I shake my head. I hate that about my brothers. They can’t do a good deed unless there’s something in it for them.
“Treasure Grove’s cousin.”
He’s quiet for a few beats. “Where are you?”
I give him the address.
“And you say there’s evidence?”
I stand up straight, knowing I’m getting somewhere with him. “Vomit.”
“What do you need, a cop or something?”
“That’ll help. Just collect the evidence.”
His annoyed sigh fills my ear. “Why aren’t the fucking Groves handling this?”
I have no choice but to lie. “She’s at the hospital, and we don’t have time for the Groves to catch up. I’m here now, and those guys can decide to clean their tracks at any moment. Shit, Orion, do you know a cop or not?”
He pauses again. “I know someone. Hold tight.”
* * *
I straighten my posture.Shit. What’s he doing here?
I’ve been standing here for—I check my watch—forty-seven minutes, guarding the trash can. The gate guard let me in, no questions asked, after I slipped him two hundred bucks. The valets remembered me. I told them I had to wait for someone, and they were cool with letting me hang out in the private lobby. Paisley’s stomach contents are still in the trash can. So far, only a couple has walked out of one of the elevators. We said good evening to each other, and that was it.
I’ve been skittish the whole time, running my plan through my head, playing it on a loop. I know it’s going to work. Paisley’s stomach contents will be sent to the lab. Donovan and even Greenly will be witnesses to O’Brien carrying Paisley away. More people probably saw him too. Then… I run a finger across my knuckles. Minutes ago, I noticed they were bruised from punching that guy. Did I break his nose? Maybe. I don’t mind telling the cops why. This should be a slam dunk.
So why in the hell am I seeing the two cops with… Max Grove?
I intend on sticking with the plan, even though I’m thrown off by Grove being here. The door opens, one of the officers asks if I’m Hercules Valentine, and that’s when it strikes me. Paisley didn’t go to bed and sleep away her shitty night. She said something. She told her brother.
“Yeah,” I say after a stunned hesitation. “I’m Hercules Valentine.”
Max points to the trash can. “Whatever’s in it stays.” He looks at me as if he’s forcing himself to acknowledge my presence. He thinks I’m his enemy—I can see it in his eyes. “Which elevator did you ride down in?” His tone is colder than an iceberg.
The guy’s a force of nature, holding up to his reputation. I don’t appreciate him speaking to me as if I’m his whipping boy, though. I don’t let my brothers get away with talking to me that way, and I’m not allowing Max Grove to do it, either.
I throw my hands up. We need to slow it down a bit. “Wait a minute.” I sternly set my focus on the officers in an attempt to regain the upper hand. “Didn’t Orion tell you what I needed?”
“What you need involves my sister,” Max says. I have to look at him since both officers are acting as if he’s the only other person who matters. “Paisley’s the last resort.” Max darts across the floor, flings the door open, and tells the first valet he sees to not let anyone touch that trash can, saying it’s part of a crime scene.
“Yes, sir,” the valet dutifully replies. He must think Max is a detective. I would if I were him. The guy has a way of throwing his weight around. He’s not a dick about it at all—he’s just insistent.
“You know we’ve got to do this by the book, Max,” the beefy officer who’s the older of the two says.
“I know, Phil.” Max jabs a finger in my direction. “You do what you have to do to make this legal.” He points his chin at me. “While Valentine takes me to the scene of the crime.”
They’re looking at me now. “I’m okay with that. But there’s only one way in, and that’s through the party entrance.” I frown at the elevators. “I can’t go back up.”
Max nods sharply at the officers, and they silently walk out. I know when powerful people plot without speaking, and that just happened. Max waits for the officers to walk out of sight and then takes a key out of his coat and sticks it into the elevator. It dings. He hits the up button. The doors slide open.
He casually puts his hands in his coat pockets, concealing the key. “After you.”
* * *
I try notto appear nervous as we ride up. Every Valentine knows that showing nerves is a weakness and showing confidence is a strength. Since we got in, Max has been eyeing me through the metal panel like a tiger before making the kill.
