Page 30 (1/2)
He wanted to lean down and press a kiss to that creamy skin Tally didn’t have freckles there "Don’t worry," he assured her, intrigued by his discovery "I’ll be back to surly and uncohed as he took a seat beside her, on the side closest to the door No one would be able to get to her without going through hiive in to temptation and reach out to play with a strand of her hair when he heard footsteps Rising, he went to the door and opened it
A tall man - dark hair, dark eyes, possible weapon in a shoulder holster - exited the staircase behind the maitre d’ Clay heard him dismiss the restaurant employee and head directly to the door "Youhim, the man extended his hand
"And you "
He heard Talin gasp but ignored it, his attention on Santos’s reaction as their hands dropped away froive him that Not a flicker of surpriselike a canary" Clay had taken care of the tail before going Down Below
"Ah" Santos raised an eyebrow "That explains the lack of a communique from hi the otherhis access to Talin
Santos closed the door behind hi well"
"Uh-huh"
Clay was pleased to see Talin’s skeptical expression as she eyed her boss’s elegantly cut suit The man looked like a corporate shark, but Clay’s ani - a predator clothed in huless smile, Santos took a seat "Perhaps we should order first?"
Clay returned to his chair "We’ve already eaten, but coffee ood"
Talin picked up the menu pad and input selections for both of them "I’ll have coffee, too Maybe a slice of cake"
"You’ll excuse me if I eat I’ve had a rather hectic day" Santos h as Talin sent hers "I’ve just come from a private hospital"
"One of the kids?" Talin’s concern colored the air
"I’er in play"
Clay tensed at the tone of his voice "What happened?"
"He was attacked" Santos’s eyes went flat, deadly "Beaten into unconsciousness"
Talin sucked in a horrified gasp "Is he - "
"He has several broken bones and so but he’s alive, thanks to an interruption by a group of civic-minded individuals" The Shine director passed over a card "That’s the private facility where we moved him after we realized what had happened It’s far more secure than the public hospitals"
Clay looked at the card, recognizing the area "Any idea who attacked hi it was the same person or persons who vandalized Talin’s ho" He folded his arms in front of hiot one of theh The others took the body, but from the blood splatter and tissue left behind, it was a head shot"
Clay was surprised to find he liked Max, was furious the cop had been targeted "Let uess - DNA came back ’record unknown’?"
"Of course But ere able to determine the race as human" The hand he’d placed on the table clenched "Casualty or not, the attack succeeded in taking Max, and therefore Enforcement, out of the equation We believe he’ll recover fully but until then, you appear to have become our best source"
Talin took a shaky breath but her next question held an edge "Dev, you keep talking about ’we’ and ’our’ Who are the others?"
"Shine’s backers They control the board"
Clay heard a sound co from inside the walls and identified it as a dumbwaiter, likely part of the "olde-worlde" charm advertised on the restaurant’s menus "Tally, would you do the honors?" He had no intention of turning his back on Devraj Santos
A quick, adrenaline-inducing brush of her hand on his thigh and she rose "Just don’t start expecting this every day"
Santos remained in place while she went to retrieve the dishes "Thank you," he said when Talin put them on the table He didn’t attempt to reach for his plate until she’d retaken her seat Trying to appear friendly Har to another cop?" Clay asked, ignoring his coffee "Our chances of having anything are close to nil"
"We’ve had an interest in DarkRiver for some time" Santos took a bite of his pasta "You’re surprised by h he’d forced Santos to take the less secure seat, the other led his chair so he could keep the exits in sight Interesting He’d expected a desk jockey and gotten a soldier
"I don’t understand" Talin pushed aside the cake she clearly no longer had an appetite for "I thought thischildren, not DarkRiver"