Page 47 of Necessary Evil

Then why the hell was she even here in the first place? If they were going to beat Lenny into submission, she would have rather not have known about it. And how had Zane’s phone gotten into Lenny’s office?

A cold shiver crept up her spine. Evan had told her to worry about the lawyer and he’d take care of the rest. Had he killed Zane? Was Travis on to something? She hated that Travis’s insinuations had made her doubt Evan.

“Don’t do anything stupid,” she said from the doorway.

“I’ll try not to.” He gave her a wink, which didn’t comfort her in the slightest.

Ryder closed the door, but it didn’t shut all the way. Through the small opening, Lucy saw the three men circle up around the lawyer’s desk.

“Come on. You’re not going to want to see this.” Ryder gestured and started down the stairs.

Lucy bit her lip and sidled close to the door. She peeked in through the crack.

“You dirtbags can’t get away with pushing me off a case,” Lenny said.

“Yeah, we can,” Sentinel said, swiping his arm across the desk. Papers flew everywhere.

“You’re going to remove yourself as counsel and forget you even know Chloe Browning. Attorney Simmons will take the case.”

“I’m telling you, if that little whore—”

Evan punched him in the mouth.

Lucy gasped and flinched back.

“How many hubcaps did your car have?” Ryder called from the bottom of the stairs.

Glancing down at her and then back to the room, Lucy decided this was more important than a possible missing hubcap.

Lenny’s head had rocked back from the blow. “It’s not me that’s going to end her. If she rolls over on Zane’s suppliers—if she even knows who they are—they’re going to execute her and there’s nothing you or the cops can do about it.”

“Actually, there’s quite a bit we can do,” Warden said from behind Lenny’s chair. He rested his hands on Lenny’s shoulders.

“Lucy, I need you,” Ryder said. It sounded like she might be in trouble.

Damn it.

Hurrying down the stairs, Lucy walked out into the street to find Ryder leaning up against the wall. The hooker from inside was there too, smoking a thin cigar that Ryder had just finished lighting for her.

“What?” Lucy said, looking between her and Ryder.

“It’s not nice to eavesdrop on private conversations,” Ryder said. “If Evil wanted you to see what was going to happen, he wouldn’t have sent you outside.”

“He cannot coerce Meyers into giving up this case. It’s illegal and unethical.”

Ryder shrugged. “Minx, this is Attorney Simmons.”

“I heard,” Minx said with a laugh.

“Lenny up there is your attorney, right?”

Minx nodded. “Sure. I have him on retainer.”

“Retainer?” Lucy asked.

“I give his little knob a shine once a week and he handles any legal problems that come up. He handled my eviction too. My ass was sore for a few days, but I didn’t lose my apartment.”

“I wouldn’t worry about him tattling to your boss,” Ryder said. She turned to Lucy. “You, however, might bring Minx’s information up to the bar association.”

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