Burke laughs at that and taps a ring against the glass. It pings out, ringing loud and clear in the dining room, and I swear the chatter slowly gets quieter as if they’re all listening for Burke to start making a speech.
But the big captain only leans forward.
“I’ve been in this business a long time, Kellen. Do you know what that means?”
“It means you’re a survivor.”
“Exactly.” Burke points at him. “You’re a killer. You’re not a survivor. There’s a difference. You’re good at the scorched earth bit and I have no doubts that you’ll do what you’re saying you want to do, but I’m sitting here wondering, at what cost? All these reforms might be lipstick on a pig. When you’re done with the family, who knows what we’ll have left?”
“I guess there’s only one way to find out.”
Burke sips the wine and sighs. “This is great stuff, kid. You’ve got good taste in wine, I’ll give you that.”
“I won’t ask you to make a decision now. I know if I did, you’d say no. But wait a week or two and then come to me. Can you do that?”
“I’ll think about it at least.”
“Good man.”
Burke slides out of the booth and gets to his feet. “I should get going before someone realizes I’m missing. Send my regards to your mother, will you? Shame about her. She was always a good woman, real smart, real clever. Your father was lucky to have her. Shame about your father, too.”
“Fuck my father. But I’ll tell my mother you said hello.”
Burke laughs and walks off, hands shoved into his pockets.
Kellen watches him go like a predator staring down his meal before glancing toward me. “What do you think?”
I frown at him, confused. The implications of that meeting resonate in me like the sound of Burke’s ring against the wine glass. “What do you mean?”
“I want to know what you think about him.”
“I don’t think anything. I’m not even sure why the hell you’d bring me to this.”
“I value your opinion. Come on, you heard all that. You were watching him. What do you think?”
I open my mouth then shut it again. If this is a part of his game then fine, I can play along. I can give him my opinion for all the good it’ll do him, and then he’ll go ahead and do whatever he wants anyway, because a guy like Kellen only cares what he thinks and nobody else.
“I think he’s going to leave here, call Hugh, and tell him exactly what you said.”
Kellen laughs. He takes a long drink of wine and shakes his head, grinning, and flags down the waitress to order some food. He gets a few dishes without asking what I’d like and once the waitress is gone, he twists to look at me appraisingly.
“I think you’re right about that,” he says quietly, a smile still on his lips. “So if that’s the case then why would I set up this meeting at all?” His eyebrows raise and I can tell this is some sort of stupid test, but I can’t help myself. My brain’s whirring, trying to think a few moves ahead.
“You want to piss Hugh off and make him do something stupid.”
“That’s one reason.”
“And you want him to know that you’re serious. Maybe Burke might even change his mind.”
“Another. But not the main one.”
I sit back, glaring at him, and he puts a hand on my thigh. My heart beats fast and I can hear it in my ears as he slowly moves it up my legs, touching my smooth, bare skin, stopping only at the edge of my skirt barely eight inches from the warm, wet spot between my legs. I shiver and there’s a stupid, insane, horrible voice in the back of my head that’s screaming for him to keep fucking going, to touch me where I shouldn’t be touched right here in the restaurant in our little corner booth.
“You want Hugh to know I was here.”
“Exactly,” he says, beaming at me, and squeezes my leg tight. A shiver of pleasure runs down my spine at the touch and at getting it correct. “I want him to know you’re mine.”
“You’re such a fucking prick.” I shove his hand away, that good feeling very quickly gone, and adjust my dress so more of my leg is covered. “You’re using me.”