Cash Landing by James Grippando Read Free Book Online Page A

ladies’ Rolexes to Savannah? No charge. You can have it.”
    Ruban glanced over. His brother-in-law looked like a scolded schoolboy, his multiple chins resting on his chest.
    â€œShit, you’re pathetic, you know that?”
    Jeffrey dabbed at the chocolate and strawberry stain on his T-shirt. “Yeah. I do know. People tell me all the time.”
    Ruban sighed. Puppy-dog eyes. Jeffrey bore little resemblance to his younger sister, but both were masters of those sad puppy-dog eyes.
    â€œOh, all right, Jeffrey. One for Savannah. But no freebies. I’ll buy it from you.”
    â€œThanks, bro.”
    â€œYou’re welcome.” Dumb fuck.
    Savannah wanted to go dancing at midnight. What Savannah wanted, Savannah got. That was Ruban’s rule. And for the first time in his life, he had the money to back it up.
    Dinner had been at their favorite restaurant—which didn’t bear Ruban’s name—their go-to place in Kendall, not far from the house they’d once owned. Her dress wasn’t new, but it was the red one that advertised to the world that Ruban Betancourt had the sexiest wife in Miami. They were sitting in the car, parked outside Club Media Noche, when he decided to give her the birthday present like none he had ever given her before.
    â€œGo ahead, open it,” he said, smiling so big that he was about to burst.
    She returned the smile from the passenger seat. “What did you do?”
    â€œJust open it.”
    She untied the ribbon and tore off the wrapping paper. The insignia on the box gave away the surprise.
    â€œAre you kidding me? A Rolex?”
    He reached over and opened the box for her. They were parked just outside the club entrance, and the diamonds sparkled in the multicolored glow of the neon sign.
    â€œIs this a real Rolex?”
    â€œThe real deal.”
    She seemed concerned. “How much did you pay for this?”
    â€œIt’s beautiful, right?”
    She breathed deep, obviously aware that he’d dodged her question. “Did you use some of that money?”
    He smiled. She didn’t.
    â€œRuban, are you crazy? You said all the money stayed buried until you figured out what to do.”
    â€œAnd you said you were okay with it.”
    â€œOkay with it?” she said, her anger kicking in. “I said I was okay with not calling the police and turning Jeffrey and my uncle in. We still may have to do that eventually.”
    â€œNo!”
    She withdrew, his tone too sharp.
    â€œI need a little more time to figure it out,” he said in a more reasoned voice.
    â€œFine. You figure it out. But you can’t touch this money. That’s just stupid.”
    â€œIs it?”
    â€œYes. And, oh, by the way, it’s stealing.”
    â€œYeah, like the banks don’t steal?”
    She didn’t respond right away. They’d had this talk on many sleepless nights before. “You can’t make this about what happened to us.”
    â€œI’ve looked into it,” he said. “The five bags that Jeffrey and your uncle stole add up to less than a drop in the bucket. That plane was carrying eighty-eight million dollars. This bank in Germany ships that much every week. Sometimes even more.”
    â€œThat’s not true.”
    â€œIt is true. Losing nine or ten million is nothing to this bank. It’s all insured, anyway, so the bank doesn’t really lose anything.”
    â€œThat doesn’t make it okay to take it.”
    â€œWas it okay to take our house? My restaurant?”
    â€œHoney, I know all that hurts. I still feel it. But Jeffrey and my sleazeball uncle really screwed up this time. If you start digging up the money and spending it, we’re as bad as they are. Really, what were you thinking?”
    â€œI was thinking that I haven’t bought you a piece of jewelry in forever. I was thinking it’s your birthday and that you would like it.”
    â€œI do like it.