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“Never tell me their names. I might be inclined to banish them. I’m going to take this back to my study. I want to go over everything Navarro has managed to gather on both Gutierrez and my mate.” He stopped at the kitchen door. “About what happened with Larisa…”
“Do not trouble yourself, my alpha. That she dosed you with catnip is known by all. The majority feel you were most generous in allowing Navarro to remain and take her to mate. She will need to do more than a little fence mending to find herself welcomed back into the fold. The fact that you have forgiven her will make others think twice about wanting to hold her accountable. Catnip is a toxin as well as an aphrodisiac to our kind. She could very well have killed you or gotten herself killed by you. Navarro made a wise choice in allowing the sounds of her punishment to be heard by all. That, too, soothed their ire. You are loved by your people and anyone who strikes at you strikes at us all.”
“Remind those who speak of it that Larisa was not here by her choice and that she was desperate and alone. I do not hold her responsible for what happened, only myself. She is now Navarro’s mate, and she will be accorded the respect she is due. I would personally appreciate her being afforded the grace the rest of us are given when we fuck up.”
“I will see that your wishes on the matter are known to all.”
Bodie smiled. He and Navarro might be seen as the ranking members of the clan, but they both knew Maurice had the love and respect of everyone. He was not only a master chef, but someone whose trust and counsel could be depended upon.
He re-entered his study and sank down into his comfortable leather desk chair, swirling it around so he could eat his jambalaya and look out over the lawns, to the dunes and beyond to the Gulf.
Many had questioned whether Gutierrez would try to invade Bodie, orEl Tigre’s, territory. It made some sense. After all, the Port of New Orleans was one of the country’s major ports, and combined with the Mississippi River, it provided an excellent means of transportation into the United States’ heartland as well as the rest of the world. The Crescent City provided an easy and economical way to link the consumptive economy of the U.S. with the cartel’s extraction economy of drugs and other raw materials. This new drug of Gutierrez’ posed a threat not only to New Orleans, but to the world, as well.
As far as Bodie was concerned, his syndicate was playing a critical role in shutting down Gutierrez once and for all. Finishing his jambalaya, Bodie took a deep breath and turned back to the paperwork on his desk. Some of it was routine and only required a cursory glance and a signature. But some held interesting tidbits of information that required more scrutiny and consideration.
One such item was a small newspaper in the Crescent City. There above the fold was an item regarding corruption in the awarding of various defense contracts out of the Navy and Air Force’s joint reserve base in Belle Chasse. The reporting was good, and the prose was well-written. But it was the journalist’s byline, which included her picture that drew his eye. Recognition hit him like a thunderclap on a sunny afternoon.
Grinning, he whispered. “There you are.”
CHAPTER6
QUINN
Quinn’s article on the corrupt defense contract bidding had hit the front page of the Gazette this morning. She’d already fielded several calls from other journalists around the country as well as the Associated Press. She was feeling on top of her game as she entered the bullpen and was greeted by a standing ovation not only from her fellow reporters, but Levi, as well. The editor walked out of his office smiling and laughing.
“Well done, Forrester. Well done. I’m already fielding calls from Belle Chasse and Washington,” cackled Levi. “Your evidence of the corruption in that last round of bidding is bulletproof. The commander out at Belle Chasse is demanding the name of your source. I told him to go pound sand, and if the guy had felt he could go through the chain of command, he would have.”
“I don’t know that he didn’t have an ax to grind, but I have another source out there who won’t give me anything but will confirm anything I get.”
“Those kinds of sources are worth their weight in gold,” said Rosie.
“I suppose you think you’ve secured your spot,” said Dave.
“Actually, that piece was almost done when Levi talked to me.”
“That’s just run-of-the-mill reporting for a journalist of Quinn’s talents,” said Levi. “I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next. The rest of you had best be at the top of your game. So far, I’d say Quinn has secured her spot. Before you get settled or head back out, Quinn, pop into my office.”
“Will do,” said Quinn nodding her head ever so slightly.
What the hell is up now?
She handed a copy of the corroborating evidence to Yvette, who filed it away in a locked, fireproof file room. It was as safe there as it was in a bank. Nevertheless, Quinn had duplicate files for everything saved in a secure cloud storage unit, as well as flash drives containing her backup locked away in a safe deposit box at her bank. She had learned her lesson years ago.
Returning to her desk, she checked her messages and emails, set up her laptop, and grabbed a cup of coffee before heading into Levi’s office.
“At the risk of making you nervous, shut the door,” he said. “Take a seat. I meant what I said out there. You are at no risk of losing your job. I do think that piece lit a fire under the ass of the others, though, and it really pissed off the military.”
“Sorry about that.”
Levi waved it off. “Don’t be. I haven’t had this much fun in years.”
Quinn grinned. “You’re a sick sonofabitch.”
“Yes, I am,” Levi agreed with an amused snicker. “Now, tell me, what’s up next on your agenda.”
“I keep hearing rumors about the Gutierrez cartel and a new drug he wants to bring to market, specifically through the port here in New Orleans and up the Mississippi to the rest of the country.”
Levi nodded. “It would make a great story, but a dangerous one. Gutierrez is old school. If he gets wind of this before he can be apprehended or driven from the country, he could well come after you. He’s ruthless.”
