Page 39 of Nothing to Beat

He laughed.“You’re just through telling me Zairn was my ticket.How does that mean I owe you something?”

“Him.Me.One and the same.You know I can pull this any time.”

The air got serious.“Don’t play that card.”

“What card?”

“You think I don’t remember that night?”Porter asked.“Zairn got your permission.He needed your permission.”

“It’s not permission.”

“You’re threatening to have your boyfriend pull the deal.What happens to Trish then?”

“I’m not threatening anyone with anything.”Roxie stood.“Let’s have a drink.Take this kettle off the heat.”Rounding the desk, Roxie paused to bounce up and kiss Porter’s cheek.“I’ve missed you.”

The former couple embraced.“Life’s never the same without you around, RoRo.”

FIFTEEN

AFTER A SQUEEZE of her shoulders, Tripp let go to go pour drinks.

“Catch up time!”Roxie announced.Sometimes she forgot how much there was to know about the new woman in her life.Ever the hostess, Roxie went to the living room and gestured at the seats.“Everyone sit down.Relax.Kick off your shoes.”All eyes dropped to Roxie’s bare feet.“I’m at home everywhere.”

“Have you seen your father since you got back?”Porter asked, going to join Roxie, though it was Sequoia he wanted the answer from judging by the direction of his expectant gaze.

“My father—speaking of, why isn’t he in jail?”

She wasn’t surprised, but did doubt how slick this prosecutor could be if he let that slip by him.

“You really haven’t kept up,” Porter said.“He made bail.”

Roxie sat at the end of the couch while Porter took a seat in an armchair.All very civilized.

“Why on earth would anyone let—”

“Probably best not to ask that question in Chicago,” Roxie muttered from the corner of her mouth.

“Your father has influence,” Tripp said from the kitchen.

Yeah, and bribed his way out.Plus he knew things, some things people might not want getting out.Damn, it was so unfair that he kept getting away with his bullshit.

Putting that aside, this was an opportunity to get answers.Except she didn’t know this prosecutor guy, didn’t know what he’d tell her or how much to trust him.Asking her sister was one thing, opening up to a stranger…

Okay, she was no slouch, how could she frame this?Hmm, ah, mental deep breath, and over she went to sit on the couch opposite Roxie.

“My brother didn’t slip through the net.”

“No offense, but your brother doesn’t invite the same loyalty… or have the same smarts.”

“And he doesn’t have the best impulse control.”Came from a lifetime of being spoiled and entitled.“It’s better that he’s there.”

No doubt her father used some of his influence to keep Joey behind bars.Would he want a Gambatto back there?No, not exactly.Trouble with Joey was that he spent too much time getting in his own way.

“Now or in the long-term?”Porter asked.

And the prosecutor was invested in her potential answer, the discernment in his eye betrayed that.Porter was sizing her up.Just as she needed to get a measure of him, he clearly wanted a measure of her too.If he was to be honest, there would have to be trust.It wouldn’t be easy for him to hand that out to a Gambatto, regardless of the history.

Could be that Tripp’s showdown was coming in a different form than expected.But, seriously, who would she tell?At worst, it would be a Breckenridge and Porter already declared a proclivity for them.She definitely wouldn’t be rushing back to her ancestral home to boast about gathering intelligence.

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