Page 35 of Red Queen (Red Thorns Crew 3)

I blinked. “I’m sure they are.”

“It’s important we get out ahead of this before it has a chance to spiral into something bigger. Your father’s lawyers are already working. Quickly, I might add. And I must admit… I have the distinct impression that the sharks are circling. Are you a shark, Mr. Ryddle? Or are you bait?”

I grinned. “What do you think?”

“I think your father is a bad man. I think he’s wildly lucky to be alive. And so are you.”

“Anything else?”

She nodded. “I also think he has a lot to gain by dismantling your club. Am I wrong?”

I felt my heart pounding furiously. This strange woman with the premature gray roots had managed to make more sense of my father than I had in my entire goddamn life. And all of this by simply reading my file in front of me. What was she, some kind of wizard?

I could really use her on my side.

I mean, she looked tired and overworked. But there was a sharpness about her stare that promised intelligence. Not just the words flying from her mouth. And if I was a gambling man--which I was, on occasion--then my gambling gut told me that I stood a chance with her in my corner.

So I braced myself.

“Well, Miss Hall, I suppose you’re not wrong.”

She nodded. “Good. Now we’re getting somewhere.”

I didn’t know what this meant for me and my men. I didn’t know what she meant by them ‘dropping like flies.’ My worst fears ran away with me, though. Had they been arrested? Where were they now? Was Rupert already in custody? What was he saying? John wouldn't be able to survive in prison. Not with the injuries he had. And I’d promised my men to keep them safe at all times.

If this woman was right about my father’s survival, I could almost guarantee he’d already had them arrested.

Or much, much worse.

“So where do we go from here?” I asked.

She stared directly into my eyes. “We talk. You tell me what happened, honestly, and I tell you how I can help you--and your men--judging by

what I’ve read in your file. Which, by the way, is extensive. The folder I pulled out is only one of four.”

I can only imagine what you’ll know after reading all of them.

“Guess I’m a popular man.”

She leaned forward. “Or you’ve got a lot to go away for.”

“Can’t it be both?”

“Neither of us get anywhere with snark. I have two hours with you, right now, unmonitored. It’s illegal for them to record, listen in, or generally attempt to figure out what’s going on with this meeting. I would hope you’d take advantage of that so I can better help you.”

“Suppose I don’t really have a choice, then.”

She leaned back again. “Oh, you do.”

I snickered. “Do tell, then.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “You can choose to not talk. Not tell me anything. Not accept my help. And that would lead to a cascade of reactions you’d be responsible for. Jailtime, for starters. You’d go away for a while. I might be able to get you a plea deal in exchange for information regarding your father. But something tells me you wouldn’t do that.”

I nodded. “You’d be right.”

“After that, your men go down. One by one. I can’t help them if you don’t talk to me, and I can almost guarantee no state representative will step up to the plate for them. I was the only one that volunteered to take your case. It was passed around six times before it found me.”

“Wonderful.”

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