Page 49 of Filthy Liar

"That does sound like a problem." Elaine's calm reaction is exactly what I need. That's why I called her first. I need someone to help me navigate the situation with a level head.

Otherwise I'm afraid I'll begin making very bad choices.

Bad choices like whisking Valerie away to London. Putting an entire ocean between her and the men who would rather see her dead than going against their wishes.

But it wouldn’t stop them, it would only buy me a little time. It would also put an ocean between myself and my ill mother, and that's not an option.

"Did he leave you his name?" Elaine asks.

I pick up the card the man handed me before leaving last night, looking over the single line pressed across the card stock. "No name. Just a phone number."

"Would you be willing to share that number with me?"

I answer by rattling off the ten digits. I called her for help. As much as I'd like to believe I have enough money to make this go away, I’ve dealt with enough people in that world to understand money and honor are two different things. And one holds significantly more value.

"I am familiar with that number."

I sit up straighter in my seat. "You are?"

"I am." Elaine pauses as I hear another woman in the background, her voice sounding slightly more aged than the smooth one on the other end of my line. Elaine sighs into the phone. "Fynn, could you hold on for just a second? My mother is apparently in desperate need of assistance."

In spite of the topic of conversation, I smile. This is another reason I trust Elaine. She and I have discussed our similar relationships with our mothers a number of times, and while I haven't met her mother, I suspect I'd like her based on what I know. She seems to be full of piss and vinegar, and I find that decidedly charming.

After a few muffled minutes of conversation, the line clears again. "This wife of yours. Does she have a name?"

Of course she has a name, that's not what she's asking. She’s asking if I'm willing to give it to her. But I have to. I have to trust someone, and she is who I'm choosing. "Valerie," I pause running my tongue across the front of my teeth because what I have to say next irritates me a surprising amount, "it was, up until yesterday, Berdard."

"Oh."

I don't like the way she said that. "Am I to assume you have heard the name?"

"I am familiar with the last name Berdard, yes." She says it carefully, which has me growing more concerned.

Tension coils in my stomach as I ask, "Are you familiar with it because you are aware of the hit, or for other reasons?"

"I'm familiar with the last name because her father is a well-known, arrogant, pompous piece of shit." She snorts. "And if I were you, I would rest assured he will not be the one coming here to find her."

I’m not sure if that makes me feel better or worse. "Why not?"

"Because the single time our paths crossed it ended with me telling him if I ever saw his face in any of my territories I would cut it off his skull and feed it to my son’s snake."

That trips my brain up. Not the brutality—I expected and appreciate that—but the technical aspects of the threat. “I thought snakes ate rodents.”

“They do.” Elaine retorts. “He’s a rat.”

I’m feeling better and better about this conversation. “That’s a little insulting.” I take a sip of my tea, wincing at the cooled temperature. “To rats.”

"It's true." Elaine sounds disgusted. "And I would never really do that to Grant’s pet. I would just dump him in the ocean and get on with it. Let the fish have him."

It's good to know I don't have to worry about coming face-to-face with Valerie's father, however, that means I now have to worry about another, unidentified threat. "He’s not the only one involved."

"That's unsurprising considering he doesn't have two brain cells to rub together." Elaine sighs, like she’s already as tired of the situation as I am. "Tell me everything."

That isn't going to happen, but I do offer up all relevant information. From Valerie's arranged marriage, to her father's belief that it would secure him a position he covets. I also explain her flight from Minneapolis and her fears about being dragged back, leveraging the other reason I chose to call Elaine instead of one of my other contacts.

If there is anyone who will help me ensure Valerie is able to live the life of her choosing, it's Elaine. She enjoys women finding their power, and that’s what this will be. Has already been.

Valerie taking back her power.

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