“They don’t get a vote.”
“I’m trying to protect you from my dealings with him!Can’t you see that, Selena!?”
The line stopped her before she could answer.
Connor stepped closer, voice dipping lower again.“Listen to me.Morimer likes rules when they’re his.He called me because I went to him.Because I paid him.Because right now, whatever this is, he sees it as his arrangement with me.”
“That’s exactly why you shouldn’t go alone.He’ll extort you for something!”
“If you come, he’ll turn it into a confrontation.Federal agent on his land.Jurisdiction.Warrants.He’ll make a show out of it.Or worse, he won’t let us through the gate at all and then say Marlene escaped just to piss us off”
“Then we get a warrant.”
"On what probable cause?My phone call with a man who'll deny every word?By the time we get paperwork, he'll be sitting empty-handed, talking about "Marlene who?"He likes to play games.If I have to play it to keep things going smoothly, then so be it."
Selena looked at the sheriff’s department window.Cheryl stood inside, watching them through the glass.
“Connor, this is Morimer.You said it yourself.He doesn’t do anything for free.”
“I know.”
"No, you don't.You think because you paid him, you control the terms.You don't.I can contact my boss.She could alert the investigating team, and they could go and get her..."
"I can get her without making this worse.If your colleagues turn up, for all I know, he'll make out like I've done worse.Like I'm on the take.Marlene'll be scared… She might have murdered Victor, but I've known her for years.She deserves better than being held in a crime boss's house with God knows who hanging around gawking at her."
The heat pressed around them.
"Selena," he said softly."If the FBI have that place bugged, I don't want you to somehow become complicit in my mistake.Please.Besides, you said Meg didn't want you going in there and messing with their investigation.You come in with me, and you'd be disobeying a direct order.I know how much the FBI means to you.I don't want to jeopardize that."
Selena searched his face.The anger was still there, but it had been joined by something less volatile.Fear for Marlene, yes.Guilt, certainly.Also calculation.Connor knew this county in ways she did not.She hated that it mattered.She hated most that he was trying to be noble for her sake.
She wanted to say screw it and call Meg.Let her know what was happening.Let her make the hard choices.But the look in Connor’s eyes.A pleading.She couldn’t resist it.She never could.
Why am I letting him do this?She thought.That was the mystery inside of herself.All Selena knew was that she was going to let him win.
“For God’s sake!What’s your plan, then?”she asked.
“I drive in.I talk to him.I bring Marlene out.”
“That’s not a plan.That’s you driving straight into his hands.”
"You overcomplicate things, Selena."
“I can trail you, at least.Then if he gets difficult, I can...”
“No.He has men on the roads before the gate.You won’t stay invisible.I’d rather not complicate things.”
She hated that he was probably right.
Connor softened his voice.“Give me one hour.”
“No.”
“Selena.”
“If you’re not out in forty minutes, I’m coming.”
“That may make things worse.”
