Page 41 of Ivory Crown

A man, odd and familiar, sat at a back table, his jacket falling open just enough to reveal the badge clipped to his belt. The sight of it sent a jolt through me, sharp and unwelcome. Where had I seen that face? Then it clicked—an uninvited memory of him sitting across the boardroom during one of the BioHQ merger meetings.

His head lifted, and our gazes collided. There wasn’t any mistaking it—he knew who I was. But what the hell was he doing here?

“Your order, Dante,” The barista’s voice brought me back, placing a paper bag and two cups on the counter.

“Thanks,” I muttered, my thoughts racing, but my face remained a mask of calm. I had to keep it together, not let on anything was wrong. I started to grab the pastries as I thought about turning back and walking out before he noticed me.

But it was too late.

His chair scraped back gently, the sound cutting through the low hum of the café. Rodriguez was rising, and I instinctively straightened up, my body tensing for the encounter. There’s a language in the way a man carries himself, and every line of Rodriguez’s frame was speaking volumes. He walked with purpose, shoulders squared like he’d just decided on his next move.

“Moretti,” he greeted as he came to a stop in front of me, his tone even but his eyes searching, trying to dig into mine and unearth secrets I’d never let see the light of day. “You heard anything about Dr. Jade Bentley?”

I locked away my surprise, letting none of it reach my expression. “Where do I know you from again?”

He smiled humorlessly. “Right. Of course,” he said, extending his hand. “Detective Edward Rodriguez. NYPD.”

We shook hands, his grip firm. I didn’t miss the way his dark eyes narrowed ever so slightly, trying to pry open every corner of my being. To him, I was just another puzzle. Unfortunately for him, I wasn’t in the habit of unburdening my secrets.

“Why were you at my board meeting, Detective?”

Rodriguez leaned back, the corners of his mouth twitching into a smirk. “We were brought in after the breach. BioHQ wanted an NYPD consultant to ensure their security system upgrade would be top-notch.”

There was a pause as I considered his words, my gaze unwavering.

“Is that even legal?” I asked, though I suspected the answer.

Rodriguez shrugged nonchalantly, his expression still smug. “Why don’t you call the police union and ask?”

The suggestion hovered heavily in the air between us. He wanted to see if I’d squirm, if he could rattle me.

“That won’t be necessary,” I replied coolly, refusing to rise to the bait. But inside, I felt like a ship tossed about by tumultuous waves. This unexpected encounter was shaking up my already complex world.

It was comical in a way; I felt like a ship caught in a violent storm, abruptly tossed onto a course I hadn’t charted. With Jade’s name now thrown into our conversation like a live grenade, my concern for her safety intensified.

“Why did no one tell me there was a cop in our meeting?” I asked him.

“Mr. Moretti, my feelings are hurt,” he said. “I’m a person, too. Not just a cop.”

Rodriguez’s words rang with a biting sarcasm, which he backed up with a steel gaze. He was playing at being aloof, but something in his eyes told me this was more than just an offhand encounter.

“I’ll remember that,” I retorted, matching his icy tone. His smirk didn’t waver, and despite myself, I felt a begrudging respect for him. A cop in my world took balls of steel.

A cop talking to me as if we were all friends…man, this guy was something else. And that something told me I would see a lot more of Detective Rodriguez in the days to come. The thought didn’t sit well with me.

“About Dr. Bentley,” he suddenly pressed, his gaze hardening.

I shifted, feeling the weight of his inquiry. Jade’s name on his lips had a way of twisting my gut.

“What about her?” I asked with a guarded voice, my eyes locked with his to show that I wouldn’t back down from whatever he thought he was implying.

“You haven’t heard from her?”

I answered his question with icy detachment. “What business do you have with Jade Bentley?”

He smirked. “I’m normally the one who asks the questions.”

“And yet…”

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