“Can I help you?”
Anton didn’t move, even the air around him seemed to still. I looked over to find him studying the blonde. I had never seen him look as he did just then. It was subtle, only those who knew him well would pick up on his intense mood of the moment. And yet when he spoke his voice gave nothing away.
“Anton Scalene to see Lucien Black.”
She recognized his name with how her eyes grew wide. She moved from around the bar. “I’ll let him know you’re here.”
At that moment a woman came from the back hall tying her black hair into a ponytail. “Tara, is there more coffee?” She stopped short when she saw us. “Oh. Hi.”
The Tara chick said to the woman, as she walked around her heading to the offices in the back, “This is Anton Scalene.”
The second woman’s reaction wasn’t like Tara’s. Her eyes didn’t widened; they narrowed. “Darcy Black. So what trouble are you looking to pull my husband into?”
“Behave wife,” a deep voice said just before a man, I assumed was Lucien, appeared. He stepped up next to his wife and pressed a kiss on her forehead before he turned his attention to Anton. “Good to see you.”
“And you. This is Damian Tate, a friend.”
Lucien extended his hand to me. “Nice to meet you.”
I jerked my chin in greeting as I took his hand.
Anton asked, “Do you have a minute?”
“Yeah.” Lucien turned to his wife. “I won’t be long and then we’ll go over the report. Line by line.”
His wife blushed and lowered her lashes before she whispered, “Don’t do anything crazy.”
Lucien gestured to the room down the hall before he said to his wife, “Me? Doing something crazy? Never.”
In his office, I stood near the door while Anton took a seat on the sofa. Lucien followed us in and closed the door. He didn’t mince words. “Why are you here?”
“Salvatore Federico. I need your help convincing the man it’s in his best interest to talk to me. I’ve had one sit down with him, but he wasn’t very forthcoming.”
“Why do you want a sit down?”
“Damian’s girl’s dad was a cop, murdered in the line of duty. I think Federico knows more about that than he’s saying.”
I didn’t know this Lucien dude, but I did know rage when I saw it. He turned his attention to me. “I’m sorry.” His focus shifted back to Anton. “Alright, tell me what you know.”
I had spent the day thinking about Dad. He was the kind of man who would have absolutely looked into bad cops. He loved the job, the badge, and anyone tarnishing that would have been high on his list. But the idea it was a fellow man in blue that was responsible for his death was sickening and infuriating. And I felt helpless because there was very little I could do but sit back and wait for the guys to piece it all together. It was enough to make a person crazy, but tonight was a big deal for a friend and client, so I had to put all of it on the back burner and focus on making her night as special as possible.
The remedy had done it again. After the breakfast Damian had made and a nice long shower I felt great. I finished dressing in my sassy little black dress and left my brown curls down because Damian had always loved my wild hair. And yes I was preening for him. I added a little makeup to bring out the green specks in my brown eyes and slipped on my black sandals. I was just switching out my purse when Damian arrived. I pulled the door open, he didn’t come in, but he did give me a once over. My face was down as I organized my bag, but I felt his eyes. I liked having his eyes on me, and the heat that followed his gaze down my body as he took his time to appreciate.
“I’m ready.” I reached for my keys then finally looked at him and it was me who took my time appreciating him. He was dressed in a black suit, charcoal gray shirt unbuttoned at the collar. There was something ridiculously sexy about a man like him dressed like that. And while I looked with unabashed interest and want in my expression, his expression looked pained. “What?”
“It’s cold.”
“Outside? It is fall, but we’ll be inside with lots of people.”
“You should cover up.”
Understanding dawned and with it I felt smug and sexy as hell. With feigned innocence I looked down at myself. “Is there something wrong with what I’m wearing?”
“Sainted, I should be fucking sainted.”
The ride to the gallery was a silent one. We pulled into valet and as he walked around the car, women were checking him out. I didn’t like their blatant show of interest, but I understood it because I was tempted to worship him myself.