Rachel
“This isn’t the first time I’ve heard your name. Rumor has it you could get Hitler off of war crimes.”
Warily, I asked, “Who is this?”
The last couple days had been crazy.
On a personal and professional front.
Currau Valentini was free, Aurora had announced her resignation as DA, Hunter was still in danger, Wynter had decided not to return to Jersey, Rex was pissed, Lily had tried to pitch me another date for a fundraiser in the summer and I’d agreed, Acuig Corp, O’Donnelly’s company, had deposited a million dollars in FAST, and that was just the start of the madness.
I wasn’t in the mood for games.
“Lodestar requested I speak with you. You know me as Dead To Me. I’m sure you’ll understand if I don’t introduce myself further.”
“Hitler couldn’t pay me enough to defend him.”
“Good to know you have morals.”
“Not many. But some.”
“I’m the same. I choose my morals though. Who’s to tell me what’s right and wrong? It’s down to me to make those decisions.”
“Is this your way of justifying sending a ‘present’ to one of my best friends?”
She paused. “Hunter Lachlan is one of your best friends?”
“He is.”
“Interesting.”
“Why is that?”
“Do you know who he is?”
“As well as anyone can know a friend.”
“Do you know who his family is?”
My brow furrowed. “The Lachlans? I think I met an uncle once. Why?”
“Did you know that Lachlan is his middle name?”
“I didn’t. Why would I know that? We attended college together, and he only went by Lachlan.”
“Lachlan is his mother’s last name. His father’s is De Laurentiis.”
“Like the chef?”
Dead To Me chuckled. “More like the mobster.”
Praying that she was telling me Hunter was related to a famous TV personality, I rasped, “Hunter makes great gnocchi.”
“I’m sure he does. His crimes aren’t in the kitchen.”
“Hunter’s a good man.”
He went for a Danish and a coffee every morning after a run, had a collection of Marvel comics that would make a twelve-year-old weep in envy, and thought the best move to make when a hitman came a-calling was to leave his house.
That wasn’t the repertoire of a hardened criminal—I’d be the one who’d know.
“Not to some he isn’t.”
“He is to me.” My nails dug into my palms when I clenched my fist. “He’s a good man,” I repeated.
“Good and evil are like right and wrong. They’re subjective.”
“I’m sure they are. Why did you send him that ‘gift’ in the mail?”
“Were you aware that I have a 100% success rate? It’s why I’m so popular with my clients.”
“I’ll bet,” I whispered. What I was aware of was that she hadn’t answered my question. “What can I do to make this go away? To change your mind about the transaction going forward?”
What the fuck have you done, Hunter?
“The money was transferred into my account the night he received the gift bag, Rachel. The transaction is underway.”
“I’ll pay you more.”
“I’m not trying to up my price. I have a reputation to protect.”
“I know you do. I’m Lodestar’s friend. Hunter’s my friend. Please—” I swallowed, realizing that I was sweating and on the brink of tears all at the same time. “Please, I’m not against begging.”
A soft whistle sounded in my ear. “The great Rachel Laker is begging me for mercy.”
I swallowed. “Do I know you?”
“It’s possible. We may have crossed paths inadvertently.”
A shudder whispered through me.
“I was the defense council for someone who hurt a family member?”
She hummed. “It’s okay though. I never liked him.”
“Who?”
“Now that would be telling, wouldn’t it?”
“I guess it would.” Nervously, I said, “Hunter’s a good man.”
“You said that before. I just told you he’s a De Laurentiis, Rachel. Have you never heard of the Camorra? In your line of work and with your client list?”
“He’s a desk jockey,” I argued. “He works behind the scenes.”
“That’s where you can cause the most chaos,” she dismissed. “Look at our mutual friend. Lodestar gets into more trouble behind one of her computers than she does with an assault weapon.”
“Hunter isn’t Camorra.” I knew I sounded desperate but… No. Just, no. Hunter was my Golden Retriever buddy. He wasn’t a made man.
“Have you ever asked him what he does?”
“I just know he works with computers.”
“He does. For the Camorra,” she said like I was a moron.
“I managed to figure that one out,” I ground out, then immediately regretted it. “Why does your client want him dead?”
“Do you think I ask for a profile of sins before I shoot someone? This isn’t a dating site, Rachel. I’m mostly interested in whether they’re trying to entrap me or if they’re good for the fee.”
“I’m good for the fee. You can charge whatever you want—I’ll pay it.”
“You don’t think I hear that all the time?”
Anger exploded through me. “Why did you take this call if you were only going to toy with me?”
“Initially, I didn’t realize you were fond of Lachlan, and when Lodestar told me your name, I couldn’t resist.”
“I’ve read up on you,” I muttered. “I know that, normally, you make the kill much sooner than you have with him. Why’s he special?”
