through his list of curses. ” Don’t tell me you actually tried grabbing Daniel Shaw’s goddamn wife!!” 

Jimmy opened and closed his mouth like a gasping fish, struggling to formulate a reasonable thought. She was his wife? He took the job when her information was not released. He did not even know her last name. 

All he knew was that she was an orphan and worked as a nanny for a wealthy family. He had thought this would be an easy job. Recently he received more information, like her address 

and the rest, and decided to deal with it. 

He should have been suspicious when a nanny was driving a Porsche, but he thought she was 

out on an errand. 

Jimmy suppressed the urge to curse. 

“His wife? As in his actual wife?” Jimmy asked. 

On the other end of the line, Jon ranted on about how stupid Jimmy was for taking a job without properly checking the target. 

“Hurry out of the capital quickly. You didn’t go after her already, did you, you crazy son of a bitch?” Jon cursed. 

Jimmy felt dread overcome him as he answered darkly, “I took a run at her, yeah. But she slipped inside Shaw Group before I could grab her.” 

“For Christ’s sake.” Jon’s anger seemed to fade away, leaving only soul–deep pain laced with pity. 

“Listen, okay, Jimmy. You get your stupid ass out of that city right now, you hear me? They’re going to have the big man’s entire family looking for you after pulling this attempt. Find your way to the docks; I will have a man waiting.” Jon instructed.