Page 89 of Taste of Blood
“Howard Thalium, owner and CEO of Python Industries.”
Dante looks more closely now. “Python Industries, you say?”
“Yeah. According to our math, Thalium is in his late sixties. That picture is a year old.”
I lean over the desk and peer at the picture. The quality is poor, but it’s obvious the subject appears too young to be that age.
“So he’s a vamp?” Dante asks.
“That would be my assumption,” Asher replies.
“This the best picture you’ve got?”
“That’s the only picture we’ve got. Thalium is kind of paranoid about his privacy.”
“Howard Thalium, huh?” Dante scans the article in front of him. “You know anything about where he lives?”
“We’re still working on an exact address,” Asher tells him. “We do know it’s somewhere in the city.”
Dante looks up at me. “You think you could use this information to break our friends?”
I shrug. “It’s worth a shot.”
To be honest, I was hoping this would make them irrelevant. The last thing I want to do is go back in that cell right now.
“I don’t want to tell you your business,” Asher ventures, “but do you really believe someone as meticulous about his identityas Thalium is going to entrust any worthwhile information to his subordinates?”
Dante’s jaw ticks and I can hear him grinding his teeth. It’s obvious he’s fighting to control his temper. “Probably not,” he answers tersely. “But you never know when someone might let something slip.”
Asher shrugs like he didn’t just piss off the head of the Crimson Guild. “Suit yourself. I’ll let Cord know when we get an address.”
“Or you could just call me,” Dante says.
Asher pauses for a minute, a sly smile playing at his lips. “If it’s all the same to you, I prefer dealing with Cord.” He looks around the room. “If there’s nothing else, my work here is done. Gentlemen.”
He turns and heads for the door like he just dismissed a board meeting. I knew Asher could be cold, I’d just never witnessed it in action before. Considering where he is, the man has ice in his veins.
I hesitate for a moment then follow him out, catching up with him as he’s getting into his car.
“That was…reckless.”
He turns to me and grins. “Was it? I was in hostile territory where Dante is used to getting his way. I brought him the information like you asked, which by the way he showed zero gratitude for, so don’t expect me to play by his rules. I didn’t get where I am by bowing to bullies.”
I open my mouth to say Dante isn’t a bully–not really–but stop myself. Defending Dante to Asher would just lead to another fight, and I might lose all of Asher’s cooperation.
“I’m sorry. This was a bad idea.”
“I agree, but I did it because you asked.” He steps closer and closes his hand around mine. “I respect your decisions, Cord, but just know they’re not always going to agree with mine. Catchingthe Python is important for all of us, so I’ll do whatever it takes to help you in that regard. But I don’t work for Dante, nor do any of my people.”
He leans forward and brushes his lips across mine. “That has nothing to do with you and me.”
He gets into his car, but before shutting the door, he adds, “I’ll be up late, if you want to stop by.”
I watch as his SUV pulls away, torn between admiration for him and disappointment in myself. Asher was right; Dante had shown no gratitude for the information. And now I can’t help feeling embarrassed by my choice of allegiance.
Damn it.
He did it to me again.
