Page 95 of The Mourning Throne
Lex spun around.
Ollie was still there. Check.
So was Gabriel.
And he wasn’t alone.
Across from him was someone Lex didn’t recognize. Middle-aged. With the patient stiffness of someone trained to watch for the wrong thing. He leaned back in the chair and his jacket shifted.
That was abadge.
A cop.
Why the fuck is a cop here?
Lex moved his hair behind his ear—like that dumbass move would help him hear better—and slid over until he was almost falling out of the booth.
“You’ve been ignorin’ your phone,” the detective said. No accent. Zero.
Whywas there no accent?
Gabriel picked up the bottle of beer. “I’ve been busy.”
“Have ya? Really? Last time I checked, your company was circlin’ the drain.”
No. Scratch that.
Therewasan accent.
But it wasn’t fuckingBritish.
Southern, but not deep. Kentucky? Tennessee?
“This didn’t merit a visit,” Gabriel said as he took a drink. “You could have spoken with Chris instead of me.”
“See, funny thing. Ididsee your assistant. He’s the one who pointed me in this direction. Pick up your damn phone and I won’t gotta trek all the way out here, Gabe.”
Lex’s fingers twitched against the edge of the table.
Gabriel didn’tcorrect him. That was what set off every fucking alarm in Lex’s head. He wasn’t jumping down the detective’s throat, asking to be called by his full name. He wasn’t surprised.
The detective scratched the back of his head—Lex couldn’tseehisgoddamn face—and looked around like he didn’t want to be here. Or like he was taking inventory.
Shit.
Ollie.
“I’m still waitin’ on those documents you promised the bureau. Figured it’d be faster to get ‘em in person.”
Gabriel set the bottle down so hard, Lex could’ve sworn it was going to break. “Tell the SEC I already filed everything. This isn’t a deposition, Michael.”
“Ya ain’t callin’ me Detective Woodman. How pissed are ya?”
“You’re staring,” Morgan whispered beside him, lips brushing Lex’s ear. “Remember what I told you about that.”
Lex turned back around and Morgan wasright there.So close their noses touched.
“Do you hear this shit?” Lexhissed.
