brother.
He needed to pay for what he’d done. All of them did.
In a show of false bravery, she faced him and then took a step closer to his terrifyingly dangerous person. “ No one can plead a sad case better than me. Why do you think I’m in such high demand? But let me tell you this, I’m like any other prostitute out there on the street. I want to be paid for my services, and some johns pay better than others, just like some prostitutes give better head. If I work for Mr. Muldoney, I expect to be compensated like the high-end prostitute, excuse me, attorney that I am. So fuck you and your judgements. You don’t know me at all.”
Silenced pierced the room for too many, unending seconds. Hardy stared her down, and she held his gaze with an angry one of her own. Her heart thundered, rushing adrenaline-infused blood through her body, and she wondered if she’d purchased a death sentence with her harsh words.
Hardy straightened, eliminating all but mere inches of space between them. His dark, fathomless eyes reminded her of a snake, like the one in his tattoo, a deadly poisonous rattler who wouldn’t hesitate to cut her throat and toss her in the Willamette River.
“One wrong word, one wrong move.” He swept past her, pausing at the door.
“Have your boys take care of that package, Gideon.” He strode out of the office, and all the men but Gideon and Howard’s murderer followed him.
Lorenzo watched Gideon with fearful eyes while Gideon stared at her. The three of them stayed motionless for a good minute until no sounds came from the outer part of the bar.
Gideon exhaled a deep breath. “Fuck, Ellie. You’ve got balls. Do you know who that was?”
“It’s Eliana .” She said her name very slowly, hoping the syllables would penetrate his dense head. “And I don’t particularly care who he thinks he is.”
“He’s the fucking head of the underworld in Portland,” Gideon said quietly as though someone might still be listening. “ No one messes with him.”
Fear rumbled through her chest like a herd of angry boars. “I didn’t mess with him. He’s the one who started shit with me.” Good God. She must be out of her ever-loving mind. She crossed her arms in front of her in a protective gesture. Also, to keep the two felons from seeing her shake.
“Well, either way, he’s accepted you.” Gideon clapped his hands together as though to seal the deal.
“Are you sure? He didn’t seem too happy with me.” She had serious second thoughts about the whole matter. The past few moments had solidified the knowledge that she served the justice system much better on the other side.
Gideon lit another marijuana cigarette and inhaled deeply. “God knows you wouldn’t be standing here if he hadn’t,” he said on the exhale. “You’re in, and once you’re in, you stay in. Just ask Desmond.”
“Who?”
“No one. Just don’t fuck up, and you’ll be fine.”
His words shocked her, which was saying something after what she’d experienced only moments before. “What are you implying?”
He gave her an are-you-serious look. “What the fuck do you think I mean? You’re a Harvard graduate. Figure it out.” He stood and shoved the delinquent kid toward her. “You’re representing Lorenzo. Go downtown with him so he can turn himself in. One of my other guys ratted him out, and now there’s a warrant out for his arrest. You’re the prostitute who wants the big bucks, so go take care of things. I need Lorenzo back on the streets, like now.”
Lorenzo stood, glanced at her and then nodded toward the door.
* * *
Christian was close to blowing his cover when Angel Hardy and his entourage left Gideon’s and climbed into a black Cadillac Escalade with darkened windows, minus the hooker. He’d convinced himself that Eliana wasn’t in danger. She worked for them. She was one of them, and that was a whole different story than the prostitute. Still, it killed him to
He needed to pay for what he’d done. All of them did.
In a show of false bravery, she faced him and then took a step closer to his terrifyingly dangerous person. “ No one can plead a sad case better than me. Why do you think I’m in such high demand? But let me tell you this, I’m like any other prostitute out there on the street. I want to be paid for my services, and some johns pay better than others, just like some prostitutes give better head. If I work for Mr. Muldoney, I expect to be compensated like the high-end prostitute, excuse me, attorney that I am. So fuck you and your judgements. You don’t know me at all.”
Silenced pierced the room for too many, unending seconds. Hardy stared her down, and she held his gaze with an angry one of her own. Her heart thundered, rushing adrenaline-infused blood through her body, and she wondered if she’d purchased a death sentence with her harsh words.
Hardy straightened, eliminating all but mere inches of space between them. His dark, fathomless eyes reminded her of a snake, like the one in his tattoo, a deadly poisonous rattler who wouldn’t hesitate to cut her throat and toss her in the Willamette River.
“One wrong word, one wrong move.” He swept past her, pausing at the door.
“Have your boys take care of that package, Gideon.” He strode out of the office, and all the men but Gideon and Howard’s murderer followed him.
Lorenzo watched Gideon with fearful eyes while Gideon stared at her. The three of them stayed motionless for a good minute until no sounds came from the outer part of the bar.
Gideon exhaled a deep breath. “Fuck, Ellie. You’ve got balls. Do you know who that was?”
“It’s Eliana .” She said her name very slowly, hoping the syllables would penetrate his dense head. “And I don’t particularly care who he thinks he is.”
“He’s the fucking head of the underworld in Portland,” Gideon said quietly as though someone might still be listening. “ No one messes with him.”
Fear rumbled through her chest like a herd of angry boars. “I didn’t mess with him. He’s the one who started shit with me.” Good God. She must be out of her ever-loving mind. She crossed her arms in front of her in a protective gesture. Also, to keep the two felons from seeing her shake.
“Well, either way, he’s accepted you.” Gideon clapped his hands together as though to seal the deal.
“Are you sure? He didn’t seem too happy with me.” She had serious second thoughts about the whole matter. The past few moments had solidified the knowledge that she served the justice system much better on the other side.
Gideon lit another marijuana cigarette and inhaled deeply. “God knows you wouldn’t be standing here if he hadn’t,” he said on the exhale. “You’re in, and once you’re in, you stay in. Just ask Desmond.”
“Who?”
“No one. Just don’t fuck up, and you’ll be fine.”
His words shocked her, which was saying something after what she’d experienced only moments before. “What are you implying?”
He gave her an are-you-serious look. “What the fuck do you think I mean? You’re a Harvard graduate. Figure it out.” He stood and shoved the delinquent kid toward her. “You’re representing Lorenzo. Go downtown with him so he can turn himself in. One of my other guys ratted him out, and now there’s a warrant out for his arrest. You’re the prostitute who wants the big bucks, so go take care of things. I need Lorenzo back on the streets, like now.”
Lorenzo stood, glanced at her and then nodded toward the door.
* * *
Christian was close to blowing his cover when Angel Hardy and his entourage left Gideon’s and climbed into a black Cadillac Escalade with darkened windows, minus the hooker. He’d convinced himself that Eliana wasn’t in danger. She worked for them. She was one of them, and that was a whole different story than the prostitute. Still, it killed him to
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