Page 108 of Daring You

28

Astor

As it happens,I get to keep my job, but not a whole lot of it.

Yang gives me a what-for in his office, concentrating mostly on my hoarding of crucial information to the Staten Island Slaughters. But, Yang isn’t a dumb man.

He’s not a fair one, either.

“Your closeness to this young man, I can see how it sullied things for you,” Yang says from his side of his expansive oak desk, surrounded by various diplomas and requisite family-and-children photos. “It made you emotional, you weren’t thinking correctly. Do I have that right?”

Yes, because if it were the reverse, if it were Ben learning about me, he would’ve easily handed over the evidence and called it a day. These damned lady-part emotions, just can’t get rid of ‘em.

“I was also on my period,” I say, deadpan.

His right eye twitches. “Ah. Well, luckily Mike talked you out of it and you were ultimately able to come to the right decision.”

I swallow any derision and say, “What happens now? What will you do, knowing who Ryan is?”

“It’s not exactly par-for-the-course, is it?” Yang taps a Mont Blanc against his ledger absently. “This is a delicate, extremely confidential matter, not that it wasn’t before. This firm can’t handle any blowback from the risk of outing an NFL player this way. But, we also can’t anger one of our favorite clients.”

“Chavez.”

“That’s right. Somehow, we have to play both hands. The less people that know about Ryan Delaney, the better. I’d like to keep that knowledge between you, me, Miss Maddox, and your fiancé. “

I readily agree with him. “Does this mean we won’t go public with any of it?”

“Not a bit.” Yang squints in my direction. “I’m one of Manhattan’s top ten defense lawyers for a reason, Miss Hayes. I do not have loose lips.”

What about Chavez—I almost say, but stop myself. I haven’t studied Yang enough to determine if he’d ever let Ben’s identity slip to the mafia boss, and placing a hope and a prayer on Yang’s ego as a top defense attorney just doesn’t seem like enough.

“We have to appease Chavez somehow,” I say instead.

“Agreed. This is where you come in.”

And this is how you keep your job, is left unsaid.

I stay quiet.

“You must convince Mr. Donahue to agree to a deposition. Written, no recording, no identifying characteristics. If we get that, I’ll make sure it’s enough to keep Chavez happy.”

“I don’t know if I can do that.”

Ben’s not talking to me anymore, I want to say. He hates me more than I ever hated him—and that’s a lot.

“Then you’d better damn well try, Miss Hayes.”

“He doesn’t…” I think the rest of what I want to say through before I continue. How much I can divulge while respecting Ben’s privacy? “Ben doesn’t remember anything.”

“Then we get that on record and can wash our hands of this.”

“He doesn’t want to be on record—”

“You’ve already said as much. Change his mind.”

I shake my head, but Yang’s desk phone rings. He gestures at me in dismissal, and I stand, both hating and loving that this meeting is over.

“I expect results shortly,” Yang says to me before answering the call.

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