Page 81 of Master of Lies

Whoa, as if it needed to be said. The look on Joe Grifo’s face made me feel almost sorry for the man, but we had no time for melodrama.

“Shut up, Shell,” Grifo said miserably.

“I will not shut up! Goddamnit, I am so sick of your—”

“Stop.” Jed’s voice was not loud, but Rachelle cut off her rant, like a switch had been flipped. She stared at him, owl-eyed and gulping.

“There’s no time for this,” Jed said sternly. “Save it for when you’re safe.”

“We’ll never be safe,” Rachelle whispered.

“We can help with that.” Jed turned back to Grifo. “Give me the data on Boer, and I will use it to neutralize him. In the meantime, I will provide a team of the most badass motherfuckers in the business, and they will guard your family night and day until the job is done.”

Grifo’s eyes look bleak, shadowed with exhaustion. He weighed his options for a few fraught seconds, and nodded. “Okay,” he said. “We have a deal.”

“Joe!” Rachelle exclaimed, in a screaming whisper. “No! You can’t make that decision unilaterally! We have to talk. The two of us, in private!”

“I made the call, Shell,” Grifo said heavily. “It’s a done deal.”

Rachelle overflowed again. I turned away, trying not to be a cat-bitch from hell. It was dirt mean to judge another woman for having feelings. She was suffering from chronic stress, and she was scared shitless. I knew how that felt, and I should cut her some slack. But for God’s sake. Her husband was in deep shit, and she was not helping.

“I need the info asap,” Jed told him. “Tonight.”

Grifo nodded. “I can do that.”

“You don’t have it here?”

The man let out a mirthless laugh. “I don’t carry it around with me, if that’s what you’re asking. I have to find a safe place for Shell and the girls first, and I want those badasses you talked about to meet them there and stay on them day and night until it’s over. Preferably before I give you the flash drive. How long before they get here?”

“They should be in the city by six AM. They’re en route now. I’ll have them arrange to meet up with you as soon as they arrive at the airport.”

“Joe, he’ll kill us!” Rachelle sobbed. “You know nothing about these people!”

My eyes met with Jed’s. In a flash, I knew we were both thinking the same thing. This gig would go down in the annals of Unredeemables history. Jed would be paying back favors to those guys for years to compensate for the epic ball-breaking they were about to experience from Rachelle Grifo.

Grifo glanced at his watch. “I’ll meet you at three thirty AM. I’ll text you the location later.”

Jed pulled one of his burners from his pocket. “Take this phone. My number is the only one in it. Text me on that.”

Grifo nodded, and slid it into his pocket. “We should get back to the party before people notice. Shell, fix your face. And stop blubbering.”

Rachelle dabbed at her mascara-streaked cheekbones with her fingers. “I can’t,” she said, voice quivering. “I left my purse at the table.”

I dug out a pack of make-up wipes from my evening bag. One of my mall purchases this morning. I would never be without make-up wipes for the rest of my life.

“I got you,” I said. “Hold still.” Rachelle flinched from my touch, but I persisted, wiping off the damage in a few swift strokes. At least she was trying to stop blubbering. Not successfully, but she got points for the effort.

Grifo steered her out, and Jed and I stood there looking at each other in the sudden quiet after the door fell shut again.

“I wish his wife hadn’t barged in,” Jed said quietly. “I don’t like the way this feels.”

“Couldn’t agree more,” I said. “But we don’t have time to second-guess ourselves now. Let’s beat hell out of this place. These shoes are killing me.”

Jed grabbed my hand, hauling me along as fast as I could totter. We made for the back entrance once again, and I was grateful for his arm as we hustled back to the car.

I pulled out the phone he’d gotten for me to check the time. “We should have time to get back and change into regular clothes,” I said. “Of course, it all depends on where he sets the meeting, but the venue can’t be too far. I want my comfy boots.”

Jed took a long time to answer. “Frey,” he said, in a careful tone. “About that.”

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