Page 66 of Keeping Kasey
He rolls his head back until he’s staring at the ceiling again, and I don’t think he’ll answer, but after a few moments, he sighs.
“Logan’s vindictive,” he grumbles.
“That wasn’t Logan,” I say, and realize too late how that sounded.
Matteo’s small grin is the only indication that his thoughts mimic mine.
“No, it wasn’t. But he sent me on this trip in the first place.”
“Why?”
His grin widens to a smile. “Because I spilled my drink on you at the club last week.”
“What?”
“My father is the head capo of the Detroit base,” he explains, “and he might be the only person less likeable than you. Logan sent me instead of Damon as payback for teasing you.”
“That sounds like a stretch.”
Matteo spilling his drink was annoying, sure, but harmless.
“Stretch or not, it’s true.”
I look at Ford, who hasn’t spared us a single glance this entire flight.
“And here I thought Ford had enough illogical rage for everyone.”
“You think it’s illogical?” Matteo asks, openly checking the flight attendant as she passes by.
“Isn’t it?”
He looks to where Ford sits, just out of hearing range. “Ford is many things. Illogical isn’t one of them.”
“I know I’m not everyone’s favorite person, but I’ve done absolutely nothing to warrant how he treats me.”
Matteo looks genuinely amused. “I thought you were some genius.”
“I never had that misconception about you.”
He rolls his eyes. “How many women have you met in our industry?”
“You have got to be kidding me.”
Matteo shrugs.
“He’sthe one who found me in the first place,” I say, but Matteo shakes his head before I even finish the statement.
“Ford had a file of qualified candidates, and you were not in it. He heard you were difficult to find and selective, so he opted for candidates he felt would better fit our timeline.”
“Then why was I hired?”
“Logan heard about you from some associates, and one of them gave him your IP address,” he explains.
“Who?”
All this time, I’d assumed it was rigorous research that led the Consolis to me, not the convenient supply of an associate with my IP address—which changes every week.
“Beats me,” he says, then gestures to Ford. “So, imagine his thoroughly vetted recommendations being ignored, only to end up going with a five-two, headache-in-human-formwomanwhose skill threatens Ford’s very role in the family.”
