Page 105 of Used

“You told Zoe to ration my Red Bull. Been sleeping.”

C smirks. “Good. But look now and see who thinks they’re clever.”

“All right. What else, C?”

I’m surprised they’re letting me sit with them for this and also fascinated that Trick can calculate revenue on a business division in his head like that. It sounds as if someone is cheating them, which I imagine is a very dangerous thing to do. I wonder if they’ll catch the person and what will happen to him.

C leans down and kisses Zoe’s forehead. “Get me some coffee, baby.”

She rises, looking very much like a dancer with her graceful limbs extended. C’s eyes follow her until she’s out of sight. “Talbot popped his rate again.”

My ears perk up at a name I recognize. Trick rubs his arm, making me wonder how much it hurts him.

“What’s he up to? Twelve hundred? For that money, he should suck your dick and wash both Rovers to work off the extra time he bills. He did twelve minutes on the phone with Rachel and billed one and half hours. Research, my ass. If anyone looked anything up, it was a paralegal, not him.”

Twelve hundred per hour? My God.

“He asked me who makes your suits.”

“Good. Tell him I’ll give him the name but there’s a finder’s fee. I’ll get us a few grand back.”

C grins. “He didn’t like that you chose Flynn for you with the feds.”

“Talbot has to run the room. He’d never sit still for hours while I stalled.”

“You know how I feel about you playing around with the feds. And if you’re gonna do it, better if Talbot’s in the room. Flynn’s fantastic in court, but he’s not keeping up with you on a roll.”

“You’re the best on legal, C. Tell me what you want. No in-custody calls to Flynn?”

“Talbot should be first string for you.” C turns his head to look at me. “Tell me about the time Talbot was with you, Laurelyn.”

Surprised he wants my opinion, I straighten in my seat. “It was very short, and I don’t have much experience to really say, but he seemed good.”

“I’m not asking about competency. How’d you feel about him? General vibe.”

“When he got there, it was a relief.”

“No personality problems?”

My brows furrow, and I shake my head. “He said almost nothing to me though. He went after the agents, and they’d made my life so difficult I was grateful he handled them so quickly. But we were only in the room together for about ten or fifteen minutes.”

“What’s up, C?” Trick asks, leaning his right arm on the back of my chair.

“‘Vil. Rachel was doing something with the baby, so she had the Talbot call on speaker. ‘Vil walked by and heard him talking to her. Didn’t like his tone.”

“Be more specific.”

“Sounded condescending, I guess. Talbot’s an arrogant prick, but ‘Vil said he’s never heard him take that tone before. Said she asked a question, and he gave her a big sigh before he answered, like she was wasting his time.”

Trick scowls. “Fuck Talbot. At twelve hundred an hour, he should’ve started that conversation with some ass-kissing. He doesn’t even do corporate law.”

C holds up a hand. “I didn’t have her use him for that. I went through the contracts myself and got the young hotshot partner at Tam’s to review them. But Rachel’s trying to learn and wanted to ask some things about trials after she read about a plagiarism case. I had Talbot call her since he’s a trial guy. But after what Anvil said, I want to know what Talbot’s like with women when we’re not around.”

“Who was with Rachel when the police questioned her when Frank got shot?”

“I think Flynn. Didn’t Talbot have ‘Vil that day? Who was with you?”

“Flynn, but they tried to sweat me, remember? I was last.”