AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“That’sveryinteresting,” Shane says. “Now why don’t you get to the part where you tell us what you want from Danny?”
“They’re trying to recruit you,” Big Mike says. It’s not a question. “Because of your past as The Reaper. Your work for Jarrod Travis.”
He doesn’t mention my work as Bo Peep, which is a relief, but not much of one. RetCon knows, and they’ve made it clear they’re willing to talk if I don’t fall in line.
“Maybe,” I say. “I agree with my buddy the lawyer. I’d like to know what you want from me.” A new fear blinks into being. “Wait…are you trying to get me to accept their offer and go undercover?”
Big Mike laughs as if I’ve said something hilarious. “No, my friend. We don’t send out other people to do our job for us. You wouldn’t know what to look for, or how to lie.”
Little does he know, I’ve been wearing masks all my life. I’ve also listened to enough ofThe Murderer Next Doorto have a pretty good idea of what’s suspicious.
But I’m not going to try to convince him to give me a job I don’t want.
“Okay, so whatdoyou want?”
“We have it on good authority that they’re working on a project that could be devastating to national security. We were hoping you might be willing to steer them toward someone else. Red Snake,” he says, sounding almost proud about it.
“That’s you,” Shane says.
I wouldn’t have taken him for a hacker, but Big Mike nods and grins.
I’m tempted to tell him that he probably shouldn’t have called himself a snake if he’s planning to fuck them over, but what do I know. Maybe it’s better to call out the possibility, act like you’re above suspicion.
“So I tell them I’m not interested but my buddy the Red Snake is all in? You don’t think that’s going to come off as suspicious?”
“Daphne used to be your woman, right?”
I feel a throb of pain in my chest—and a strange awareness of Mira upstairs, maybe even directly above my head. Listening toThe Murderer Next Doormaybe. “Yes,” I say flatly.
“So she trusts you.”
I consider this, then nod. “I guess she probably does. I’d be a dick to abuse that.”
Shane gives a dry laugh. He probably didn’t mean to, given he doesn’t particularly like giving away information for free, but he’s not quite himself lately. “And she didn’t abuse your trust?”
I consider it for a moment, then say, “They know things about me that could be…inconvenient.”
“The Reaper,” Big Mike says. “We know about that.” He smiles at me, and it strikes me that the Red Snake isn’t such a bad name for him. “And we know about Bo Peep too. Interesting shift.”
Before I can tell him that I figured it wasn’t such a bad idea for people to assume Bo Peep was a woman, Shane lifts a hand. “My client admits to nothing. But we would be interested in whether the FBI or local law enforcement would feel the need to pursue such…allegations, baseless as they may be.”
Big Mike gives him a shit-eating grin. “Not if we get what we want. We could offer certain protections.”
Shane glances at me, then back at Big Mike. “What else can you do?”
The big man laughs. “You’re implying you want a cessation of his agreement with Jarrod Travis.”
“And if I am?”
My heart beats fast and hard in my chest while I wait for his answer.
“Then I’d have to inform you that we can’t dismantle a private arrangement. However, we could put significant pressure on Mr. Travis not to file suit if your client reneged on certain aspects of the arrangement.”
“You have dirt on him,” I say, instantly hungry for it.
Big Mike gives me a pointed look. “If you break into our system, I’ll know who did it.”
So noted.
