Page 15 of Night Justice

His gorgeous face didn’t show any sign of bruises, cuts, or burns. “Don’t know what happened exactly. Started with an innocent brawl with another known MC, and before we knew what happened, they started an invasion and a car was blown up.”

“Innocent brawl? Is that what you call that?”

He licked his lips and shrugged. “It was. Sorry if it hurt your sensitivities.”

That condescending tone raised her hackles. “After stints in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria, my sensitivities, as you put it, are long gone. However, the only thing I learned was that I don’t like a bullet in me and tend to avoid situations where that’s a possibility. Thanks for throwing me over the bar, although when I escaped, two men held me at gunpoint.”

It was a gamble to see if the men who’d stopped her and were later killed by the vigilante were Evans’ or not, so she skirted the facts a little.

But it was amusement she detected first on his face. “I’ve learned that said goons died, and from the force required, I doubt it was you. No offense. I did hear rumors of a strange, masked guy on site though. Did you see him?”

It was her turn to be amused, and she leaned back in her chair. “Someone did save my ass, and it wasn’t you. Although, when I think about it, you disappeared pretty quickly when the firefight began. You have the same height and build too. Besides running your little business, are you playing superhero at night on Chicago’s streets?”

What she’d said on the spur of the moment to amuse him made her think for a minute. Damon Evans was indeed the same height and build as the man who’d saved her the night before. Another piece of information was that he sported the same blond whiskers, although a shade lighter than what she’d detected in the dim light of the underground parking lot before the lights went out. At least when he’d had his half mask on. As for the voice, it was impossible for her to know for sure because of the electronic modifier. The only other bit of information was how he tasted, and it wasn’t something she could verify, and strangely that thought brought the heat to her face.

“I have too much to do already. And masks are for cowards. I’ll take down my enemies head-on, thank you very much.”

His last snarl turned into a smile at the sight of their breakfast. The dangerous man turned into a little boy as he looked down at his plate, and Orla was sidetracked for a moment. “Why do I think that if we weren’t in public, you’d just stuff your face in it.”

With a blink, she almost thought he would do it, but instead, he took his fork and knife and dug in. Orla followed suit and hummed in pleasure at the amazing taste of her hot cakes. The mascarpone topping was to die for, and she was ravenous.

They ate in silence, but it wasn’t weird. There was an unspoken truce that lasted until their bellies were full, their coffee cups were refilled, and the table cleared.

She wanted to bombard him with questions, get as much information she could from him as he sat close, but she knew if she pushed too hard, he’d close up, and that was definitely something she didn’t want.

It took a moment, and several more sips of coffee for Evans to finally tear his eyes from the street and turn to her, his voice low and menacing. “I never wanted that shit on my streets. I’ve heard the damage it can do and the death toll it brings with it. I entered a bid knowing I wouldn’t win, but I wanted to know who was in the race, and which one was most likely to win. I always want to know who my enemies are.”

The world around Orla vanished, her focus tunneling to the man sitting across from her. “Who won it?”

Evans looked around, scanning his surroundings before returning his attention to her. “That’s the thing. It’s not one of the usual players. And they were all represented from what I know. Not everyone came in person, but their representatives didn’t hide either. Most of the mafia bosses, all the biker clubs, street gangs even. And a few others that were less obvious.”

“What do you mean?”

Evans tapped his cup a few times with his forefinger, a sure sign he was debating how much to tell her. “Not the usual, everyday players. We all know each other at some level. But they were brand new players. They were from Chicago, as they said, but aren’t part of the usual circles. They had tons of money, and it was probably the reason why they won.”

Orla processed the information for a bit. “Money was the only reason? For winning I mean?”

“Money, confirmation that the product could be distributed throughout the area, and a guarantee the bidder had enough connections with the boys in blue to keep them in check.”

“Whoa. That’s no small requirement. Apart from your bunch, there can’t be many out there capable of pulling it off. Did you meet them?”

Evans nodded. “Once. Negotiations required leaders to meet at least one at a black-tie event. I try to avoid those where possible, but I wanted to know who the new bidders were more.”

And it would also be a show of strength, all of them flexing their muscles in a neutral gathering. No small feat by the organizers, whoever they were. “Who organized it?”

This time he put his mug down and shook his head. “I hope you never find out because if you do, it means you’re dead. And the thought of not seeing your pretty eyes again saddens me.”

It was clear that Orla needed to find another way in. Looking for the person in charge wasn’t the way to go. “Okay then, let’s say I don’t want to die right away, who won?”

“Polished, worldly, but not in a mafia way. Dangerous, well protected. One of my guys recognized a bodyguard as a hire from a mercenary group.”

“How did he know?”

He dismissed her question with a shrug. “What I understand is that if they came from the same source, it cost a shitload.”

“Gimme more, Evans. I need to reach the source. I need names or something that helps me find them.”

“They didn’t give away much. Only two men came to the reception, but I know there were more as they said they represented a private consortium. One called himself Mr. Black, the other Mr. White. They didn’t disclose anything personal from what I gathered, apart from being in the entertainment industry. They wanted to expand and reach new markets and decided Phantom was the way to do it. As a matter of fact, they’ve invited me to a private party tonight, which is probably a cover for Phantom’s launch.”

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