“What? No.” Warner said, testily. “I assumed that you did it.”
“Me?”
“Isn’t that why you hired your brother? To plug the leak?”
Jason glanced across the coffee table at Todd, who scowled and shook his head. What the hell did Warner think Steele Security did? And if Warner and Byron were both telling the truth, who’d come after Emma and Natalie?
Byron made an indignant noise. “I hired him to determine if anyone was selling our secrets, and who was buying. I don’t fucking kill people, Ren. And, for the record, neither does Jason.”
Technically not true, though he appreciated his brother’s conviction. Jason—and probably all of his teammates—had blood on their hands, but any violence they’d wrought had been in their own defense or on behalf of those they were tasked to protect. A small distinction, but one that mattered.
Warner scoffed. “But you don’t mind putting a little pressure on them.”
“Not when they’re a threat to what we’ve built, but I draw the line at bodily harm.”
Byron clearly considered himself an integral part of his boss’s operation. Jason didn’t realize his hands were clenched until Emma laid her hand over his. He forced himself to relax and twined their fingers together.
“WhatI’vebuilt,” Warner said testily. “With your help. For which I think you’ve been amply compensated, yes?”
“Of course.” Something rustled in the background, and Byron mumbled several words before they could hear, “…know Kerry Martin started recording your conversations?”
“What?No.” A pause. “How do you know there are recordings?” Warner asked, his voice rife with suspicion, followed by a loudthump.
“I listened to one of them, and it’s pretty damning. Even if Kerry actually committed suicide, anyone who hears the recording is going to suspect she had help.” Several seconds passed in silence. “She didn’t, right?”
No response.
“Ren, if you—”
“I’m more interested in where you heard this recording and who has it,” Warner said in a way that made Jason wonder if he should worry for Byron’s safety.
A long pause.
“My brother and some woman ambushed me on my smoke break,” Byron said. “He asked if I’d killed Viktor and she played a recording where you threatened Kerry.”
“Who was this woman?” Warner asked.
Byron made an exasperated noise. “I don’t know. I’m guessing she’s the one who was meeting Viktor.”
“Maybeshekilled Viktor.”
“Why would she do that?” Byron asked, as if pulling the question straight from Jason’s brain.
A dark, desperate laugh. “I don’t know. Because he could identify her?”
“That doesn’t…Whatever,” Byron said. “If she’s talking to people about you, tracking down the girls, we have a bigger problem.”
Next to him, Emma looked serene, but he felt her tense.
“Yes,” Warner said. “Yes we do. Which means it’s time for drastic measures.”
What the fuck did that mean? Jason looked at Todd. “Do we still have someone on Warner?”
“Should. I’ll check in.” Todd pulled out his cell phone and started tapping on the screen.
Byron’s voice piped up on Emma’s cell phone. “We’re not hurting anyone else, Ren.”
Warner scoffed. “Don’t be naïve. We always hurt someone.” There was a loud thunk, like a door closing.
