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“Don’t say his name.” The exhausted despair in his voice shocked me.
I sat back, looking at the traffic around us. “At least you have the decency to be ashamed.”
He huffed with anger, then went quiet. We rode for a while in silence. Finally, he said, “I’m not that drunk.”
“Not as badly as last time. But still noticeable. And it’s making you belligerent.” At least I hoped that was what his attitude was about. “If there is no problem behind all of this, why have you not taken your situation in hand?”
“It’s not that bad,” he started, and I rolled my eyes.
“Do you want the back of my hand again? You’re acting like a fresh recruit. If you want to keep your standing, get whatever help you need and dry out. I don’t want to see you in this condition again or I’ll have to punish you in front of the men. Harshly.” I locked eyes with him until he looked away.
I hated this. Why did there seem to be no getting through to him? Or at least, very little.Could it be the alcohol? I had never seen any signs of addiction in him in all this time. He’d abused his liver plenty during weekend parties, but no more than the rest of us.
Something was going on. And it bothered me deeply that he wouldn’t even admit there was a problem, let alone tell me what it was. Now he had challenged me because I had any lover at all, but had forbidden him from sleeping with a potential enemy saboteur.
I didn’t know why, but it bothered me that he knew Olivia was my lover. That he knew her face and where she worked. I wondered why that would worry me, the man was still my best friend. It didn’t make sense to worry about his knowing.
But then again, his behavior didn’t make sense either. I prayed I was wrong, but my gut told me there was going to be more trouble ahead between us. I just didn’t want Olivia dragged into it in the process.
***
It was raining the day of the auction, with a sunset-dark sky at noon and wind blowing umbrellas inside out all over Cambridge. Boris was beside me, but this time, sober and a lot less nervous. We were all packing, all wary.
When you worked in the underworld and were more than semi-famous, you didn’t want to end up showing your face in public at any scheduled event. If your enemies knew you were going to be at a certain place at a certain time, it made it easier for them to set up an attack.
It was a damned book auction. It shouldn’t have required us to wear vests under our suits, or for me to bring out my Taurus Judge just to settle family affairs. But with a war with the Puerto Ricans still looming over us, I couldn’t take any chances.
I had brought ten men with me besides Boris to mingle with the crowd. Some would already be there, others would trail in after me, linked by their throat mics but seemingly here completely on their own.
“I wonder who’s going to be there,” I mused as we drove into the auction house’s VIP parking lot. To hear Olivia speak of it, there were enough wealthy book enthusiasts in the Boston metro area to ensure a very large crowd. Hopefully, that meant that everything would sell.
But large crowds had their drawbacks as well. Harder to watch for problems, or get to them before they blew up. More innocent people for the enemy to use as meat shields before we could get to them.
Hopefully, none of the Puerto Ricans had gotten wind of the auction series. But if they had, we would be as ready for them as possible.
Boris grunted and pointed across the street to the packed regular parking lot, where cars circled futilely looking for spaces. “Too many for the lot, apparently.”
“I see that. Well, let’s see what Uncle Mischka’s books will get us.”
I didn’t bother with an umbrella, as for Boris, he used one of the big golf ones that had a windproof flap and unbreakable struts. He held it over both of us as we hurried toward the awning-sheltered entrance.
Inside, the lobby already bustled with activity. I looked around for Olivia and quickly caught sight of her standing by a small flock of suited employees with name tags, probably doing a last-minute briefing. They scattered away slowly after she finished, and I walked over, giving her a smile.
“Good afternoon, my dear. You look lovely.” She had dressed up a bit for the auction, in a long aubergine gown just modest and severe enough to make her still look like she meant business. The silk shimmered slightly as she moved, making her look a little like a 1940s femme fatale.
She lowered her head slightly and blushed at the compliment, which made me smile. “Thank you. We’re ready to head in when you are.”
As she turned to leave, I wrapped my fingers lightly around her wrist and drew her close, reveling at the way her breath caught and her gaze softened as she stared up at me.
“Where is Michael today?”
She blinked at me, her blue eyes wide and slightly confused. “He’s with his aunt, Anna. She’s babysitting—”
“Good.” I smiled, and resisted the urge to dip my head and capture her slightly parted lips. “You’ll be leaving with me once we’re done here.”
“O-oh,” she stuttered.Adorable.“I…okay.”
My smile stretched, and it took all my willpower to take a brisk step back from her. The only thing that made the distance between us bearable was the way her breath escaped her in a long, shaky exhale that left me in no doubt that she was equally affected by my nearness.
