Page 77 of Cease and Desist

Remy frowned. She felt naked without the Callahans in her ear. “Well, you didn’t have any code locks or retinal scanners on the door. It wasn’t exactly hard to figure it out.”

Archer narrowed his eyes at her but nodded. “I see. This is just a meeting space, not an actual…” He paused. “Usually, we kill people who wander into one of our spaces uninvited.”

Remy snorted. “You know, I’m kind of tired of people telling me they’re going to kill me. There’s been a lot of that tonight. Let’s just skip the bullshit and move on to business. Besides, I think Iwasinvited.” She put her hand up. Hawk took out the wallet and placed it in her upturned palm.

Archer seemed to smile. “Yes, I guess you were, but your friends weren’t.”

Hawk tensed.

“Well, if you want to give it a try, be my guest,” Remy said, “but so far, no one has succeeded in killing them, so I’m not liking your odds.”

Hawk had the serious urge to laugh. That was his girl defending him. It made his heart swell just a bit. She was so fierce and strong. He loved it. He loved her. That thought froze his lungs. No. He couldn’t think about it now. That was just crazy.Focus.

Archer’s eyes opened slightly wider, but he said nothing.

“Maybe we could get this meeting underway?” Remy asked. “I’m tired and want this sorted.”

CHAPTERTWENTY-SIX

Remy let out the breath she’d been holding when Archer walked away from them. She wanted to collapse onto the floor, but she managed to stay on her feet. What she really wanted was to be in Hawk’s arms, but that wasn’t fair to him. She was involved in this up to her eyeballs for the rest of her life. He didn’t need that. He had his own life to live. He had freedom that she just didn’t have.

“Gentleman, ladies,” Archer said, “if you could take your seats.”

Remy studied the people as they all moved about, taking their seats. She recognized two Fortune 500 company CEOs, and even one congresswoman, but for the most part, the people in the room were a mystery to her. Except Austin Davis. So hewasa board member. He took a seat. There was one empty seat at the end of the table.

Najeddine was standing at the far end of the table speaking with one of the CEOs. He hadn’t noticed them yet. It was just a matter of time, Remy knew, and then things would get ugly. She braced herself for the onslaught.

“Austin has a seat,” Remy said quietly. “Then why the hell did he want my key? Maybe we were wrong. Maybe it wasn’t him but someone else.”

Hawk shrugged. “I have no idea. With this crowd, nothing is as it seems.”

It was then that Najeddine noticed them and said out loud to the room, “What are they doing here? They aren’t members. They aren’t allowed in.”

All faces turned in their direction. Remy swallowed but walked closer to the table. “I believe I have a right to be here.” She held the wallet in her hand.

Najeddine began to protest, but Archer sent him a look, and he promptly shut up.Interesting.Archer Gray was the man with all the power by the looks of things. Even Austin Davis seemed to be towing the line.

“You all remember the passing of Remington Tanger, Jr. Well, this is his heir. Remington Tanger the Fourth.”

All the heads in the room nodded at her. Then a bald man, who looked to be in his fifties, sitting about midway down the table, spoke up. “Najeddine is still correct. Those men have no place in here.”

Archer studied the man for a beat. “This is a meeting space and not one of our facilities. There are no rules specifically about meeting spaces. In the past, many non-members have been allowed in this space. At this time, those gentlemen may remain. They will follow all rules, or Ms. Tanger suffers the consequences.” Archer turned toward her, and she nodded as if she understood but she had no clue. What could the consequences be? Removal? Torture? Death? These people scared the hell out of her.

Archer continued. “Ms. Tanger has a birthright membership to the Society. She, being a direct descendant of one of our founders, has a claim to one of the seats at this table if she can produce her family key.”

“She cannot,” Najeddine said in triumph. He held up his biometric wallet. “I have the key. I’m claiming the seat at the table.”

Was she mistaken, or did Davis just swear?

Archer cocked his head and then put out his hand. Najeddine walked over, opened his wallet, and handed it over. He looked at Remy, his face smug. She stifled the urge to smile but it was hard. He had a comeuppance coming, and it was going to be ugly. It thrilled her to know she’d be delivering it.

Archer took the key out of the wallet and looked at it in the light. He closed his hand around it and then looked over at her. He put his hand up and beckoned her. Remy walked over, opened up her wallet and placed it on the table in front of Archer.

“What’s this?” Najeddine sputtered. “She made a fake. My key is the real one.”

Archer spoke in a clear voice. “If that is the case, then she will suffer the consequences, as will you.”

“Consequences?” she tipped her head, forcing a calm she wasn’t really feeling into her voice. “What are those?” Sweat broke out across her body. It was one thing to trick the guy. It was another to have him killed because of it. These people were all so keen on death as a penalty, but she couldn’t do that. She couldn’t be responsible for someone’s death. She needed details.

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