“You would have me break the law for a man I knew for all of thirty seconds last night?”
“I would have you do as I request,” he growls. “Because I asked you to. Perform the autopsy, swing by the lab, and bring me the results.”
“No, I—” My brain aches. My stomach swirls. I can’t think quickly enough to combat Cordoza’s fast answers. “The cameras. The reports. Bringing him to my building will implicate my staff in a crime they had no participation in, and Aubree…” My eyes flare wide, panic lancing through my blood. “Aubree deserves better than to be dragged into this.”
“Anthony will be inside your facility first thing tomorrow morning, Chief.” Cordoza shifts his focus across to Archer. “You’ll enjoy the rest of your afternoon with your family. Relax tonight. Sleep well.” And then back to me. “I’m not asking.”
“You demand too much,” I grit out. “You want me to risk everything I’ve ever worked for—my building, my staff. My entire career—for this man I do not care about. I’m certain I’m not the only doctor in your contact list who can perform an autopsy, and surely, these other doctors would thrill at the opportunity to step intoyour world.”
“Mockery is unflattering, Doctor, especially when it originates from such an intelligent mouth.” Cordoza takes a single, formidable step forward. “I’m an old man now, and though I may hold affection for you, I hold even less patience. Be available to receive Anthony’s body first thing tomorrow morning. Your family depends on you.”
Rage flares in my veins, my temper a bubbling inferno that swells in my stomach.
Cordoza is accustomed to having his ass kissed. And I… I loathe to admit, I’m accustomed tonotbeing the reason he strikes out at the Malones.
Dammit.
“I’ll make myself available,” I sneer. “Once my examination is complete, I’ll contact your office and have my reports sent over. I believe that concludes our business, no?”
He flashes an infuriatingly satisfied smile. “Almost.You needn’t worry about contacting me, Chief. I’ll have men inside your building until our dealings have concluded.”
“Your men?” I glance to his left and stare at the guard, all seven feet of muscle, black fabric, and steely intensity.Within my building? “No. That’s not acceptable.”
“I was not asking.” He clicks his fingers, mobilizing his army, then he turns and leans on his cane, comfortably presenting his back to a familywhocouldend his life. But he knows they won’t shoot him, and even if they tried, his guards provide an impenetrable wall no one, not even a skilled marksman, can defeat.
“Fuck!” The moment they’re gone, Archer squeezes the back of my neck and yanks me around, slamming me against his chest. While Cato wanders to the back door, staring inside the house as Cordoza and his men file out, Felix turns and heads back to Christabelle.
“I’m sorry, Minka.” Archer draws a deep, shaking breath, expanding his lungs and widening his chest. Then he exhales again and rests his forehead on mine. “I’m so sorry. This was never supposed to touch you. It’s not what you signed up for when we married.”
“It’s…” It’s ridiculous. It’s illegal. It’s a bullshit hierarchy that could be undone with the slice of a blade and the dismantling of business ventures. But saying so helps no one. “It’s fine.”
“Minka—”
“He’s a John Doe. I process them every single day, every single week.” I swallow the sickly dread balling at the base of my throat. “It’s fine.”
“We need to call Tim.” Micah turns on his heels, snatching the phone from his pocket and swiping the screen unlocked. “He needs to know?—”
“No.” I shove away from Archer and stride into Micah’s path. Grabbing his wrist and pulling him up short, I take his phone with surprising speed, stunning the family’s enforcer. “Don’t call him.”
“We have to?—”
“They got marriedyesterday. Aubree’s meant to be off work for the next week, but if you call, she’ll rush back and destroy the time they’re supposed to have together.” I lock the screen and challenge him with a look. “Don’t ruin this for them. They don’t need to know.”
Unconvinced, he peeks over the top of my head. “Archer?”
“Calling them changes nothing!” I snarl. “They can’t fix it. They can’t change it. The only thing you’ll do is stress them out and drag them into something they don’t need to know about.”
“We’ll keep it quiet for now.” Archer stops behind me, his chest against my back, and his chin settled atop my head. “They’re locked up inside their house, it’s as secure as this one, and they have bodies walking the perimeter. If Aubree isn’t due back to the office anyway, there’s no need to bring them in. Let’s not destroy this week for them until we have no other choice.”
“Fuck me.” Fletch folds at the hips and sets his hands on his knees, drawing a deep breath and pushing his back up. “Can we get some bodiesoutside my apartment, too, please? And Sera’s. Put them wherever the fuck my daughter is.”
“We’ll take care of it.” Felix sweeps Zora out of Christabelle’s arms and lays a feather-soft kiss on her temple. “I’m never conducting business in my home again. This is my fuckin’ family! They were too close to the firing line.”
“Story of my life.” Archer grasps my arm and stalks toward the house, catching me when I stumble, and tugging me along faster than my tangling feet can manage. “We’re going inside.”
“Archer—”
“Now!”
