Blood in the Water(37)
“Yeah, I know how much you like it.” His eyes lit on Jane.
Byron wanted to punch him in the mouth. If Jane hadn’t been there, they probably would’ve had a tussle right here in front of God and country.
Sure, he’d bird-dogged her for months, but it was all about the chase. Jane was a lawyer for God’s sake—they were on opposite ends of the law. Unfortunately, she seemed to be the one defense attorney in Dallas who still had scruples. She, honest to God, believed in the system. They might have fun for a few weeks, but it wouldn’t go anywhere serious.
And I don’t have feelings for her, dammit. It is about sex and the pursuit, nothing more.
“Sometimes I hate your ass.”
“No, ya don’t.”
They grinned at one another—it was a running gag between the two of them.
“Stopped by Tucker’s place this afternoon.” Dix’s features darkened.
They had another thing in common—both of them hated their boss’s guts.
“Anythin’ interestin’ happen?”
“It can wait.” He shot a glance at the two women. “I’ll fill you in later.”
Tucker Cobb was a tetchy dickhead who was shady as fuck, with his blonde hooker parties and his even dirtier secrets. It was even rumored he’d had his own daughter murdered. His only surviving kin was his granddaughter, Mary Cobb, though the old man doted on her.
Since Byron had stepped up in the organization, he’d put the kibosh on the worst of the outfit’s activities, like getting them out of the heroin business.
Yet another reason Tucker hated his ass, but seeing as how the day to day operations fell under Byron’s job description, Tucker could go piss up a rope. As long as Byron made money and didn’t fuck anything up, he was golden.
One day soon, Byron would have a showdown with him—he could feel it coming. In his fantasies, it was a high noon sort of deal—winner takes all. Tucker deserved to be taken down, just like Buckley had earned his comeuppance.
Just as Dix and Belle said their goodbyes, Jane’s phone rang, and she checked the screen then dropped the phone like it’d stung her.
“What’s wrong?” Byron focused on her ashen face.
“It’s Valentine.”
Chapter Nine
“Answer it.”
Jane shook her head. If Byron thought she was going to have a chat with that lunatic, he was out of his mind. Tossing her phone in the trash and running away sounded like a much better plan. The only way she wanted to communicate with Valentine again was in a court of law, with him in the hot seat, answering for his crimes.
“We gotta know what he’s up to. And find out if he saw the footage of me, or Vick and Jasper removin’ his cameras.” Byron’s voice was slow and gentle. “You can do this. You’re only talkin’ to the man, and I’ll be right here with you the whole time.”
He was right.
Steeling herself, Jane hit the button. “Hello, Oscar. How nice to hear from you.”
“Why did you take so long to answer?”
Byron made a “come with me” motion and led her down a hallway, then through a black door. Inside was a neat and orderly office, which must belong to Ten.
Everything in the space was black and white with no splashes of color anywhere. Stark Ansel Adams prints hung on the walls, nothing but barren black and white landscapes. A black desk flanked by gun metal filing cabinets. The only thing in the room which could be considered personal was a book, a collection of Edgar Allen Poe’s stories and poems, placed face down on the arm of the couch.
No point in delaying this any further.
“You caught me at dinner.” Jane bit the inside of her cheek.
“With who?”
“A client.” Jane prided herself on the obscure answer.
“Something tells me you’ve left a detail or two out. I need to see your beautiful face to have a conversation properly. Don’t keep me waiting, Jane.”
The phone beeped, and she checked the screen. Oscar Valentine would like to FaceTime. Accept or Decline.
Jane groaned. This was way worse than a phone call.
She showed the phone to Byron who nodded.
Clenching her teeth, she accepted. Jane sat on the black leather sofa by the window while Byron took a seat at the desk across from her so he wouldn’t be seen on camera.
Valentine appeared on the screen. “There you are. You look lovely tonight, Jane.”
“Thank you.”
He was seated in one of the Adirondack chairs outside of his cabin. She could hear a fire crackling outside of the camera’s line of sight.
“Now that we’ve got the pleasantries out of the way, tell me about the man you’re dining with.”