“Take it as a compliment. He needed to do it when you weren’t paying attention, or you would have put a stop to it.”
I snorted. “Nice try.”
“He’s a nightmare, I give you that, but an entertaining one. We agreed on a month, remember?”
The funny thing was, I found myself smiling as I walked through the city toward the police station on Thirteenth Avenue.
An entertaining nightmare, indeed.
They did let Lothair go.Bernard Perrault was threatening to sue, but it would be stupid of him, considering Lothair’s growing popularity. Even Ansel, Perrault’s son and only heir, had shared the stunt on his profile, with laughing emojis and a thumbs-up.
When we got into the car in front of the station, it was already dark. I’d sent Callum home and climbed into the backseat next to Lothair. Kyle was driving. With a humanin the car with us, I couldn’t really tear Lothair a new one, so we sat in silence.
My client scrolled on his phone, watching the various videos of the climb. When I glanced at him from the corner of my eye, he was grinning like a kid after pulling a prank.
“So sorry for interrupting your day, Terrance,” he said, his tone annoyingly cheerful. “You didn’t have to come.”
“Callum called me.”
“He’s slow. I bet if it had been you, I wouldn’t have been able to get away.” Lothair eyed me up and down suggestively.
“I should have plucked you from the building with my claws,” I hissed under my breath.
He chuckled. “That would bring the spectacle to another level. Next time.”
He looked way too satisfied with himself. I’d better watch the passing traffic.
“How much was the fine?” I asked after a while.
“I don’t know yet. I’m guessing up to 25k plus some legal fees.” He didn’t sound bothered by it at all.
“Worth it?”
“You bet. Besides, the money goes into the city’s general fund that pays for the fire department, parks, playgrounds, and shit like that. I’m just making my yearly contribution.”
What did one say to that? I almost laughed, but I didn’t want to give Lothair the satisfaction.
It must have been the highly enjoyable session with Zach, but my good mood persisted.
I wouldn’t quit just yet. Maybe if I adjusted my attitude, Lothair could become an interesting challenge.
6
Party like Gatsby
TERRANCE
Allan Caspian’smansion and the surrounding park took up ten acres in Ardaine’s priciest neighborhood. When we arrived, the property was already crawling with security. We made it through the strict search on entry, and I left my gun in a safety box by the guarded reception area.
“This is exactly the type of event where you’d be perfectly fine going by yourself if you wanted.”
Smoothing a hand through his hair, Lothair gave me a sideways glance. “I couldn’t have known that, could I?”
“I thought you were a regular guest at Caspian’s parties.”
Did he want me here?
“Since it seems to be so safe, how about you take a night off?” he said. “Have a drink and enjoy yourself.”
