“Well, I found Mr.Roboto,” I muttered.I squinted, trying to place who he was standing next to.I could only see their backs, and damn near everyone looked the same from behind with so many suits in attendance.
“Oh my God.It’s fucking Hayes,” Archer groaned.
“Commissioner Hayes, who you just met with yesterday?”Clara asked.
“You guys have three seconds to stop me from going over there,” Archer said, his eyes laser focused on Cross and Commissioner Hayes.
“I’m not stopping anybody from anything,” I said.
“I’ll be right behind to keep things under control,” Trojan said with a grin.
“Come on, Brother Nightingale.Go on over there and tell Sebastian Cross you want to fuck him,” I goaded my brother.
“You know how I meant it,” Archer shot back.
“Capital-F-fuck him in the ass, I know.”
Archer sent me a withering look.“Says the man who won’t even get waterboarded for our mission.”
“What are you guys talking about?”Trojan asked.
“Just twin stuff,” I muttered, pushing at my brother’s back.“Go get him, tiger.”
Archer took off across the room, Trojan, Clara, and I trailing behind.We weaved through developers, city officials, architects, contractors, and more as they socialized, popping small bites or sipping at expensive drinks while they made expensive promises.
We reached the area where Cross and Hayes were chatting.Cross looked exactly the same as the last time I’d seen him, like he’d been copy-pasted from the last event.He looked mathematically perfect somehow.Or maybe it was the way he held himself.Too controlled.Too practiced.Like he was merely playing a role and would be graded after every outing.
“Commissioner Hayes!So good to see you again.”Archer’s voice boomed with outsized joviality as he approached, inserting himself into the conversation.I watched with a small smile on my face as Sebastian’s plasticized expression began to shift into a scowl.
“Mr.Nightingale.Didn’t expect to see you here.”Hayes shook Archer’s hand reluctantly.
“Didn’t expect you to be speaking with Sebastian Cross.Wasn’t his company the one that lost the bid on the Gideon Hotel project?”Archer spoke with a grin that I knew as maniacal.I could see Sebastian bristling in real time.I wasn’t sure whether to applaud Archer or hiss at him to shut up.
“I’m not privy—” Commissioner Hayes started.
“You can’t lose a bid you don’t place,” Sebastian answered coolly, though I detected a hint of strain behind his words.
“Sure.Hey, sorry to interrupt guys, I just wanted to follow up with Commissioner Hayes real quick.”Archer blocked Sebastian out of the conversation then, and things got officially awkward.A mask of annoyance slid over Sebastian’s face.
I sipped my white wine, and Clara did the same.We exchanged a look.
Cross sidled our way unexpectedly.He stuffed his hands into his pockets.“Nash, right?”
“That’s right.”I tipped my head toward Archer.“And that’s Brother Nightingale.”
Sebastian’s face didn’t register any indication that he remembered the reference.“So you’re having some permit trouble I hear.”His voice was emotionless.Metallic.“That unfortunate Gideon Hotel project.Such a shame.”
“The project or the permit issue?”I asked.Clara had stepped away slightly to give us room to speak, but I could tell she was still listening.
“Both,” he replied.“Even though it wasn’t a very desirable project, it must be frustrating to have your permit revoked.”
Everything about this man made my skin crawl.I couldn’t tell what I wanted more—to punch him or never look at him again.“How did you hear about the permit issues?”
He shrugged, scanning the party with a disinterested gaze.“I hear about everything.I’m Sebastian Cross.”
I stifled a laugh.“Okay.”
“Though I must say, I’ve never confronted an issue like this in my business.We have an impeccable track record.I don’t think the Department of Buildings would ever dare say no to us like they did to you.”
