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Hugo remained quiet for several moments, weighing the situation. “Find Skilton. Kill him if you can. The sooner we do that, the better.”
Daar inclined his head.
If he could do it, he would.
“Good night, Chancellor.”
Wednesday. Harper’s Safe House, New Orleans, LA.
Harper held the shirt up and stared at it with a critical eye. Normally he’d call it done, but he had a feeling Robin was a woman who expected perfection. He couldn’t have wrinkly shoulders with her around.
“You’re never going to get it smooth that way,” Samuel Jenkins said.
Harper narrowed his eyes at the other man. “You think you can do better, pops?”
Samuel returned the critical look. They were about the same age if Harper had to guess, but he liked messing with the straight-laced guy. Samuel could be so uptight.
“I know so. Give it,” Samuel said.
Harper stopped himself from turning away from the FBI agent and let him pull the shirt from his grasp.
To be fair, out of everyone on the Task Force, none of them had Samuel’s flair for style. He showed up to the office every day looking like he’d just stepped out of Sunday church in a trendy orange or blue or red suit with all the accessories. He took dressing in style to another level. Harper was lucky if he wasn’t forced to wear the same suit two days in a row.
Samuel arranged the shirt then carefully began swiping the iron over it in short strokes.
“Who taught you to iron like that?” Harper asked.
Samuel paused, iron in hand, and leveled a steady stare at Harper. “My daddy. He said that for a Black man to be taken half as seriously, we have to look twice as good.”
Harper nodded and another piece of the puzzle that was Samuel Jenkins fell into place.
“Expecting me to say, my mama?” He arranged the shirt on the ironing board, pinching and pulling the fabric just so.
“Grandma. You seem like the type to have a big, tight-knit family.”
“Nope. Just me and my daddy growing up.”
Harper took that in. He’d realized about a day into this job that he didn’t know Samuel or his partner half as well as he thought he had. Hell, Harper had been just as surprised as everyone else to find out back in December that Samuel’s partner, Baruti, was not only gay but married with kids. And none of them had been the wiser.
Harper didn’t like that. He didn’t like not knowing the people he worked with. Which was why he was actually glad Samuel was in charge of this op. Supposedly Baruti would be joining them after some much-needed time off to be with his family. Harper hoped they were done with the job by then. He didn’t want to have to fool Robin for longer than necessary.
“You ready to talk about tonight?” Samuel asked.
Harper sighed. “Haven’t we been over it enough?”
“Just because it went well yesterday doesn’t mean it will go well tonight.”
He watched Samuel work his magic with the shirt, erasing any trace of a wrinkle.
“You are a magician,” Harper said. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet. Let’s see how you look first. She still might not let you in the door. You look a mess.”
Harper snorted and slid the shirt on. He seriously doubted Robin would turn him away. He’d been nervous in the beginning and yeah, he’d used a few too many lines, but he’d got her laughing. And from there it had been natural.
“Your dad still around?” he asked as he buttoned up the shirt.
“Yes. He just remarried and moved to Chicago.”
