symptom of the problems in their city. She no longer wanted a bandage. She wanted to cure the fucking disease.
“I work around the block, and I happened on this place by accident a couple of weeks ago. I wanted a drink. You serve alcohol. Problem solved. I prefer to drink my beer in peace, and after a long day, I’m not feeling particularly social. Originally, this place had offered that.” She shifted her gaze to the side, giving him a long, hard look. “Tonight? Not so much.”
She had to leave. The situation required that she at least pretend to do so. Otherwise, Gideon would sniff her out immediately.
“So, thanks for the offer of a second drink. But I think I’ve had my fill.” She swiveled in preparation of leaving her stool, but he stopped her with a firm palm to her thigh.
She flicked a quick glance to where he touched her and then shot a warning look directly into his eyes.
He lifted his hand as though he might have actually taken her caution to heart. “Stay.” When she didn’t change her expression, he added, “Please.”
She gave a slight dip of her head and swiveled to face the bar. Still, she kept her gaze on him like she would a coiled snake. “Really, I’d just like to drink in peace if you don’t mind.”
“Floyd thinks I should hire you,” he said as though he hadn’t heard her last words.
“Why on earth would you want to do that?” She added a derisive chuckle as though the whole idea was ridiculous.
“I like to keep someone on retainer. My last guy…” He hesitated as though he needed a moment to formulate his sentence. “He left town. Moved away. I want someone local.”
Moved away? She wanted to question him further, but something told her she didn’t want to know what “moved away” meant. “I have a pretty full caseload.”
A sly smile crossed his lips. “I wouldn’t have you do much. Review contracts. Bail out my boys if they get too rowdy and the cops snag ‘em. Might be some other requests that help us avoid the law. Would you have a problem with that?”
She didn’t blink. “I’m expensive. Depending on the case, some requests will be more expensive than others.” She wanted him to know unusual tasks wouldn’t bother her.
He lifted a brow slightly as though intrigued by her answer. “That’s not an issue with me.”
“I won’t be at your beck and call. If someone gets arrested in the middle of the night, his ass can rot in jail until morning.”
Gideon laughed aloud. “I’d only expect you to come running if it’s my ass, and then I’d pay you well for your efforts.”
She pretended to take a moment to consider his offer. If she agreed, the law required she keep his confidence in any matters that concerned him. Whatever she learned, she legally couldn’t share with the police.
But that didn’t mean a well-placed, anonymous tip couldn’t steer someone in the right direction. She played with fire, and she knew she took a hell of a chance of getting burned.
After weighing the consequences of a game of cat and mouse, where the loser rotted in jail and she gained vengeance for the dear man who’d been her friend, she decided this was exactly what she needed to calm the raging demons in her soul.
She stuck out her hand to shake. “If you’ll abide by those terms, it’s a deal.”
“What exactly are we shaking on?” asked a voice from behind.
Eliana turned and looked into the most beautiful pair of brown eyes. The same eyes that had focused on her as she’d called out his name in the throes of passion. Christian.
Hell.
Chapter Seven
What the fuck was the woman who’d haunted his recent dreams doing shaking his delinquent half-brother’s hand? Christian glanced back and forth between Gideon and Eliana as an untold number of questions raced through his mind.
“Well, if it isn’t my shithead brother,” Gideon said instead of answering his question. “What the fuck are you doing here?”
Eliana straightened in her chair
“I work around the block, and I happened on this place by accident a couple of weeks ago. I wanted a drink. You serve alcohol. Problem solved. I prefer to drink my beer in peace, and after a long day, I’m not feeling particularly social. Originally, this place had offered that.” She shifted her gaze to the side, giving him a long, hard look. “Tonight? Not so much.”
She had to leave. The situation required that she at least pretend to do so. Otherwise, Gideon would sniff her out immediately.
“So, thanks for the offer of a second drink. But I think I’ve had my fill.” She swiveled in preparation of leaving her stool, but he stopped her with a firm palm to her thigh.
She flicked a quick glance to where he touched her and then shot a warning look directly into his eyes.
He lifted his hand as though he might have actually taken her caution to heart. “Stay.” When she didn’t change her expression, he added, “Please.”
She gave a slight dip of her head and swiveled to face the bar. Still, she kept her gaze on him like she would a coiled snake. “Really, I’d just like to drink in peace if you don’t mind.”
“Floyd thinks I should hire you,” he said as though he hadn’t heard her last words.
“Why on earth would you want to do that?” She added a derisive chuckle as though the whole idea was ridiculous.
“I like to keep someone on retainer. My last guy…” He hesitated as though he needed a moment to formulate his sentence. “He left town. Moved away. I want someone local.”
Moved away? She wanted to question him further, but something told her she didn’t want to know what “moved away” meant. “I have a pretty full caseload.”
A sly smile crossed his lips. “I wouldn’t have you do much. Review contracts. Bail out my boys if they get too rowdy and the cops snag ‘em. Might be some other requests that help us avoid the law. Would you have a problem with that?”
She didn’t blink. “I’m expensive. Depending on the case, some requests will be more expensive than others.” She wanted him to know unusual tasks wouldn’t bother her.
He lifted a brow slightly as though intrigued by her answer. “That’s not an issue with me.”
“I won’t be at your beck and call. If someone gets arrested in the middle of the night, his ass can rot in jail until morning.”
Gideon laughed aloud. “I’d only expect you to come running if it’s my ass, and then I’d pay you well for your efforts.”
She pretended to take a moment to consider his offer. If she agreed, the law required she keep his confidence in any matters that concerned him. Whatever she learned, she legally couldn’t share with the police.
But that didn’t mean a well-placed, anonymous tip couldn’t steer someone in the right direction. She played with fire, and she knew she took a hell of a chance of getting burned.
After weighing the consequences of a game of cat and mouse, where the loser rotted in jail and she gained vengeance for the dear man who’d been her friend, she decided this was exactly what she needed to calm the raging demons in her soul.
She stuck out her hand to shake. “If you’ll abide by those terms, it’s a deal.”
“What exactly are we shaking on?” asked a voice from behind.
Eliana turned and looked into the most beautiful pair of brown eyes. The same eyes that had focused on her as she’d called out his name in the throes of passion. Christian.
Hell.
Chapter Seven
What the fuck was the woman who’d haunted his recent dreams doing shaking his delinquent half-brother’s hand? Christian glanced back and forth between Gideon and Eliana as an untold number of questions raced through his mind.
“Well, if it isn’t my shithead brother,” Gideon said instead of answering his question. “What the fuck are you doing here?”
Eliana straightened in her chair
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