“It almost sounds like you care, Pixie.”
“Lucian, I’m serious.”
“So am I.”
“What can you do that the FBI can’t?” I asked.
“For one, I can expedite things. My team isn’t overworked and understaffed. We have the capabilities to find the right thread to pull on and point the FBI in that direction.” He looked at me, eyes narrowing. “I already regret telling you this.”
“What is Anthony Hugo going to do when he finds out that you’re helping the FBI build a case against him?”
“Become irritated?”
“Don’t play the blasé butthead with me. This guy is dangerous. There’s a three-part docuseries about him on YouTube that was never finished because the channel owners died in a mysterious house fire.”
“I’m perfectly capable of protecting myself,” he insisted.
Now, maybe. But there had been a time when he hadn’t been. When he’d been too busy protecting others to worry about himself. Old habits died hard, especially when the habit holder was a stubborn pain in the ass.
“His organization is rumored to be directly linked to a South American drug cartel, and his right-hand henchman is serving a life sentence for brutally murdering a federal witness and his family.” My voice was getting higher pitched by the syllable.
“Someone’s done her homework,” he said, sounding not the least bit concerned.
“Of course I did. Nash is my friend, and Anthony Hugo is still out there walking around.”
“Then you understand why I’m doing what I’m doing.”
“But what if he comes after you?” I pressed.
He looked up at me, his eyes flat and cold. “I’ll be ready.”
If we were friends, I could argue with him. I could make him listen to reason. But we weren’t. There was nothing I could do to make him take my opinion seriously. Nothing I could do to change his mind.
I suddenly wasn’t very hungry anymore. “I don’t suppose you’re willing to talk about any of the precautions you’re taking,” I prodded.
“I don’t suppose I am.”
“Is he going to go after Nash again?”
Lucian sighed and put down his utensils. “I didn’t come here to talk about this.”
“Well, tough shit. Because you’re here, and we are talking about this.”
“All signs point to Hugo focusing on business as usual.”
“That’s not a no.”
“I’m watching him. The FBI is watching him. His enemies are probably watching him to see if they can take advantage. It would be incredibly stupid of him to make a move right now. And Anthony Hugo might be many things, but he isn’t stupid. Nash, Lina, Naomi, Waylay, they’re all safe.”
I crossed my arms. “Are they all safe because Nash and Knox are taking precautions that the rest of us aren’t aware of?” Naomi and Lina would not be pleased when I told them. Of course, telling them would require me confessing to the worst first date of my entire life.
Lucian raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know why I bother asking you to trust me to handle this. You’ve never done anything I wanted you to do before.”
He was baiting me, distracting me. Trying to guide me away from my pointed questions with a pat on the head and a “look at something shiny” redirection.
“I just don’t understand what you can do that a law enforcement agency can’t.”
“I have the budget and resources and technology the government wishes it had. I’m simply sharing some of my toys. By the way,” he said, buttering a piece of bread, “you’ll need to drive me home since I loaned my car and driver to your date.”
“Did you at least bring your wallet?” I asked, picking up my fork again.
17
Too Close for Comfort
Lucian
Duncan Hugo looked significantly the worse for wear since I’d last seen him being led in handcuffs to a police cruiser. The hair he’d died an earthy brown was showing a full inch of natural red root. He’d lost some weight, and the hunch of his shoulders hinted that his time behind bars had relieved him of some of his arrogance. The dark circles under his eyes almost made up for the fact that this was my second prison visit in two days.
This prison was in better shape than yesterday’s, I noted. It wasn’t winning any design awards, but the furniture wasn’t disintegrating, the paint wasn’t lead-based, and there was a faint scent of industrial cleaner throughout the facility. It still made my skin crawl, my tie feel too tight against my throat.