“Go on.”
“He’s trying to get some background on them. They’re very…selective.” She pauses, her gaze covering my face. “And their business model is something that fits his current needs—a private matter. However, he’d like some reassurance before taking the next step.”
“And he thought I would be the right person to offer reassurance?”
She ducks her head for a moment. “No. That was me.”
Interesting. “And who is this friend of yours?”
She straightens, and the self-assured Lydia settles back in place. “I don’t name-drop. Not to him. Not to you.”
It’s the first sensible thing she’s said. “You’re learning.” She may curse me inside, but on the outside, she’s the picture of patience.
My phone vibrates against my chest. I reach into my coat, checking the screen. Derrick. He must be watching. I glance up at the camera closest to us. Is he calling with congratulations? Knowing him, he’s come up with an excuse to skip out on meeting later for drinks.
I turn back to Lydia. “I couldn’t confirm a group like that exists.” She manages not to show disappointment. “But if it did, I’d take the invitation.” It’s the best I can do. When they approached me, Dante and Montoya made it clear they have a strict rule about sharing information. If a client runs their mouth, they’d be lucky if things end with being booted. The organization has amassed the kind of power that can make you or burn the world around you.
“I’ll leave you to your call.” She taps the briefcase then starts back to the elevators.
I answer with, “Hey, bro.”
Derrick blows out a breath.
My shoulders tighten as I immediately go on alert.
“You still in the area?” he asks, somewhere between distracted and relieved.
Oh hell. “Yeah,” I reply, waving off Lydia as she holds up her phone for me to call her later. I nod as the doors close behind her, glancing around to take in my surroundings—a habit ingrained into me from childhood. “You caught me in the parking lot, about to get into the truck.”
“You have a few?” he asks, determination in his voice. “I need to talk to you.”
“Don’t tell me.” I give him an exaggerated sigh. “You’re not going to make it tonight.” While we spent years together at boarding school then later in college, life has taken us in different directions. We seldom end up in any city or state at the same time now. I was hoping to have at least one night to kick back and hang out, but I have a feeling my plan is about to go out the window.
“It’s not that.” The ping of the elevator button sounds in the background. He’s heading down to find me. “We need to talk, and I can’t wait.”
I can’t wait? Somehow I feel like things are going from bad to worse. “Sounds serious.”
“It is,” he replies in a dire tone. “What level are you on?”
Derrick’s never been one to blow things out of proportion, so even if I had to catch a plane, I would reschedule the flight. “Okay, I’ll wait here for you.” A car alarm goes off, drawing my attention. “I’m parked on the fifth level.” I glance around, making sure I’m still alone. With my family’s business dealings straddling the line of what one would consider legal, it’s always best to be alert.
“I’m on the way.” He ends the call.
The alarm beeps twice, a door closes, then the car turns on somewhere on the level under me. The sound comes in clearly, so I’ll have to keep in mind someone may still be listening. In a place like this, someone could easily be hiding either to gain information or for more nefarious reasons.
I take in a deep breath. The breeze coming through is heavy with moisture, a sure sign the city’s going to be hit by the storm that’s been brewing in the Gulf over the last few days. That’s always tricky. Sometimes there’s rain, sometimes high winds, and sometimes the storm circles the city, cutting a wide path of devastation.
The elevator reaches the floor, the doors open, and Derrick exits. Under any other circumstance, I’d give him a hard time. Mr. IT Exec is decked out in a navy suit, sans the tie. A big change from the guy who’d give me grief for my own wardrobe choices.
He’s running his fingers through his hair, and it’s not because of the wind. “Hey, man.” Normally I’d get a bear hug, but he looks like his system crashed and there’s no backup.
“You okay?” I ask, not knowing what to expect.
“Yeah.” He nods, absently. “I just got a call from my mother,” he says, lip curling in disgust. A shame, really, considering in the time I’d spent around them while we were growing up, they’d always seemed to have a good relationship. “Somebody’s stealing money from the company.” He pauses, as if he’s at the edge of some cliff. “And it could be through the construction division.”
Oh. Fuck. “So I just bought myself a company that may have been targeted by a thief.” I’m annoyed more than anything else. I expected to take over a business that needs some improvement. Now I may need to gut it and start over. Things could get tricky because there’s no telling what I’ll have to deal with when it comes to legal issues.
“Addler.” He swallows hard, shaking his head as he searches for words. “I had no idea. I never would have—”