Page 136 of Sting
“He still in surgery?”
“Far as I know.” His voice went shaky. He switched to another topic. “You going to tell me where you are?”
“My own safe house. Panella won’t find us.”
Wiley sighed but let it drop, probably because he didn’t have the energy to pursue it. “I don’t suppose Ms. Bennett’s heard from her brother.”
“No. And she hasn’t been out of my sight. Nothing on your end?”
“No,” Wiley said. “I figured he’d call in a panic when he heard about Hick.”
Jordie must’ve figured that as well. Shaw could tell by her expression that she was unsettled by her brother’s silence.
“How are you doing?” Wiley asked. “Side hurt?”
“It’s felt better. I need to lie down. But let me know when you get an update on Hickam, no matter what time.”
“I will.”
“My money’s riding on him making it.”
“Paramedics said you probably saved his life by curbing the bleeding.”
“Let’s hope.”
“Yeah.” Wiley’s voice had turned gravelly with emotion again. He cleared his throat. “He still won’t like you, though.”
“Nobody does.”
Shaw disconnected and replaced the phone in his shirt pocket. “Jordie.”
For the entirety of his conversation with Joe Wiley, he hadn’t taken his eyes off her. Now he walked toward her with a deliberateness that set off a tremor of apprehension. She had to will herself not to angle away from him as he came to a stop directly in front of her where she sat on the arm of the chair.
“From this moment forward, you tell me the truth. All of it.”
“Or what? You threatened to kill me, and you didn’t. What will you threaten me with this time?”
“Jail.”
She hadn’t even considered that. It took her aback and left her momentarily speechless.
“Where you’ll have no chance of helping your precious shithead of a brother because you’ll be fighting your own legal battles.”
She swallowed drily. “I haven’t been charged with a crime.”
“Not yet. That could change. It’ll take a while for state and federal prosecutors to sift through everything and determine if you’re indictable. Meanwhile, you stay behind bars.”
“You couldn’t do that.”
“You want to test me? Or simply tell me the truth here and now?”
“I have told the truth.”
“Not all of it. You failed to mention your vacation with Panella. Three days. Lavish accommodations. Limos. Surely you remember. How could you have forgotten?”
“I haven’t.”
“Then why didn’t you mention it when I asked you about your personal relationship with him?”
