Page 80 of Nothing to Beat

“I don’t know.I have no details.”

When Breck’s eyes met hers, she heard his silent request.Yes, he was still doing angry eyes, and he was happy to be the bad guy, if necessary.Such a strong man with means far beyond hers, in every way, not only financial, and he was asking for direction.That was how much she mattered to him.Whatever light she had, it would always reinforce his.

“We have a meeting downstairs with Ackley,” she said, gaze still on Breck’s.“If Ackley wants Porter in this meeting, he must’ve found something…”

“Related to Chicago,” Porter said.“My boss did tell me to act with absolute authority.”

“Suggesting Ackley’s interested in giving you something.”

“What could he have?”she asked, going just an inch closer.“Something he didn’t have yesterday?Something he didn’t have when we met with him.”

“Not necessarily,” Breck said, still disregarding Porter.The guy’s hand was at his side again, having never been graced by Breck’s.“Maybe he didn’t want to trust you until he could be sure he could trust you.”

So Ackley withheld something?That wouldn’t do much to ingratiate him or encourage her to further loosen her tongue.

“If LA can help Chicago prosecute my father, I support that,” she said, edging toward a decision.“But I don’t like men acting in concert, excluding the only woman—”

“I don’t think it was meant that way.”

“Don’t talk over her,” Breck said, maintaining his intimidating air.“You want to prove you respect her, then show her respect.”

Porter blanched, his hairline retreated as his Adam’s apple bobbed.“I apologize, I didn’t mean to… I have great respect for Sequoia.I have great respect for you.”

“Breck understands the seriousness of the situation.”Playing almost mediator, she didn’t mind having a defender in her corner.One much stauncher than Bastian; one who had no boundaries when it came to shielding her.“He understands why I value the outcome so much.It’s extremely important to both of us.Perhaps if you tell us more about your conversation this morning…”

“It’s not completely unheard of for me to get a call late at night.If there’s been an incident and they need a prosector on-scene, I might get a call.”

“How often does that call come from State’s Attorney Unst?”

“Never.”Porter’s head swung left and right, sending a clear signal he wanted to give them equal attention.“That call never comes from the SA.”

“So you knew something was different as soon as you picked up?”

“As soon as I got with it.Until about halfway through the conversation, I thought it was a dream.That I imagined the whole thing.”

“What did he say?”Breck asked.

“He told me to get my ass on a plane to LA.That I shouldn’t wait until daybreak, I had to move fast.”Why the urgency?“I wasn’t going to question him.All I asked was what I should do when I got here.”

“And he said?”

“Go to the Platinum Suite of the Grand Hotel.That I was needed in a meeting.”

“You didn’t think to ask more than that?”

“I asked what it was in relation to, though I did have my suspicions.He said it was related to the case, that I’d find out more when I got here.”

“Did you know what case?”

“The only case I’m working right now is your father’s.Tim’s doing his part, but this is the most important case either of us has on the docket.This is…”

“I know how earth-shattering it is,” she said, refraining from rolling her eyes.Just.“It’s career defining.Ground-breaking.News-making.Headline-grabbing…”

“I don’t mean to imply your father deserves any kind of reverence.What he’s done… You made it clear how important it is for him to be stopped, and I want to make that happen for you, for all of Chicago.Taking your brother off the streets is one thing, that’s cutting off the tail.”

“Without taking the head, you’ll never kill the beast.”

“No,” Porter answered Breck.“We will not.”If only they could have certainty that would happen.“Is DA Ackley coming here?”

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