Page 125 of Whispers of Wisteria
“On that note,” Gloria studied me. “Youcan tell him what we’re doing.”
“Me?” My voice squeaked. “Why?”
“Because he’ll let you do whatever you want,” Gloria said with a shrug, her tone nonchalant. “Ask in such a manner that he can’t recall anything else.”
“What?” I pressed my fists over my racing heart. “You want me to seducehim?”
Besides, she must not know Damen well. He was the opposite of accommodating. In fact, he was always throwing a wrench into my plans.
She studied me further, her gaze calculating. “I don’t think that’s the route you’d need to take, but you could appeal to him. Mr. Abernathy isn’t as immune to persuasion as he’d like everyone to believe.”
“I think you’re wrong,” I muttered under my breath, but she ignored me.
“Regardless, consider this your first mission.” She pressed her hands against the tabletop. “Dress accordingly.”
What wasthatsupposed to mean?
Still, I’d been waiting for this—a chance to help. To dosomething.
“O-okay.” I swallowed, trying to ignore the knot in my stomach. “I’ll meet you then.”
Titus POV
There was a knock on my door before it swung open. Gregory stood there, frowning with a disapproving look only he could manage.
“Dr. Ducharme,” he said, stepping into my office without waiting for an invitation.
“Gregory,” I returned, turning my attention back to the paperwork Maria had dumped on my desk. “You never come to my office. What do you want?”
“That’s no tone to take with me,” Gregory replied smoothly. “I heard a rumor, and thought I’d stop by to confirm.”
I finally glanced up. “What rumor?”
What idiot was feeding my business to the fae?
He cocked his head before taking a seat across from my desk. “Your plans for tonight,” he began. “What are they?”
Oh.
I turned my focus back to Maria’s useless paperwork. “It’s not your concern.”
“Normally, no. But this is a special circumstance,” Gregory snapped. He leaned back, arms crossed. “What makes you think you can keep doing whatever you want?”
I set the pen down and met his gaze. “Excuse me?”
“We had an agreement when we reopened this case,” he said, stern as ever. “Eric Richards belongs to the fae.Wewant him. My team is leading this.”
“Damen told me,” I said. “But I’m not looking at Richards—I’m tracking Jason Patterson.”
“It’s the same investigation,” Gregory snapped. “You are not to take action without reporting to me, Joe, or Gloria.”
“I don’t agree,” I said firmly. “The Patterson case was mine to begin with—he’s a shifter. Nothing’s changed officially. I have a lead, so I’m following it.”
“There’s a process—”
“No.”
He lifted his eyebrow. “No?”
