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“She would’ve been correct in her assumption.” I put my arm around Pen’s waist and pulled her close. “I don’t mean that. I know spending the holiday with your friends is important to you. It’s important to me too.”
“You haven’t spoken to him since your birthday.”
I nodded. “I intended to last month but realized I still hadn’t consulted with an attorney.”
“Have you now?”
“I’ve not.”
Pen rested her head on my shoulder. “I’m an expert on avoidance, so I understand.”
I kissed her forehead. “I appreciate you saying so.”
“Doc and Merrigan will be here too.”
“I get what you’re suggesting, but I cannot rely upon them to run interference for me. Eventually, I’ll have to deal with Richard on my own.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?” she asked.
“Not that I can think of, other than continue loving me the way you do.”
She smiled. “That, you can count on.”
When my mobile rang, I dreaded looking at it, but answered when I saw it was Doc calling.
“Brand, glad I reached you,” he said when I answered.
“What can I do for you, sir?”
“I wanted to make you aware that I came across a brief issued by Nemesis, saying you’re slated to join the UK task force?—”
“What? We haven’t?—”
“Hold on. I contacted her immediately, saying as far as I knew, no decision had been made.”
“She doesn’t seem the type to make a mistake of that nature,” I said under my breath.
“I agree. She apologized but said she was anxious to meet with you again. I know it’s a lousy time of the year, but can you swing it?”
“Yes. In fact, Penelope and I have made arrangements to spend Christmas in London.”
“Does Nem know that?” he asked.
“Not yet. But you know who might?”
“Who?”
“Z Alexander. He seems to know everything, including what I had for breakfast this morning.”
Doc chuckled. “You’ve got that right.”
I should’ve known Richard Emsworth wouldn’t wait for me to show up. It was the reason he never would’ve won the game he’d tried to play with the Sicilians. He knew nothing about saving face. He was the quintessential New Yorker. He came in brash, like a bull, and made demands he’d been raised to believe no one could deny. It had all but gotten us killed when he tried the tactic with the Calabrians. If it hadn’t been for the K19 crew, he wouldn’t have lived to see the next day’s dawn. And had he ever thanked them? Fuck, no.
Rather than treating Doc and his wife with the respect they’d never demand, he’d confronted them at the party my darling Butterfly had thrown for me. The asshole.
“Brand, you owe me a conversation,” he said when he barged through the front door as Pen opened it.
My first inclination was to say I didn’t owe him a bloody thing, but I kept my mouth shut. It was made easier since I could see Pen over his shoulder. Her knowing smile soothed me in a way nothing else ever could other than having her in my arms.