“Came here first to let you know I’m in town on business, but it has nothing to do with you or yours. If at any point it looks as if it’s going in that direction, I’ll inform you.”
“Before or after you take out the offenders?”
“I may have to come to you for information on this one.” Gedeon chose his words carefully. The Amurovs knew his reputation. He’d always treated them with respect. He treated everyone with respect—until they didn’t deserve it.
Meiling emerged from the restroom and then slowly made her way over to the counter. When she did, shemanaged to make it seem very natural to place herself at Timur’s back. First, she ordered the coffees, laughing with Evangeline. Her laughter was contagious, a beautiful sound that turned heads, including Timur’s.
“She yours?” he asked.
“My partner. We keep that on the down low. It’s safer for her that way and more effective for our partnership.”
“She leopard?”
“Yes, although her leopard is being stubborn.”
“What information do you need, Gedeon?”
Gedeon rubbed at his temple, making a determined effort to keep his hand away from the network of spiderweb scars he’d been left with around his eyes. Timur wouldn’t fail to notice them, or the fact that Gedeon spent far too much time putting his sunglasses on and then removing them. The light hanging just overhead bothered him. It was just that much too bright. He didn’t like wearing the darker sunglasses indoors because they drew attention. They also inhibited his vision, and in a lair like the Amurovs’, he needed to be able to see everything.
“I don’t know yet, Timur. We just started, but it’s a clusterfuck already and we’re working against the clock. I’m going to tell you in confidence that there’s a child’s life at stake if she’s still alive.”
Timur sat back in the chair staring at him. “What the hell, Gedeon? I haven’t heard one whisper that a child is missing. One of ours? A leopard?”
“Timur, Meiling and I have to be able to do our thing. This is what we do, but we have to do it under the radar. I came to Fyodor to pay my respects and let him know why we’re here. If any leads come back to anyone he’s affiliated with, I would inform him, but if the situation calls for immediate action, I can’t guarantee he’ll know ahead of time before I make my move.”
Timur nodded his head. “Fyodor will want to talk to you himself. He has children. This is going to weigh on him.”
“I don’t have time for niceties.”
“You’re welcome to make this your base while you work,” Timur offered. “How long is your partner going to hang out at the counter?”
“As long as you’re sitting at the table.” Gedeon kept his stone face with effort. His little Meiling didn’t look like a threat to anyone. She was so delicate. So small. Her laughter sounded genuine and inviting. Both Kyanite and Rodion were having trouble staying on task.
Timur looked disgusted. “She’s deliberately placed herself in a position to threaten me if I attack you.”
“Not just threaten you, Timur, she would kill you. She’d most likely take out whichever of the two bodyguards she’d deemed the biggest threat as well. She’d be willing to sacrifice her life, although I’d be pissed at her.” He sighed. “Trust me, we’ve had the conversation numerous times and it didn’t do a damn bit of good.”
“Is she that good?”
Gedeon nodded. “I think she’s close to being as good as me. Maybe she’s my equal.” He tapped the table still looking at her. “She might have an edge because no one expects her to be so fast. She might be better.”
Timur laughed. “That hurt.”
“I’m getting used to it. I’ll call her over to meet you and then we’ve got to get to work. We can’t waste any more time.”
Timur shifted his weight in the chair while Gedeon indicated for Meiling to come back to the table. She made her way back, two mugs of coffee in hand.
“Meiling, this is Timur Amurov. He’s Evangeline’s brother-in-law.”
She flashed her million-watt smile. “Lovely to meet you. You’re so lucky to have this shop to work out of. I love everything about it.”
“It’s a security nightmare,” Timur groused. “I won’t takeup your time. Gedeon made it clear you’re working against the clock on this one. If you have any trouble at all, this is my personal number.” He took a card and laid it on the table. It held only a cell phone number. “Gedeon has my number. You call that number for help, and someone will come.”
“I appreciate it,” Meiling answered, sounding sincere.
Her gaze slid past Timur and landed on Kyanite as Timur walked back toward the kitchen. It was the briefest of looks, but it was enough to irritate Gedeon.
“You ready to get to work or do you need more time?” he asked. He might have gotten away with it, but his voice was just that little bit edgy.
