Page 84 of Direct Action

“Her,” he repeated.

“She’s . . .”

I didn’t hear the rest of what Len said, but I didn’t need to, to know this was bad.

“Hey, you okay?” Poppy asked, falling in step next to me.

“Do you know that man with Len Taylor?”

Thankfully Poppy didn’t look back at the table when she said, “I didn’t get a good look at him, but I don’t think so.”

“Do a lap around the room and see if you recognize him without getting close.”

She leaned closer to ask, “Did he do something?”

Oh, nothing, other than freak me the hell out and make the hair on the back of my neck stand at attention—a feeling every woman knows means danger is close.

“Just got a bad vibe.”

When I got back to the table to deliver drinks, the man called Dex was gone. That was weird, but what was even stranger was Len looking cowed.

“Thank you, Chloe.”

Chloe!

Chloe, not pretty girl.

What the hell?

“Anything else I can get for you?”

“No, that’ll be all.”

With no other reason to stand there, I left the table.

By the time I circled back, the table was empty.

Both drinks sat untouched.

Chapter Twenty-Six

“Ryan?” I didn’t miss the hesitancy in Chloe’s tone.

I also didn’t have it in me to assuage that uncertainty.

Not when a battle was raging and I wasn’t entirely certain I’d be able to beat back my need to find Len Taylor and wrap my hands around his throat until he explained what the fuck his friend meant by her. Then it was debatable if I’d stop there or just put the fucker down.

Instead of answering her, I nabbed my phone and tossed it to Chloe.

“Twelve twenty-four. Call Beck.”

“Ryan—”

“Need a minute, Chloe.”

While she was calling Beck, I went over everything we knew about Len Taylor, which wasn’t much. He was Blackwell’s investment manager. No priors. No wife. No children. Current on his mortgage and the rest of his bills. Heathy bank accounts and investments—as they would be. No deposits that were unaccounted for. No hefty withdrawals or payments.

Beyond that he had a small roster of clients—all überwealthy, but, from what Fallon could find, all legitimate. There were no red flags that would necessitate Shep to take a look into Taylor’s roster.