Chapter 9 #2
Tatum didn't hesitate. She filled her plate and took her first bite of pasta.
"Oh my God," she said softly. "Chef Pierre has outdone himself."
Archer smiled. "Chef Pierre outdoes himself every day."
She had to agree.
She glanced at Archer's plate. He'd taken only a small portion of everything. "Not hungry?"
"I ate earlier," he said easily.
He rose from the table and crossed to the wall beside the fireplace, pressing on a section of trim. A concealed cabinet door swung open to reveal the bar.
She knew it had to be there somewhere.
Moments later, he returned with two glasses of white wine and set one in front of her. "Don't worry. It complements everything on the table."
Tatum laughed. "Worrying about wine pairings is the last thing on my mind right now."
"Fair." He smirked as he took his seat again.
Damn, that smug smile was so appealing. Resisting the urge to shake her head, she focused on trying the fish next.
The delicate sauce melted perfectly into the rice.
Again, divine. Archer had been right. Chef Pierre was incredible.
But then she noticed something. Archer wasn't really eating.
He'd moved food around his plate and was now watching her with that quiet, assessing attention he probably gave everything.
She reluctantly set her fork down and met his gaze.
"So," she said, "what is it you think we need to discuss?"
"Whatever you're involved in is dangerous," Archer said evenly. He lifted a palm. "I'd like to offer my assistance."
Tatum studied him over the rim of her wineglass. "And if I don't want your assistance?"
He didn't push. Didn't retreat either. Just waited with that particular stillness of his that she found both impressive and unnerving.
She wasn't sure what she'd expected. Part of her wanted to say yes. To hand him everything she was working on and let him untangle it for her. The other part hesitated, wary and guarded. Someone had already broken into her apartment. Gone looking for something she still didn't fully understand.
"Do you think they found what they were looking for?" she blurted. She took a sip of wine and set the glass down.
"Tatum," Archer said gently, "what they did tonight wasn't about finding something. It was about sending a message."
She stilled.
"The message was meant to make you uncomfortable," he continued. "To make sure no part of your life was untouched by the violence of it."
Her stomach tightened.
"That's why I believe you're in danger now," Archer said. "If they were searching for something, I don't think they found it. Your apartment was thoroughly tossed, and whatever they were looking for, I'd wager it was safe in your secret room with you."
Tatum frowned. She'd been so discombobulated by everything that had happened, she hadn't even thought about that, about her secret room. She'd closed the door before she left, but now the worry crept in.
"I've already got someone installing a camera," Archer said, as if reading her mind. "Ryker's taken care of everything."
"I don't want cameras in my apartment." Even after all of this, the thought horrified her.
"It's just one," Archer assured her. "Inside your closet. It faces the secret door but offers a view of the whole closet."
She stiffened. She usually got dressed in her closet.
"You will have to get dressed elsewhere if you are concerned about the camera," he said. "We will do our absolute best to secure it, but there are no guarantees in life."
"Someone could find out about my secret room then," she countered.
"True. But without it, you might end up in the same position you were in today. You wouldn't know if someone was in your place or what they were doing."
She let out a slow breath. It was fair. Probably smart. The lack of knowledge today had been brutal. But it still pissed her off to have a camera in her space, even now.
"Tatum." She looked at him sharply. He met her gaze without hesitation. "What are you involved in?"
"Why do you care?" she pressed. She genuinely couldn't fathom it. Archer was legendary for maintaining distance, so remote that people whispered he was cold. She'd heard stories about moments when he could have stepped in to help someone and hadn't. So why now? Why her?
"You're a board member," Archer began.
"Yes," she cut in. "And there are other board members. I know you haven't always stepped in to help them. So why are you so intent on being involved now?"
Archer leaned back in his chair, took a sip of wine, then set the glass down with deliberate care.
"Two reasons," he said.
She waited.
"One. You're a board member, and that does give you more latitude than most members. You're also a particularly important one, given current circumstances."
Tatum picked up her fork again. "You're talking about Austin Davis."
Archer didn't bother to deny it. "He's hell-bent on taking me down, possibly with an eye to replacing me in my position. And he's not suited for it."
Tatum snorted. "Or you just don't want to leave."
Archer studied her for a long beat as she chewed her food. "I don't have that option. If Austin Davis succeeds in his bid to take my position, I die. There's no graceful exit."
The words punched the air from her lungs, and she had to fight to swallow her food.
"Seriously?" she eventually choked out.
"Yes. But honestly, that's not my greatest concern."
She stared at him. "Dying isn't your greatest concern?"
"No."
"Then what is?" She couldn't believe they were having this conversation.
"The power Austin Davis would have if he were in my position," Archer said quietly.
"I know what's happening in almost every country in the world at the highest levels of government.
I know what's being planned. I know about wars before they happen.
I know about deals, assassinations, things I can't go into detail about. "
Her skin prickled.
"And I also know Austin Davis is a power-hungry, egotistical malcontent. Think about what you know of him," Archer continued, voice steady. "Now imagine him with that knowledge. How do you think that goes?"
Tatum's mind reeled. "Oh. Fuck," she murmured.
"Exactly," Archer said. "So yes, it's in the best interest of the Society that Davis doesn't take over. And keeping you safe, as a key board member, supports that."
She took another sip of wine. "You said there were two reasons."
"Yes." His gaze didn't waver. "The second is that I know you're working on behalf of the victims of the Granite Industries Ponzi scheme. And frankly, I'd like to see them get something back if it's possible."
Her head snapped up. "How do you know that?"
He stayed silent, but his lips curved upward.
Of course he knew. He had knowledge of wars and assassinations, and her pro bono case was hardly a state secret.
"You seem surprised," he said. "Is that because you think I don't care about people?"
"No. I was just surprised that you know about my work."
"As I've said, you are a board member. It's my job to be aware of what's important to you.
" He shifted in his seat. "To be clear, I'd ask that this stay between us…
" he continued. "Vincent Kelly, Timothy Lebowitz, and Richard North are, in my estimation, complete assholes.
They represent everything wrong with this country.
But they're members. I'm not allowed to get involved directly. "
He paused, then leaned in just slightly.
"That said… nothing prohibits me from aiding you in your efforts to help their victims."
Tatum leaned back in her chair. "You think tonight was a direct result of me digging into Granite Industries and the Ponzi scheme?"
Archer nodded. "Unless you're involved in something else equally controversial, I would say so."
"Which means I found something," she said slowly. "Or I know something. Or I made someone uncomfortable."
"Precisely."
"Do you think it's one of them?" she asked.
Archer considered her carefully. "No. I don't think the three of them would bother.
They've all been indicted. They know the odds are good they'll get a few years in Club Fed.
No one's found the money. When they get out, they'll take what they have and disappear.
It's the price they're willing to pay. Intimidation doesn't fit their profile. "
"Then whose profile does it fit?" she asked.
Archer said quietly, "What is it you know that's upsetting someone else?"
Tatum swallowed. Her stomach rolled. The food that had tasted incredible minutes earlier now sat like a stone. Archer was right. That was the question. The problem was, she didn't have an answer.
In fact, she had no clue at all.