Chapter 84 Section VII

A gust of rain hit Decker in the face, interrupting his recollection.Though still troubled by his emotions, he kept an eye on the vehicles passing by the puddles of water in front of the Flatiron Building.Conflicting questions tormented him one after another.Was what Beth had told him true?Or was she trying to make the hook stronger, tricking him into more sympathy with lies, and enticing him to protect her regardless of danger?The question boils down to one thing, does she love him, or is she using him?He had been thinking about it tediously since he had learned yesterday that she had lied to him about her experiences.He must know the answer.He had to find her and find out the truth, although he didn't know what he would do if the truth wasn't what he wanted to hear, because in fact he was completely in love with her.

Headlights pierced through the rain curtains, and a gray Oldsmobile pulled out of the traffic and pulled to the curb in front of Decker.The rear door opened, and one of Giordano's men got out, motioning with a stiff head motion for Decker to get in.Decker's muscles tensed, and his determination grew stronger.He walked up to the man, holding a bouquet of roses in each hand. "That's right." The man smirked.He has a broad chest and shoulders, and his clothes fit tightly around his body. "When I searched you, your hand just held the flower and didn't move."

"On the street? There's a police car coming over there." "Get in the car." Decker counted and saw two people in the front seat and one in the back.When he got into the car, he felt that the first person was right behind him, squeezed beside him.He held the matchbox-sized transmitter with its flower stem in his right hand.The driver pulled the car away from the curb, the tires splashed with rain.The man in the passenger seat pointed a pistol at Decker.Two men in the back seat searched him. "He didn't bring anything." "Where are the flowers?"

The two plucked roses from Decker's closed hand.They were too preoccupied to notice that he was still hiding the small transmitter in his cupped right hand. "Whatever you want to talk to your boss about, you'd better be honest," one of them said. "I've never seen Nick get so angry." "Hey, what stinks in here?" asked another. "It's the flowers. It smells like a poor man's funeral." "Probably this guy's funeral." The man on Decker's left rolled down the car window with a smirk, and threw the crushed rose out.