“Only if I need to, Cian. As long as your men have stayed in line. If not, our next meeting won’t be so friendly.”
He sneers but doesn’t say anything further. Cian is a man of many words, and most respect what he says, because he lives by them. The Hayes deal in drugs and pleasure. They own almost all the clubs and bars in town, pumping their drugs through the city.
Cian enjoys his high life and is very careful not to step on toes. So far. Doesn’t mean mistakes don’t happen, and in the way I glare at him, he seems to understand my silent thoughts.
Cian gives me a simple nod, and then it’s just us.
Me and the Grim. Round two for today.
“We did not have a meeting,” she finally says.
“Remove your hand from the gun, Grim,” I tell her, to which she smirks. She fucking smirks.
This woman likes playing with fire, or perhaps we’re cut from the same cloth.
She’s efficient, and I can tell right now what’s going through her mind. If she gets rid of me, I won’t be a problem any longer.
So I match her insincere, devilish smile.
9
LEONORE
“And what if I choose not to remove my hand?” I dare. He takes a step closer, not even caring that my hand is on a gun. How he knew that is beyond me.
“The last person who pointed a gun at me is dead,” he informs me.
“Do you plan to kill me, Mr. Vescari?” I ask, sickly sweet. “Because if you do, here would be the perfect place to do so.” I wink, and when I do, he opens the side counter, which leads him back to where I am. He takes a few steps so he’s standing next to me, then his calloused hand reaches under the counter to where mine is and covers it. He smells of citrus and wood, light, controlled, and intentional. The scent of a man who probably never had to raise his voice because they fear him just for his presence alone. When the heat of his hand wraps around mine, I pull my hand away, and his stays under. He pulls my gun out, his dark eyes trained on me.
“No plans on killing you yet, Miss Graves,” he says to me, then slides the gun back into its place. “But if you could kindly inform me of why you didn’t show, that would be great.”
“I don’t owe you an explanation of what I do on my personal time, Mr. Vescari. That is not in our business arrangement.” He seems to think about my words, then nods as if in agreement.
“However, I’m going to need you to be more specific as to what you saw the night Pietro Vescari’s body came in.”
“I told you?—”
“I have no other leads,” he growls out, and I freeze for a moment, not out of fear, but because it’s the same as the night he first walked in. That clipped control of his is slipping. Whoever that man was, he’s important. Guilt floods me because I feel partly responsible for all of this.
I know better than to show any kindness. But I say at the very least, “I don’t either.” And it shames me to admit.
“Then you will help me. We’ll work together on this.”
My head whips in his direction. “I don’t know what you expect me to do. I have fewer resources than you.”
He doesn’t hesitate to agree with the fact, but says, “I have two beliefs. One is that whoever dropped the body off here wanted me to know it was here, implicating you in the meantime, and I need to find out why. Or two, whoever murdered him was careless, and the body should’ve never crossed your tables in the first place. I need to know who.”
“But by now the body could be…”Gone.
He doesn’t let me finish that sentence. “I’m aware of the implications, Miss Graves. But I need to bring my family closure.”
It’s the honesty in his tone that has me looking at him twice.
Don’t do it, Leonore.The devil is working on the minuscule amount of guilt I have. But it is also my job. One that I’d like to keep uninterrupted for as long as I can.
I cross my arms over my chest, sizing him up once again. “If I help you, you’ll leave me alone after we find out who did this.Business as usual. No personal visits or demands. And I’m not helping you during working hours.”
“Of course,” he says as if I’ve pointed out the obvious. Most likely because he’s getting his fucking way. I don’t compromise. Ever. But it also benefits me to know who involved themselves.
