Gabe knocked twice on the door, paused, then knocked three more times. The door swung open. Gabe put a reassuring hand on her back as they both entered the same conference room Reyna had been in earlier this week only from the opposite side of the room. Unlike last time, when Sydney and Washington had been the only other people in attendance, the table was nearly full.
Sydney stood with her hands on the back of the chair at the head of the table. Washington sat on her left. There was an open seat next to him, then a handful of unfamiliar men and a few women seated the rest of the way around. Tye sat next to Xavier, who had an open seat next to him.
Reyna’s stomach, which was already in knots, nearly dropped out of her body when she saw the person to the left of that empty seat: none other than Penelope Sky herself. She was dressed in a simple black pantsuit with her dark hair falling dramatically around her face. Her makeup was carefully done, and she sat straight-backed and regal.
Even worse was the person on Penelope’s left, who was staring daggers at her—Beckham. Her heart lurched in his direction, and she took an involuntary step forward. Their eyes connected, and everything slowed to a crawl. He was here.
“Nice of you to join us.” Sydney’s crisp voice cut through the tension.
Reyna broke eye contact to glance up at Sydney. She looked formidable as always, in her customary all black with her hair slicked back. Her nails dug into the chair when neither Gabe nor Reyna said anything.
“Care to explain what happened this evening?” she asked.
Reyna turned to look at Gabe.
“Made contact with our supplier,” Gabe said. “He gave me a few leads on the shit that’s going down. He put our order in for what we need, though. The asshole tried to shortchange me. Didn’t know who he was dealing with. Don’t worry, I let him know. But his boss showed up. Looks like they’re moving their shit now because the big V knows what’s going on. He thinks we’re to blame.”
Sydney tilted her chin up. “That is what you would like to report?”
“That was the job.”
“You’re right. That was your job tonight. Get us any information you can about the supplier selling diseased blood and make sure we continue to get what we need from the black-market business you somehow manage out of your nightclub. I never could understand how someone so incompetent could be one of the biggest Irish mob bosses in the city.”
Gabe grinned as if she hadn’t given him a backhanded compliment. “Runs in the family.”
Well, at least that explained a lot.
“Do you know how much we invested in getting Miss Carpenter back from Visage?” Sydney asked, dangerously low.
“I remember the meetings. But look, she was fine with me the whole time. You think she’s going to get hurt with me in myownestablishment?”
“You do not get to make decisions where her safety is concerned,” Beckham growled dangerously.
“And you did so well?” Gabe spat back.
Beckham flew out of his chair. He moved so fast that he was already across the room in the time it took Reyna to blink. Beckham shoved Gabe back against the wall with his hand around Gabe’s throat. Gabe stared back at him in amusement, but Reyna could see fiery hatred buried deep underneath it all.
Beckham hadn’t said a word to her, and now he was ready to rip out Gabe’s throat for an offhand comment.
“You’re a piece of shit, O’Connor. I should end your worthless life for what you risked tonight,” he spat in Gabe’s face.
“Beckham,” Sydney barked.
“No,” Reyna whispered.
“Fuck you, Anderson,” Gabe shot back.
“Beckham, stop it,” Reyna said. “I snuck out. I wanted to get out of here. I was tired of having nothing to do and everyone telling me no. Gabe had nothing to do with it. He happened to be there when I was leaving.”
Beckham didn’t seem to hear a word she had said. Gabe continued to sneer. He did an incredible job of looking at Beckham as if he wasn’t worth the scum on his shoe. Beckham’s face was a mask of fury. He channeled all his anger and aggression into that one look. A lesser man would have backed down.
“I am the last person that you want to fuck with,” Beckham told Gabe.
Gabe laughed in his face.
Everything and everyone faded away. That laugh sent Beckham over the edge.
She rushed to Beckham’s side, heedless of the danger. Reyna put herself between Beckham and Gabe before he did something he couldn’t take back. She touched his arm, and he was solid beneath her gentle touch. She didn’t try to move him because she knew that would be impossible. She just stood there.
