"Could be."
Tempest is quiet again. "So you're watching," he says. "And waiting."
"And waiting."
"How long?"
"As long as it takes to be sure. Moving on the wrong person creates more problems than it solves."
He nods. "You need anything from my end?"
"I need you to dig. With the Delaneys and Kings getting the same situation, we need to see if there’s any overlap. You’re good at digging. I need you to do what you’re best at, Tempest."
He gives me his shark’s grin. “Absolutely. Whatever you need. I’ve got your back.”
“Thanks, man, I appreciate it, but I need this to be kept quiet.”
He shakes his head, like he’s disappointed in me for even saying it. "Goes without saying."
"I'm saying it anyway. If it gets out that we’re looking into this, whoever the rat is could stop what they're doing and I’m not going to keep looking at my men with mistrust. That shit doesn’t work. I need to find out who the rat is and soon."
He raises his glass slightly. "Noted."
I take a steadying breath, glad as fuck that I’ve got Tempest helping me work all of this shit out. I know I should bring in Ciro too, but I’m not sure how my hothead brother will deal with the news that we’re being betrayed once again.
We're on the second drink when Tempest circles back.
"The girl," he says. "Quinn. You met her?"
My brows knit together. Why is he asking about her? "Yes."
"And? What is she like?"
"She's not what I expected."
He waits for me to say more and sighs when I don’t elaborate..
"Is that good or bad?" he asks.
"She came into the meeting knowing exactly what it was," I say. "She told me how she saw the marriage going. No shared room, no expectation of anything beyond the arrangement." I pause. "She also said she expected me to have dalliances, and that she'd do the same."
Tempest makes a sound that might be suppressed laughter. "What did you say to that?"
"Nothing."
He absolutely laughs at that, unable to contain himself. "You said nothing?"
"There was nothing useful to say in the moment."
"Right." He shakes his head. "So she told you how your marriage is going to go. In your own house?"
"She wasn't wrong about most of it."
"And the part she was wrong about?" He’s goading me, and it’s not going to work.
I look at him.
He raises his hands slightly. "Got it."
