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He sighs and stands up, folding his hands behind his back. “If we are going to get into this, I at least need some tea.”
He turns and walks away, gesturing for me to follow. “Join me in the kitchen, and I’ll tell you what you need to know.”
* * *
If he had recently eaten lunch, there is no trace of the dishes now. The marble countertops are spotless and shining and the stovetop looks like it could be brand-new. Rick grabs his electric kettle, fills it, and then flips it on. He turns around when the kettle whirs to life.
“What do you want to know?”
“Everything,” I say quickly. “Anything you can tell me. As much as you can tell me.”
He hums. “What do you already know?”
“The LeClerc Cartel deal in human trafficking,” I say. “They sell mostly to the elite, so it is a classy operation, at least as far as those things go. But honestly, that is about the extent of it. I’m in the dark here, Rick”
“Okay.” The kettle clicks off, and Rick drops a tea bag into a mug, fills it with steaming water, and then turns back to me, his fingers curled around his tea. “Do you want any?”
I impatiently decline and bite my tongue as he takes a cautious sip of his tea. Then, he leans against the counter and takes a deep breath.
“The LeClerc Cartel auction is going to be a five-day event at the Crooked Tree Inn. It’s a historic place. Very upscale.”
“Five days? Why so long?”
He shrugs. “The men there are going to spend a lot of money, so the Cartel likes to make it worth their time. Plus, it gives them time to peruse the selection.” He looks at me nervously and then brings the cup to his lips, taking a small sip. “Andsamplewhat they may want.”
Heat floods my chest, and I clench my hands.Breathe, motherfucker,I tell myself. “How do I get in?”
Rick sets his mug down on the counter and crosses his arms over his narrow chest. “It is exclusive, obviously, but bidders can vouch for one another.”
“Are you a bidder?” I ask.
Rick nods and then turns and walks out of the room without another word. For a moment, I think I’m supposed to follow him, but then he returns with something in his hands. When he holds it up, I realize it is a mask.
“They send these to the bidders a few weeks early,” he says, turning the black mask over in his hands. Printed on the right temple is a small line drawing of the Cartel’s symbol—cracked bull horns. “I wasn’t originally on the list, but Levi Cornish gave it to me.”
“The thief?” I ask. I’ve never met him, but I’ve heard his name around. Like Rick, he works with everyone, going wherever the money is and stealing whatever he is assigned.
He nods and then chuckles, holding the mask out to me. “He thought I needed to get laid, but clearly, you need this more than I do.”
The mask is sturdier than I expected. It is a hard plastic covered in a durable, smooth fabric. I hold it up to my face for a moment, looking out from the eyeholes, and then pull it away.
“Is the mask just a ticket or do I need to wear it?”
“Both,” Rick says. “It should be enough to get you through the door no questions asked, but you need to wear it once you are inside. This event is attended by a lot of other men on your side of the law. Many of them have worked together before, so as much as possible, the Cartel likes to avoid any bad blood or vendettas rising to the surface. So, everyone covers their faces. It isn’t a perfect system, but it usually provides the right level of anonymity to keep the men inside calm.”
“You sound like you’ve been before.”
“Once,” he admits. “Right when the event first started. But once was enough for my taste. And if we are being honest, I’m surprised you are interested in going at all.”
“I wouldn’t be going if it wasn’t necessary.”
He nods and then tilts his head to the side. “Is everything okay with Eve?”
The mention of her name sets me on edge, and I grit my teeth. I do my best to smile. “As far as I know.”
He pulls his brows together. “Word has been going around that you’ve been domesticated. Everyone thought you were enamored with your partner. I’m only surprised you’d be interested in another woman so soon after the birth of your daughter.”
Rick may be guessing at the truth, wondering if my urgency might hint that something is wrong with Eve, but I can’t reveal anything to him. As he has made clear, his loyalty is not with me, but his career. If someone were to come along and offer him a sizable amount of money, I have to assume Rick would sell out my plans in a second.
