Page 63 of Bastard

“The Feyereisens really don’t want us to send them to prison and throw away the key…so they’ve agreed to provide us with information on Mr. Randall Cork and everything he’s been doing for the last thirty years. It’s extensive.”

“Should I leave?” Sam asked.

Steel wouldn’t have spoken if he didn’t want Sam to know.

“No. I’ll save the secret stuff for when Malone is on his feet.”

“But this changes the arithmetic.” I only cared about how this affected Sam.

“It does. If the information they provide is as good as they say it is, they’ll end up—”

“Don’t say it.”

Steel cocked his head to the side and shrugged. “My goal is still a guilty verdict and time. Whether that time is served in prison or a remote house, I can’t be sure. You know these things are out of my hands. But I do know, either way, they’ll be too broke to afford much. Plus all their contacts are in prison, too.”

“Promise?”

Steel laughed. “Oh, they’re never getting out.”

27

It took two solid months before I felt mostly myself. In that time the wheels of justice turned as quickly as they always did. Meaning, not much happened. Sam was pretty happy though. We loosened the reins on her protection a little, let her breathe. Plus the board voted on a whole bunch of things that meant the Feyereisen era was over. She worked day and night with Georgia forcing changes on the company that were years overdue.

It made my woman very, very happy. But also, very overtired and a little stressed out. So when she said we were going to a cocktail party, I agreed, even though I fucking hate cocktail parties.

Which was why I was extra surprised when I ran into Greg Hamilton. “What are you doing here?” I hadn’t seen him since the night we met at Eve’s house, after the baseball game.

The man shrugged his wide shoulders. “You know my wife is kind of a big deal?”

“Sports agent?” I hadn’t paid close attention that night. I mostly remembered that she grew up rich and knew the people Sam would be expected to socialize with, so she gave Sam all the gossip.

“You’re cute,” Greg chuckled. “Marie owns and runs Bancroft Sports, pretty much the best sports agency in the country. Half of those Mantas players you love? Her company manages them.”

These were the people who negotiated players’ deals and endorsements. Got it. “So why are you here?”

He grinned and held up his glass of what looked like a whiskey of some kind. “Because I’m pretty arm candy. But seriously? She was up here for her annual board meeting and got invited to this party. A few of her old friends are also here so you know how it is.”

I did know.

“So what you been up to? How's security and finances?”

“Things are really good right now, actually.” I offloaded most of my clients—especially the annoying ones like Trevor Lingotom—and kept a handful I enjoyed working with. I was technically on a leave of absence from the Bureau, but that would become a resignation at some point. Maybe in a different life, one where Sam and I never got together, I would have had a future there.

But things were different now.

“Oh look, there are our ladies. I bet Marie is introducing her to everyone. Wanna get a drink?”

I glanced around the room full of rich and powerful people, reminding myself I wasn’t the only bodyguard in the room and most of our enemies were behind bars. “Sure.”

The apartment was twice as big as Sam’s and the party stretched over two floors. We left Sam and Marie in a back room. The bar was more centrally located and near the entrance.

“You try my cookie trick yet?”

“I haven’t had a chance, but it’s on my list.” I started imagining “the after” about five days after I got out of the hospital. Todd was denied bail and suddenly I could breathe. I didn’t know how long I’d hold onto my clients or my office on Calusa Key. But I did know someday soon Sam and I would get married and figure out where home was for us. I could figure out the rest from there.

“You two gonna be back in Tampa anytime soon? Maybe we can go to a game together?”

“Not for a couple of weeks, but I’d love to make plans when I have a firm date.” Is this what life was like in the after? Casually making plans to go to a game with a friend and not worrying about a dozen things that could go wrong?

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