Page 41 of Tangled
Brad scowled again. Yes, the lieutenant for one of LA’s biggest drug lords had waltzed into the lodge, handed the envelope to a front desk clerk, then, on his way out, and bold-as-you-please, looked at one of the CCTV cameras and doffed his hat.
“Katz didn’t say I had to come alone,” Scarlett said.
He hadn’t. But the fact that Scarlett was even contemplating meeting him in the bar that evening, as requested, was driving Brad a little bit crazy. They’dseenhim kill another man. His boss may have killed Gracie. How could she possibly be considering it?
“What are you thinking?” Chad asked her. Brad shot his cousin another dirty look.
She sighed and set her hand on top of his. Uncurling it from the fist he’d made, she twined her fingers with his. “I don’t know.Not completely,” she said. “What if we fill the bar with HICC people? And even a few folks from Ryan’s team? I don’t know if anyone can be spared, but Brad could come with me, too.”
His dad made a sound of protest but didn’t say anything.
Sabina turned to Chad. “Ava gets back in an hour, and Ryder, Teague, and Eli are in town. Andrea will want to be there. So will Ethan.”
Chad nodded. “I can call Ryan and see who he’s got. If all is well with Olivia, he’ll want to be there, too.”
Brad was losing this battle. He could feel it.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Anthony said, but even his voice had lost its conviction.
“We all know he’s not going to confess to anything,” Scarlett said. “Aren’t you at least a little curious as to what he might say?” she asked, directing the question to Brad.
“If he’s not going to confess to killing Gracie, what could he have to say that’s of interest to us?” he countered.
She shrugged. “I don’t know. That’s the point. We won’t know unless we talk to him.”
“This is no time to bewinging it, Scarlett,” he snapped. She arched a brow. He let go of her hand, then ran his fingers through his hair as he rose. Walking to the sliding door, he stared out. The storm had passed, leaving nothing but fresh powder as far as the eye could see.
“I don’t like it,” he said, turning back to the table with his arms crossed.
“I know,” Scarlett said. “I don’t much like it either. But what I really don’t like is the thought of what he might do if wedon’tmeet him. I feel like he’s giving us a chance. He’s offered to meet on our home turf, and I fully believe he knows I won’t come alone. If we don’t take this chance, what will he do then? If he really wants to speak to me, I doubt he’ll be this polite a second time.”
Brad’s stomach twisted. He hadn’t thought of it that way. “Fuck,” he growled, running his hands over his face and spinning away from everyone again. She was right.
“How many people can you have there?” He growled the question to Sabina and Chad.
A beat passed, then Chad answered. “Nine, including Andrea. Ryan just confirmed he, Mari, and Brenden are available, as are two of his deputies.”
“And you’re never alone,” he said, turning and fixing Scarlett with a hard look. “I’m with you all the time.”
She said nothing, but nodded in agreement.
“And your people will get there early?” he asked, looking to Chad and Sabina.
“It’s three o’clock now. We can have everyone in place in an hour,” Chad confirmed.
“We’ll liaise with Andrea, too. I’m sure she’ll want some of her team there,” Sabina said. “I’ll also get Leo and Collin to monitor the cameras,” she added.
Scarlett held out her hand to him. He eyed it, then walked back to her. Wrapping his fingers around hers, he retook his seat. “Any chance Ryan can arrest him for the murder of Trenton Halliwell sometime before five o’clock?” he asked, only half joking.
“If we had any evidence, I’m sure he’d be more than happy to,” Sabina replied. “Unfortunately, we don’t.”
He huffed, then squeezed Scarlett’s hand. “Can we make it back in time for dinner?” he asked, again only half joking.
She glanced at his dad. “I’ll stay and take care of it,” Anthony said.
“If I have anything to say about it, we will be back long before dinner. We’d planned to put the roast in at four thirty and eat at six thirty,” she said.
He didn’t stop the half-smile tugging at his lips. Not only was he pleased that she felt well enough to eat a full dinner, but he would have to be an idiot to miss the meaning behind the meal. She hadn’t just wanted to feed him—she’d wanted to do somethingforhim. Something that let him know that he—and his likes and dislikes—were important to her.
