Chapter 7 #3
“Last thing for today, and hopefully for the next six months,” he mutters.
“You all know Eli has become invaluable to the security of the Turris. He’s given me a way to communicate with you without it being a royal pain in the ass, and he’s given all of us tools to make sure our homes and offices don’t have any listening devices. ”
There are nods all around when he pauses . . . for dramatic effect, I’m guessing?
“Well, I just want to make sure to also tell you that his new company has been protecting the more delicate data of Crawford Inc. for a few months now, and I cannot recommend them enough. I know you’re both interested, Jim, Richard.
” He nods at them shortly. “And so I’ll just give Eli the floor now to explain what he does. ”
I recite the spiel in that practiced way that Dad made sure I had ingrained in me before I was ready to start looking for clients. It’s the least technical way to explain how secure my encryption is, and I see it clicks with more than Jim and Richard halfway through.
When I’m done and everyone thanks me for the information, when we all stand to leave and I take one step to go talk to Tucker before he leaves, I’m swarmed with five Chairs trying to get my attention and asking for appointments.
I gulp when Shirley smiles at me, but I accept her handshake and assure her I’ll call her in the new year.
Just the thought of being responsible for the most sensitive data of a freaking bank is enough to make my stomach twist in knots, but I power through and keep my breakfast down.
Tucker agrees to come to the house, but it takes a while.
He has to go back to Jim’s house with him, because as far as anyone who notices knows, they’ve been there all morning. It’s better if he’s seen leaving their building and making his way to our house, that way we can be sure everyone thinks it’s the first time he’s stepped out today.
A bit theatrical, but you don’t keep a society a secret society for more than three hundred years unless you take all the precautions possible.
He’s looking at me curiously when I drag him into the house then up the stairs before Lyla can see him and start asking questions, but to his credit, he keeps his questions quiet until we’re in my office with the door firmly locked.
“What’s up?”
Pretty basic question, but okay, I’ll take it as the wide open door it is.
“I need a favor.” I worry my bottom lip when he doesn’t say anything in return for a long moment.
“Are you going to tell me what?”
“Not until you agree.”
He scoffs and shakes his head firmly before crossing his arms. Suddenly he looks more intimidating than I ever thought possible.
“Not happening. Tell me first, then we’ll see.”
I groan and flop down on the couch, but he stays standing.
It’s not like I want to make him sign an NDA or anything. I think that’s really not needed with him—especially him.
“Okay. Can you trade for Lex to play for the Demons, please?”
A snort isn’t what I was expecting, and I battle with myself to keep from feeling embarrassed.
“It’s for him,” I snap. “Not for—okay, not only for me. It’s for him.”
“He’s miserable,” Tucker says simply, like he’s informing me grass is green and the ocean is salty. He transforms right before my eyes when he uncrosses his arms and pushes his hands into the pockets of his jeans, suddenly looking as relaxed and casual as ever.
There’s amusement in his brown eyes, sure, but there’s also understanding. If there’s one thing Tucker Barclay knows in this world, it’s hockey, so I don’t bother correcting him.
“Do you think you can do it? Convince the right people or whatever? Would Jim be a problem? Is it even a possibility or am I delusional?”
He hums softly, looking off to the blank wall where my guess is he’s seeing things I can’t. Finally he sighs and sits on the other end of the couch, looking at me thoughtfully.
“If he waives his no-trade clause and doesn’t put us in his no-trade list, then it’s a possibility.
He could have a small list of the only teams he’ll get traded to, and if we’re not on it, then he’s not gonna be a Demon.
” He keeps staring at the wall, clearly still thinking it through.
“I can make sure our GM looks into it, but the consequences of this trade would mean we lose at least two decent players, maybe two good players and a draft pick. He’s Alexei fucking Jankowski and he’s still under contract, so we’d have to pay up.
It’s gonna take me some time, and I’m not the fucking GM or even assistant GM and neither of them particularly like me, but they’d hear me out.
” He finally turns back to me. “Really, there’s no way I can guarantee this. ”
“But you can try, and it’s not impossible,” I conclude.
“I can try.” He nods once. “And if I pull this off, you’re going to owe me.” There’s a glint in his eyes that tells me he has a few things in mind, so I hold my hand up.
“I won’t steal anything for you. I can annoy people, make their lives inconvenient, even difficult, and I can get you some information, but I won’t steal for you.”
Those are very loose terms, but they represent me well, I think, so I lower my forearm and offer him my hand to shake on it.
When he grips it, a new kind of smile blooms on his lips.
“You’re quickly becoming one of my best friends, Eli.”