“Indeed.”
“So why aren’t you arresting me?”
“We take care of our own.”
“Fuck’s sake,” I mutter.
“You understand that all of this had to happen, to clear you completely?”
I guess so. “And what about my…assistant.” Probably best to keep this professional.
“David Jones is also with my D.I.’s. He was charged with obstruction, but the charges will be dropped shortly. Same as Ramsey Gordon.”
“And my dad?”
He nods.
“And you have a crack team of D.I.’s who, what? Work for you outside?”
“They are all members here. You remember Smith?”
His name coming from this man’s lips, turns my blood to ice. “S-smith?”
Frozen to the spot, I startle badly when St. Clare places his hand on my shoulder. He grips it tightly to stop me from stumbling but lets me go as soon as I’m steady. “We know all about him,” he says quietly.
“Oh?” I croak.
“Ah, Rex is here,” he says, changing the subject swiftly and turning as my dad storms across the fancy carpet and joins us looking like an avenging god, if I ever saw one.
“Philip,” he growls.
“Rex,” St. Clare replies mildly. “Good to see you again.”
“Get my daughter off this hook before I smash your face into the ground right here, right now.”
“Oh, have no fear. As soon as her men arrive here, she will be free to leave.”
Really?
Wow.
He works fast.
There is still so much to learn, so much to ask, but so far, this elite society has saved my pert ass from being thrown in the hole and the key mysteriously being lost for all time. Why and how definitely need to be elaborated on.
“Ruby,” Rex clips out.
“We need to talk,” I finish for him with a hefty sigh. “Yeah.”
“I’ll leave you two to chat,” St. Clare says.
“Thank you,” I blurt out, realizing that I’ve been ungrateful for all his help.
He was in the process of turning away, but he pauses and searches my eyes. “You can always count on us, Ms. Bellingham. Now that you are part of Solitaire, we will always look out for you, as you will do for us.”
He leaves then while I nod slowly. I see. Quid pro quo. Ah well. What difference is one more deal with the devil going to cost me at this point?
“What do they have on you?” Rex’s sharp voice interrupts my musing.