Page 87 of Free to Judge
My smile is dangerous knowing I have him and Sid. And quite possibly, depending on what Nerissa gave to me, the ability to topple the Byrnes and Tiberis. Finally, “Both.”
Jack’s eyes narrow, but he only says, “Loyalty, Declan. That’s what makes you valuable.”
I give a curt nod, the coaster burning a hole in my jacket pocket. If I’m lucky, my loyalty will give me the ability to burn this place and most of the people in it to the ground.
Soon.
I don’t go straight back to my condo. I take the long way so I can stop off to use the burner assigned to Jon to give him the good news. He tells me to head to the pre-arranged meeting place. The one we hoped to use years ago.
Now, it’s time.
Then I drive to an industrial park after being extra cautious and switching to an SUV at the storage unit—a car I’ve never driven.
My eyes sweep for tails and the coaster is still lodged next to my heart. Right where I hold Kalie’s sleep filled words.
Soon, I promise her silently. Soon I’ll be able to respond to those words with everything inside me. Pulling off behind an abandoned schoolyard, I cut the lights and kill the engine.
Now, I have nothing to do but wait.
Exactly five minutes later, a plain black SUV slides up beside me. Windows tinted far beyond legal limits. No headlights. The driver doesn’t get out.
I roll my window down just a crack.
A long pause.
Then a voice sounds through the dark.
“Report.”
“VIP room. Stripper passed me a list. Names. Transfer location. Said two girls are downstairs now, with a rotation expected by morning.”
“Reliable source?”
“Risking her life for it. Saw Jack kill one of her coworkers for talking back tonight. So did I. Still came to me.”
“Was she marked?”
“Injured. No visible tags. Ribs messed up. Limping. Might need an assist out.”
A rustle. A click of a pen.
“Where’s the list?”
I slide the folded coaster through the two-inch gap. A gloved hand plucks it from my fingers.
“You do anything to draw attention?”
“I did what was expected. She danced as she gave me the intel. They watched from the bar. Pretended like it was the best thing since I last got my rocks off.”
Silence stretches between us then, “You got them. Finally.”
“And I’ll finish them.”
A pause. Then he says, “Tell me about the lawyer.”
I blink at the unexpected question. “What about her?”
“She knows about what you’re doing?”