“Because he’s Camorra. Because he’s onto me. Because he hasn’t left his house since he received my present, and his property doesn’t have windows—”
“It doesn’t have windows?” I half-shrieked.
“Never been?”
“No. We’re not like that.” I knew how odd that sounded and mumbled, “He hasn’t been to my home either. We have each other’s back, but distance doesn’t matter.”
“If you say so. No, he doesn’t have any windows. They’re all internal, looking onto an inner courtyard. He’s quite intelligent.”
Was it just me or did she sound impressed?
“He’s more than ‘quite,’” I defended.
Hunter could ram heads with Aurora and I without any difficulty at all.
Too few people in my life had that capacity. Rex, Maverick, and Lodestar being the only other ones I knew.
“It would seem so. But, you’re in luck. I have need of an attorney and you need to know who my client is so you can save Lachlan’s hide. I’m willing to make a deal.”
“What kind of deal?”
“What happened to ‘I’ll do anyfink for my best fwend,’” she mocked in a babyish voice that made me flush with irritation.
“I will. Within reason. Are you Hitler? As we’ve already established, I won’t defend him.”
“Don’t worry. I shaved off my toothbrush mustache a long time ago. My crimes are many and varied but nothing you’re not used to.”
“How do I know you won’t kill him?”
“That’s the fun part. You don’t.” I heard her smile. “That’s part of the price you’ll be paying for his safety.”
“Why do you need a lawyer? I refuse to work with people whose identity I don’t know.”
“The moment that becomes an issue, I’ll share those details with you. But as it stands, we need to build up some trust.”
“How do we do that?”
“By you taking on a little task for me. What ties do you have with the State Department?”
I rubbed my temple. “A few, but I can make more connections if need be.”
“A man called Eamonn Keegan has allegedly been released from jail. I’d like to know if that’s true or not.”
Blinking, I repeated, “Eamonn Keegan, okay, I’ll find out. What prison’s he in?”
“One in the UK.”
Blowing out a breath at her impudence in thinking I had contacts across the damn pond, I merely told her, “I’ll find out what I can.”
“I already know if the rumors are true or false. Impressing me is how you keep your precious friend safe. Do you understand?”
I gritted my teeth. “I understand.”
“Good.”
She ended the call, and it was a good thing because if she hadn’t, I might have thrown my cell at the wall.
“I actually think I’ve met a woman more goddamn infuriating than Lodestar,” I hissed at no one as I slammed my palm against the desk.
“Talking to yourself is a sign of madness.”
“It’s also the only way to get any sense.” I modulated my tone so Rain wouldn’t know how stressed I was.
Me: Hunter, I just spoke with Dead To Me. There’s a price tag on her not shooting you. I’ll pay it but stay underground, do you hear me?
Hunter: How much is it? I don’t need you to pay on my behalf, Rach.
Me: It’s information. I’ll be in touch if I can’t get the answers she wants.
Hunter: What are you talking about?
Me: She wants me to dig around my contacts at the State Department.
Hunter: What the hell for?
Me: Don’t know yet. I’ll keep you in the loop, just don’t get killed before then. TTYL.
Casting him a glance as I set my phone down, I tried not to appear surprised—easier said than done when he was looking…
God, he was a man.
I could feel my mouth wanting to crumple at the sight of him.
Axel would have been so fucking proud.
As for me, I felt numb.
“Rach, are you gonna cry?”
His tone was teasing, but there was a plea in it too.
We didn’t do tears.
I rolled my eyes. “Why? What have you done to break my heart?”
He shot me a sheepish grin. “Hit 99th percentile in trig?”
“The way into any sister’s good books.” I shared his grin. “You doing okay?”
“You mean since you saw me in the kitchen this morning?” he teased.
“Yes, since then, dick,” I grumbled. “It’s not often you visit me in my office.”
He hitched a shoulder. “I guess.”
Ambling deeper into the room, he stuck to the sides, edging around them and picking up ornaments on the console tables here and there.
As I watched him dawdle, I tried not to think that I didn’t have time for this.
There’d come a moment where he’d stop consulting with me—hell, he’d pretty much been autonomous since he’d hit sixteen.
But when he left for the army, I knew that was it.
He’d never ask me for anything unless it was legal advice.
That was the price of maturing—a baby brother didn’t need his older sister anymore.
Yikes, that hurt.
Pushing Hunter’s problems aside for the moment, I asked, “Everything okay?”
He cast me a look. “Harlow told me he was arrested the other day.”
Shit.
“He told you that?”
What the fuck had he said?
Nyx, I internally screeched. Can you do nothing fucking right?
“He did. Said he got pulled over for speeding in Manhattan.”
What the hell?
Why had he said that when he’d been charged with loitering?