Page 42 of Insidious Threats

There was a heavy silence. Then Delone said, “Raquel, get out.”

After a pause, he spoke again. “What do you think?”

She told him what they both already knew. “What I think is, she wouldn’t have done that unless she had a contingency plan.”

“Take care of it,” he ordered through clenched teeth. “Call me when it’s done.”

“With pleasure,” she said even though he’d already disconnected the call.

21

When Sasha returned to the conference room, she located Naya and Will in the sea of people and pulled them over to a relatively quiet corner.

“Sorry I didn’t consult with you about hiring Ellie—”

Will cut her off with a wave of his hand. “Don’t be. She’ll be an asset to the firm. I have no doubt.”

“Yeah, don’t sweat it,” Naya assured her. “You did good.”

She stared at her partners. If either of them had dared to bring on a new associate without getting her input, she’d have been irritated, to put it mildly. And they were justfinewith it?

“Look at her,” Will said to Naya. “She’s befuddled.”

Naya laughed. “Mac, you’re a control freak. Will and I? Not control freaks. We’re not upset. Now, if you’re done wringing your hands about something you’re not even actually sorry about, I’m gonna get a bagel.”

Sasha watched her walk away.

“Huh. Wonder what that’s like?”

“Not wanting to control the universe?” Will asked. “It’s delightful. You should give it a try. You might find it refreshing.”

She arched an eyebrow. “You think?”

He reconsidered. “Yeah, no. I don’t think it’s for you.” He chuckled, then jerked his chin toward Ellie, who was chatting with Jordana. “Do we have an office for her?”

“Um … not exactly. Although Jordana doesn’t technically work here anymore—not that you could tell. I thought they might double up, at least for now.”

“That could work. Do you have a case in mind for Ellie’s first assignment?”

“About that.”

“Oh, boy. Let me guess, you also took a representation without running it past anyone?”

“Mmm. Yes? But, no. Not a representation. A project.”

“A project,” he echoed.

It sounded right, so she nodded. “Yep, a project.”

“Are we being paid for this project?”

She looked at him for a long moment before responding. “Cinco’s missing.”

He furrowed his brow. “I thought he was at an artists’ colony in the Hudson Valley.”

“How do you know these things?”

“I can’t recall who told me. Probably someone at one of the bar association luncheons that you’re so fond of skipping.”