“And then she wouldn’t shut the hell up about it. Whined the whole time I was stitching her up.”
“Minka Mayet…” Sophia growls, low and husky. “You strap yourself to a needle every second night and infuse crazy expensive Factor into your veins like it’s still nineteen-ninety-three. Jen’s entire life’s work is about creating medicines better than what came before. Her intellect and passion for making the world a better place doesn’t go away just because she let her hair down during vacation one time. She’s a serious scientist, and your refusal is hurting her feelings.”
“Oh, God forbid I hurt her feelings!” I stride back across my apartment, snatch up my coffee, drop the box in my bag, scoopthe bag up, and then I’m moving, through the door and onto the stairs.Screw it. I have places to be.“I didn’t ask for this, Sophia. I didn’t agree to it. So if Jen’s feelings are hurt, that has absolutely nothing to do with me.”
Behind me, the guys scramble. Feet skitter against the floor, a door slams shut, and a single second later, my shadow is back on shift, following me down the stairs.
“Let’s discuss Poul Abate, anyway.” If I distract her with something juicier, something new, she might forget the dumb M&Ms. “We’ve established he lives in Copeland. We have his schedule, his upcoming meetings, and I…?”
“You have a meeting with him a little after five this afternoon.” She taps at computer keys and jumps back into work mode the way I know she’s so skilled. “Dude’s in the finance sector and thinks he’s hot shit. It’s not uncommon for him to take a meeting with a potential new client outside work hours, and better yet, he has a habit of hosting these meetings inside a restaurant in the city. You’re going in with a cover story; you’re a brainless twat whose daddy died, and now you’ve inherited a hundred and seventy-three million dollars.”
I whistle on my tongue and push through the heavy glass door at the bottom of my building. I should be used to the temperature shock by now, moving from one extreme to another, but I still stumble and groan as the morning sun blares straight down on my face. Shaking my head, I turn left and head toward my office. “A hundred and seventy-threemilliondollars? I wouldn’t mind a taste of that.”
“Youhavemore than that in the bank,” she snorts. “And you could have more. You’re with me, which basically means you’re set. But now I need you to focus.”
I bring my coffee up and hide my smile behind the lip of the mug.
“You’re going in. You’re playing it up as a dumb bimbo who needs the big, strong man to manage your finances. He’ll try to sell you on a bogus hedge fund or some shit, and anywhere between dinner and dessert, you’ll slit his throat and walk away. Abate’s gonna be licking his wounds tonight, furious his last purchase fell through, and he lost his cash with it, so he might get extra pushy with you. He wants to feel powerful again, and you’re small, so…”
“He’s gonna piss me right off,” I growl. “Noted.”
“You’re going in alone. The restaurant’s security system is mine to control, so I’ll make it show what we need it to show, but in the meantime, don’t let him get you. As soon as you’re done, call me, and we’ll debrief together.”
“Fine. How do you propose we pass off another man’s death so soon after Agosti and Dragovic’s? People will connect them eventually. The cops, espe?—”
“Doesn’t matter if they do. You’ll be in and out like a ghost, so no matter who is investigating, there will benoproof you were there. Even with Archer being on his bullshit right now, he won’t arrest you. You know it. I know it.”
“No. But he’ll be furious.” I exhale a shuddering, aching breath, swallowing the nervous lump nestled in my throat. Bringing my coffee up, I drink the scalding liquid and revel in the way it burns on the way down. “Even more furious than he already is.”
She makes a sound with her tongue. Ameh. A verbal shrug. “He gets to make whatever choices he’s going to make, and you get to make whatever choices you want to make. You’ve alwaysbeen honest on this subject, and he’s the one who changed the status quo by sending you away. We’re not even whacking New York founding family members anymore, which means he could’ve come along for the ride and had your back tonight. Not in a million fucking years, nevereverwould Jay send me away for this kind of shit. He wouldn’t?—”
“I don’t want to talk about it.” I pass the hospital at a brisk clip, my head down and my shoulders hunched, like going there last night was a dirty little secret I’d rather not remember. “I’m heading to my office, where I intend to be from now until five. What’s the name of the place I’m going tonight?”
“Jennings.”
I quicken my pace in an effort to escape the shadow hovering mere feet behind me. “Jennings?”
“Yeah. It’s what some call a gentleman’s club, I guess. Not officially, but there’s a certain and specific demographic visiting that place.”
“Middle-aged, white-collar pieces of shit?” I come to a stop outside the revolving glass door of the George Stanley, but before I charge through, I spin on my heels and surprise poor Harrison’s eyes wide. I keep hold of my phone in one hand, and my coffee in the other, but I meet his gaze and purse my lips. “Just like yesterday, Mr. Harrison. You’re outside. In fact—” I flash a cold, not-very-nice smile. “I have plans tonight, so you’re unneeded for the rest of today. Feel free to go sightseeing or…” I shrug. “Whatever types of things guys like you do when the Malones don’t need you.”
“But Doc?—”
“Goodbye.” I turn and charge through the revolving glass door, breathing easier now that the air is icy cold, and thelobby is all but empty. “It’s so freakin hot out there already. Jesus.”
“You sure sound comfortable bossing your men around,” Soph snickers. “From the projects to a mansion. Wealth looks good on you.”
I scoff.So wealthy, I had to leave the pharmacy yesterday without my medication.
“Chief Mayet?” The guard standing behind the tall lobby desk waves me across. His ruddy cheeks glow red, hiswideform, about three times the breadth of mine. He gulps as I change direction and shuffles back as I approach. “Chief. There’s something wrong with the login system today.” He gestures toward the computer. “I know I entered my details exactly, but it’s not letting me in.”
I stalk around the desk and take a peek at the screen—we’re locked out for an hour. Too many invalid attempts. “Sophia?”
“What?” She laughs, loud and snorting. “I didn’t do anything.”
“Leave it for now.” I tap the guard’s shoulder and start toward the elevator. “This system is ten years out of date and laggy at best. I’m looking to get us an upgrade soon.” I jam my phone between my shoulder and ear, and transfer my coffee across to my left hand, all in time to slap the call button the instant I’m close enough. “I want a system overhaul, Soph. All new computers, new software, new login procedures.” I step through the opening doors and hit the number nine for my floor. “Except, I want card IDs. Swipe for entry instead of passcodes.”
“Cool…” She settles into silence for a beat. Just the sound of her breathing. Then, “Why are you telling me?”
