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“Hang on a second, Archer.” Minka answers on the move. Rustling clothes, echoing footsteps, and the soft chatter of professional people in polite places coalesce to create a picture in my mind. “Thanks,” she murmurs to someone else. “Back to the house, please.”
“Look at you, being a boss babe and ordering your driver around like that.” I slouch in my chair and release a groan that began somewhere in the depths of my soul. “Mrs. Malone is a title that suits you.”
“I might be the reason a brand-new investigation is opened and the Feds focus on Felix,” finally, she brings her attention back to me, exhaling and shuffling so I see her, mentally, fixing her seat belt and setting her bag on the chair at her side. “The FBI may call me in as a witness.”
“Yeah?” Grinning, I roll my shoulder and allow my old wound to move. Stretch. Warm. “What did you do? Has he hired someone to kill you yet?”
“I was on the phone to Aubree, so naturally, dead bodies were the topic at hand.”
“Naturally.”
“We were talking work. But Ialsomentioned Felix Malone and something about being in his home against my wishes.”
A cathartic chuckle works along my throat. “Oops.”
“Now, obviously, those dead bodies aren’t because of him, but these people in the sandwich store didn’t know that. I’m certain statements have already been made and a grand trial is being assembled. I haven’t told him the bad news yet, but I figure that’s something he can work out with Micah. Do you think he’ll have me killed?”
“Nah.” I rest my ankle on the opposite knee and stare across the bullpen, spying the boardroom and studying each cop who walks through. Some in uniform, some not. Some happily chatter, while others are more focused. “Felix kinda has this thing for you, Minnnka. He loves Christabelle, of course. And she’s who he devotes his life to. But you came first, and he’s a loyal man. He’ll never truly let go of what he feels for you. So you don’t have to worry about being whacked, but if the Feds tap your shoulder and ask for a statement…”
“I’ll be sure to cooperate,” she teases. “Might even sign my statement with one of Aubree’s cute glittery pens. How’s your investigation coming along?”
“Well…”Tear the Band-Aid off, Dickhead.“Kinda got shot at today.”
“What?” Predictably, she explodes. “Are you serious, Archer? Who the hell shot at you? Are you in the hospital?”
My phone vibrates, Felix’s name demanding I take his call. Though he knows I won’t hang up on Minka, so he hangs up just as quickly and texts instead.You were shot at today?
“For fuck’s sake. Is Felix in the car with you right now?”
“No! Harrison is. Did you get hit?”
“Who is Harrison? And why is he a snitch for Lix?”
“He’s my security detail. Not a very smart one, considering I almost slit his throat today. Did you get hit, Archer? Does that mean you caught your perp, your case is closed, and you’re coming to New York?” Then she gasps, soft and small and entirely toogirlyfor her. “Youweren’thit! Which is why you’ve called me. If you were, you’d be in the hospital and Fletch would have made the call. That means you can be here by around midnight? I’ll wait up for you.”
“I wasn’t hit,” I sigh, dropping my gaze and smiling. “I wouldn’t tell you if I was: you’re right, I would have made Fletch do it. I didn’t catch my perp, though. This dude today was strange and impulsive, but he’s not our guy. What was that thing about you slitting a dude’s throat? I wanna focus on that for a sec.”
“He was following me. I didn’t know who he was or what he wanted, so I led him into an alleyway, grabbed my blade, and demanded answers.”
“Of course you did!” No longer lax, I shove up from my chair and push it back under the table. “Minka! He could have been your worst fuckin’ enemy, and you led him somewhere secluded on purpose? You’re not as strong as you think you are!”
“Says you. I dealt with my situation, chewed out your brothers, and now here I am?—”
“Still with your security detail,” I groan. “Minnnnka. You didn’t deal with shit. You got noisy, put yourself in a situation, and Felix still got his own way. I don’t think you understand just how powerful he is over there. To you, he’s annoying, but to New York, he’s second only to Cordoza. That’s not something you play with.”
“Sure. If you want to fanboy for him, I suppose. Did you get shot today?”
“Shotat,” I clarify. “But nothing got me. The guy isn’t our guy, so we’re still looking. Oh, and Aubs thought she caught another D.B. for me, but he wasn’t connected.”
“Yeah, she told me that when I spoke to her earlier. No more dead copsis a good thing. It means it’s not an all-out exodus. This case is about Wright and Mercer, specifically. Not law enforcement, in general.”
“That’s where I’m leaning.” I turn at the sound of shuffling feet in the bullpen. Narrowing my eyes at the—Minka’s words: mass exodus—from the boardroom. Then I stalk toward the door and yank it open, staring at Fletch when he emerges on the other side, his eyes wild.
“Archer?”
“Hang on, Mayet.” My heart thunders, pounding against my diaphragm. Because I think we just jinxed things. “What?” I call out. “What’s the problem?”
“We got another one.” He takes off to follow the team. “We gotta go!”
