Page 19 of Jael

“But you won’t, because you care too much about others. And right now, you’ve got a good deal. May I continue?”

“By all means.”

“You’re getting back on your feet, and you’ve come to Gregory for help.”

“And what if he doesn’t want to?”

“Gregory loves you. You’re like a son to him. He’ll do whatever he can.”

“How do you know?”

“You told me.”

“I wouldn’t have told you that.”

“It was back when we were getting along better. Anyway, like I said, I need you to influence where they hold the engagement party. We have a conference center where everything is set up how we like it.”

“Recording equipment?”

“Exactly. Get them to hold it there, and we’ll record what we can. Who knows what they’ll give away while they’re drinking?”

“Is that even legal?”

“I have the warrants. The hard part has been getting them where we need them.”

“And if it doesn’t work?”

“Then there’s always the wedding.”

Danny thought through all the requirements for a job like this. And all the things that could go wrong, including complications around his reintroduction to the Hebers. “It’s not a great plan.”

“It’s better than what we have.”

“I won’t kill anyone for you.”

“It shouldn’t come to that.”

“Good.”

Deborah hiked her bag closer to her body in preparation for leaving. “I’ll send you your flight details. Do you need time to organize things here before you leave?”

“It shouldn’t take more than a few days.”

“Then I’ll be in touch.”

Chapter 6

Danny had takenseveral days to reacquaint himself with the area he’d spent a lot of years causing trouble in. Some stuff had changed, some hadn’t. Currently, he was parked beside a large garden and playground that used to be an old, abandoned warehouse. It was at least one positive change the city had made.

He shifted on the leather seat of the Acura TLX that had been waiting for him at the airport, and he flipped open the file that was left on the coffee table of his two-bedroom apartment with views and a gourmet kitchen. Deborah was looking after him this time around. Either someone owed her a favor, or she had a lot riding on this. Probably both.

His eyes retraced the last paragraph. It was full of conjecture about what Artus Sisera was up to but had little in the way of evidence, which he expected. What he wasn’t expecting, was the exposé on the Hebers. Gregory had kept himself clean as far as the FBI knew about it. His business was successful and funded a foundation called Vita Nova that helped women caught in domestic violence situations. Jael was the founder.

He lifted his eyes to the garden, gave the thought room to sink in. To most people, she was a sophisticated, if not a littlecold, woman who hosted grand parties at her father’s mansion. But he’d gotten to know the real Jael. The curious and big-hearted woman with deep wounds he’d never had the chance to get to the bottom of.

He flipped the file closed and tossed it in the passenger’s seat. The first thing to do was reintroduce himself to Gregory. He wasn’t ready to face Jael yet.

Danny thanked the gardener who let him through the gate.

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