“What about Avalon?” Isaac asked. “That’s the case we care about. Apparently, that damn article by Olivia Park spread the right names to the wrong people.”
“Oh, that?” Willow nodded at Lewis in the far corner nursing his wound. “That wasn’t because of the article. Anyone who wanted to know about… Dalton,” she said carefully, gauging Isaac’s response, which he tried to keep schooled, “already did.”
“How?”
She had an agelessness about her that could have placed her as young as Andrew or pushing fifty, and honestly, Isaac wasn’t sure which was true, but when she tilted her head, she looked as chiding as a matriarch. “All those death threats, and you really think you haven’t been watched since the moment you were released?”
“I’m not asnitch,” Isaac swore. “I didn’t run in those circles, I got dragged along—”
“Don’t tell me the sob story. Half the people who would care about what happened after the breakout are on your side. They get it. The other half hate you, but most aren’t planning any foolhardy attacks, not with Luke around, or when Katy’s so popular. No, that’s reserved for a small few. And you know who would have you at the top of their hit lists.”
“Other than nobodies like Lewis, they’re all dead or in jail, including Boyega.”
“Not his brother.” Willow leaned pointedly over the table.
“Jericho is across the country.”
“Is he?”
Isaac felt a sense of dread coil at the base of his spine. “He’s not.”
“He’s not. He hired the city’s new thief to target your son’s research.”
“Why?”
“You put yourself in the spotlight, Arty. Makes it harder to reach you. But there are other ways to take revenge on someone. He has a buyer, some competitor of Avalon’s, but his real goal was to shake you up and find out exactly who Dalton was to you. No one was sure. By now though, he guesses he’s your son.”
“If we find him, we’ll still have to worry about the thief,” Isaac said, feeling the dread turn colder and biting inside him. “I don’t suppose you’d tell me—”
“No, I wouldn’t,” Willow said. “But honestly, even I don’t know who they are. You’ll have to track them the way you were tracked.” She glanced at Andrew again. “You know what to do. Wait for the next hit, wait for the ad, get them at the drop. Fifteen minutes intervals like usual. Client drops the cash, thief makes the exchange, client claims their spoils. No one’s been dumb enough to break that rule so far.”
“Jericho won’t show up in person.”
“No, but whoever he sends can lead you right to him.”
“Why are you telling us all this?” Andrew asked the right question, but Isaac knew the answer.
“Arty’s a friend,” she said. “And Jericho isn’t. The nasty ones always want to push into others’ territories. It’s disrespectful. You get him arrested, win-win for me. I know which friends are important to keep.” She snapped her fingers again and a tray of drinks appeared as if her underlings could read her mind. “You’re welcome to stay and have a little fun, if you like.”
“Thanks, Will,” Isaac said, “but we’ll pass.” He made to bow his head and lead Andrew away, but one of the muscle came over to whisper something in Willow’s ear.
She shook her head with a smirk. “You’re going to have to teach your boy the ropes a bit better.”
“What?”
“He’s at the front door.”
ANDREW
AndrewcouldtellFordwas beyond incensed as they moved back through the building to the door they’d first entered. Between his rage and insistent pace, and the looks Andrew was getting from that punch having spread, they would definitely be remembered, however good or bad that might be.
Even in heels, Kathleen managed to stay ahead of Ford. She had her trench coat back and didn’t look like she’d broken a nail—Andrew even thought that Sandra might have been shaking her hand as they left—but pushed forward to reach the bouncer first, who had a vice grip on Dalton.
“Don’t worry, sweetie, he’s with me!” she called.
“Yeah?” the bouncer spun with an unfriendly snarl.
“My nephew, darling. Completely harmless.”
