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His fingers tapped against his arm in a steady rhythm while I studied his face. He was the epitome of control. I rarely saw any outward signs of frustration or emotion coming from him. This small tell revealed how deep his desire to help me really went. And even though I hated it, I couldn’t deny him what he wanted.
I relented. “I accept.”
“Excellent.” He stood and turned.
He’d only gone a few steps. “Jareth.” I waited for him to turn around. “I want to be very clear. Me agreeing to let you help means you or any associate of yours will not go through my phone records to find out who I called and find a way to retaliate.” He’d only agreed not to do something and I knew the type of work around he would’ve employed if I didn’t call him on it.
His lips pursed as he gave a terse nod and strode back into his office.
I held in my laughter until he shut his door with a firm click.
Jareth meant well. I’d learned over the years while watching him to make sure what was asked for was listed in explicit detail. A snort-laugh escaped my mouth. I had a feeling he hadn’t expected me to turn the tables on him, even in such a small way.
CHAPTER 4
Jareth
The door shut firmly behind me. Well played, Hazel.
My steps quickly ate up the distance to my desk, and I let out a bark of laughter. Hazel may have a soft and tender heart, but she was shrewd. At times like this, I realized how well she’d come to know me.
I forced myself to get rid of the frustration churning in my gut. I was pissed that Hazel hadn’t called me to help her, pissed that no one responded to her request for assistance, and pissed that she didn’t let me exact some type of revenge on the assholes who denied her.
My cell rang. “Answer call,” I instructed my earpiece.
There were no pleasantries. We didn’t need one for this. This call came in every first Monday at 9:00 a.m. on a secured line. “Give me your recommendation for our next gathering.”
I had a name ready. Although, I wished I could change it to one of the companies that ignored Hazel. “Perennial Prose Publishing Inc.”
“Reason.”
“Exploitation of female staff from the head of the company. Whistleblowers are being paid off or intimidated.”
“Noted. You will receive the list to choose from in four hours. Turn in your pick by next Monday.” The silence from the other end of the phone indicated the line was dead.
Hazel had correctly guessed that I didn’t let slights slide, but she had no idea about this. Once a month, associates of mine and I curated a list of businesses that deserved punishment for their part in illegal activities, and we found ways to destroy them. I didn’t miss the irony that I was one of the people dealing out this particular form of judgment.
When we met in person at our next meeting, the third Wednesday of the month, our choices would have been tallied, and the one with the highest votes was the person or company we’d go after. We couldn’t pick our own recommendation to make things fair.
I rubbed my forehead. I had twenty minutes until my next meeting. I needed to find someone to fix Hazel’s plumbing issue.
“Dial Wolfe Construction,” I said into my earpiece.
“David Wolfe.” The familiar male voice spoke through the phone after two rings.
“David, it’s Jareth Vizier.”
“Jareth. What can I do for you?” Loud bangs echoed in the background, indicating he was on a job site.
“I need your best plumber within the hour.”
“You know it doesn’t work like that, right?” His laugh grated on my nerves. People did what I asked.
“And you know I have enough money to make it happen,” I retorted. Why was David not like the others? And why did I still employ him when I needed to? Because he’s the best, my internal voice whispered to me, and you only work with the best.
“Jareth, listen?—”
“This is non-negotiable. Hazel had an issue this weekend, and I need it fixed immediately,” I demanded.
