His former lover. What would have happened if they’d escaped to Rio like Victor planned instead of being arrested? Would they still be trafficking?
Or had Rio been a ruse to make them disappear if Victor had already made a deal to go legit?
Bo grabbed his hand under the table. Lucky sucked in a deep breath and grabbed onto his anchor.
While Victor drew Lucky’s eyes, and no denying his external attractiveness, Bo drew his heart, with both internal and external beauty.
They all sat down, Victor waiting until last, nodding to Lucky, and then Bo, as he sunk into his chair with all the grace of a cat. He showed no signs of recognition, but then again, he’d always had darned near unreadable poker face.
Landry, Eustace, and Rogers weren’t there.
“Where’s the Three Stooges?” Lucky muttered to Johnson.
“I dunno. I called Phillip a few minutes ago and he didn’t answer. I figured he was still passed out cold, but the attendant at his apartment complex said he’d left early this morning.”
Keith leaned over Bo, earning himself a glare he wasn’t smart enough to heed. “I can’t pick up the location tracer on Landry’s phone, and Rogers hasn’t been seen either.”
Yet O’Donoghue sat at the front of the room. The rats dared desert the sinking ship without their leader?
“I want to thank you all for coming,” Walter said, “and would like to dispel rumors of my death, though I thank the misinformed person who sent flowers.” He sniggered at his own joke.
A few chuckles sounded around the table.
Wasn’t funny, in Lucky’s book. Even after a brush with death, Walter still laughed at anything.
“I suppose you all are wondering why you’re here.” Walter folded his hands in front of him on the table. He spoke slowly, less boom to his voice, and his shadows under his eyes made him appear exhausted. Still, he forged on. “I believe everyone knows almost everyone else in the room.” He introduced the legal team.
No one said anything, in fact, the only sounds came from outside the room. He paused at the empty chairs, but said nothing. O’Donoghue’s minions had been invited, hadn’t they?
Walter glanced at O’Donoghue, who nodded, but settled quietly into his chair. “In my absence, it seems my team has been quite busy.” Walter wasn’t in full boss mode, nor had he adopted the favorite uncle persona guaranteed to make the most hardened criminals spill their guts.
Again, silence met the remark. Those who’d wronged the boss likely shook in their boots, while those loyal to him held their breath, waiting for justice.
Where were Landry, Eustace, and Rogers? How did O’Donoghue manage to breathe without his sycophants hovering around him?
Sycophants. Heh. He’d picked up a new word from Bo.
“In fact, some have been very busy indeed.” Walter rifled through a folder in front of him. Would he never start using technology, like the iPad parked in front of Bo?
“While I was away, someone overrode an official SNB audit and caused a company closure as the company was on the brink of launching a breakthrough treatment.”
Lucky glanced around the room, but no one gave much of a reaction. He fixed his gaze on O’Donoghue, watching for some sign of guilt.
Walter shuffled more papers; a gesture Lucky knew all too well. He stalled for a reason, to let any guilty parties squirm and give themselves away.
“Someone on my team,” he peered at each one in the room in succession, “colluded with another entity, not only eliminating a potential rival, but using evidence to provide trade secrets about the new product, conspiring to rob a company of their revolutionary diabetes therapy.”
Walter paused to take a sip of water. O’Donoghue took over the telling. “The guilty parties believed by incapacitating Walter Smith they’d not only implicate me, but that I’d overlook any wrongdoing while busy assuming responsibility for the department.” He slammed his hand on the table, effectively tagging Victor. Had he left off mention of the incriminating evidence Walter gathered on purpose?
Victor spoke, voice the same smooth silk Lucky remembered. “As the entity in question is a global company, the crimes are international in nature. That is where my team comes in.” He gave a shark smile but didn’t introduce himself. Yeah, he played for maximum impact, as always.
No one running for the door proved they didn’t recognize Victor Mangiardi moving in for the kill.
Hell, even Lucky wanted to be anywhere but here. Bo squeezed Lucky’s knee under the table, sending silent support.
Lucky relaxed, only now realizing he’d tensed. Anyone watching his body language might mistake his survival instinct for guilt. While he’d met many dangerous men over the course of his life, their undisputed king now addressed the group.
Victor skated a fingertip over the polished wooden surface of the table. “In exchange for a key position in the company, this person betrayed their duty to the organizations they worked for, whose mission it is to prevent drug diversion and other pharmaceutical-related crimes.
