Page 212 of Anger

“Fine. Tanner Caine, you are the lead partner of this law firm with Gabriel Dane and Mason Strom. Three men known in their circle as Treachery, Fraud and Limbo.”

Turning his attention to Mason, Kane adds, “I’d love to know how you got stuck with such a shitty moniker. Although, after checking things out, I think I already have a good idea.”

Mason rolls his eyes, his lips a thin line that tells everybody at the table that he’s not getting into this.

We all know why he’s Limbo, but I’ll have to hand the trophy to Kane about his intel if he’s managed to figure it out.

After that exchange and without saying a word, Gabe stands from the table and walks to the back wall. He presses a small, concealed button, and a panel pops open that reveals a tiny bar.

We all turn to watch as Gabe grabs a crystal tumbler, drops in some ice with a pair of tiny tongs, and fills the tumbler with his favorite scotch.

After taking a sip and pouring some more to fill the glass again, he turns back to the table, his professional smile firmly in place.

“I didn’t realize we were being called out today, but now I’m ready to hear what you have to say. This should be fun.”

Sawyer pushes his seat back and reaches into an interior pocket of his jacket, pulling out a joint and a lighter.

“Sawyer,” Tanner snaps, the pen in his hand clicking furiously. “What the fuck? We’re in the office.”

Lighting the joint, Sawyer takes a long drag, holds it, then blows out a cloud of smoke.

“This meeting just went from formal and boring to hella entertaining. I need to be in the right frame of mind for it.”

Tanner stares Sawyer down but then hits a button on a console on the table that turns the windows opaque so the staff can’t see into the conference room.

Furious tapping of keys grabs my attention next. I watch Taylor still in place, look at Kane then back to his computer.

“You broke into …” Flustered, he taps a few more keys, his expression tightening in concern. “How?”

Kane laughs. “We’ll get to that.” His eyes are back on Tanner. “All of you have your hands in something dirty around this city, but what I’m most interested in are the games you play on the women in your life. Tell me, Tanner, how is Luca now that you destroyed her marriage to Clayton Hughes? He’s the son of a congressman, if I’m not mistaken.”

Tanner’s expression remains bored, but the clicking of his pen gives away his frustration. “Luca’s great. Thanks for asking. And my relationship with her has nothing to do with—“

“Good to know,” Kane turns to Gabe.

“And Gabriel Dane. You chased Ivy Callahan clear across the country to where she was vacationing in Florida and then made the media believe the two of you were engaged. She’s Governor Callahan’s daughter, right? How interesting that this flash drive was in his possession.”

Gabriel takes a sip of his scotch and almost chokes.

“Ivy’s connection to the governor wasn’t the reason for my interest in her. I’ve known her—“

Kane turns his attention back to Tanner.

“What I also find interesting about Luca is that her father was the man who encrypted this drive. John Bailey, who owned a security firm down in Georgia. Sadly, the man is now dead. Car accidents are such convenient explanations.”

Tension straightens my shoulders on that comment, but nobody knows what happened to my father. There’s no way Kane could have discovered that information.

It’s a secret I’ve withheld from Blue, and keeping it from her is killing me.

“What is the point of this?” Gabe asks, his voice practiced and restrained.

“All of the woman you are corralling into your little club have family connections to high government officials and the man who created this flash drive. Why is that?”

Tanner’s dark stare locks on Kane. “I’m not sure that’s any of your business. You were given the drive to decrypt—“

“It is my business when it comes to my sister and her best friend.”

Kane shifts to face Shane.

---