“I’ve met her.”
“She’s never mentioned it.” I’d assumed she got his contact information from our fathers, not by meeting the man in person.
“No, she wouldn’t have,” he said cryptically. “Regardless, I’m interested to hear what information you have for me. What should I call you?”
“Talia.”
“Brooks. No need for formalities.”
He didn’t push the conversation further. The man went silent, watching and waiting for me to say something. It made sense—I’d been the one to call the meeting.
“I want to talk about your cousin, Benji O’Connor.”
“Why do we need to talk about a dead man?” He raised an eyebrow.
“He’s not as dead as you’ve been led to believe.”
Brooks stiffened. “How do you know that for sure?”
I took a few folded pieces of paper from my purse. Copies of the documents we’d stolen from Ronald White’s mansion. Spreading the one with the picture of Benjamin out in front of him, I watched his reaction.
His jaw clenched and he grabbed the paper, skimming it quickly. “Working as a lawyer, that scam artist,” Brooks muttered. He looked up at me. “Why are you telling me this?”
Lavinia and I had discussed last night how much information I should give Brooks about my relationship with Benjamin. She’d suggested I err on the side of less detail but hadn’t seemed worried about him trying to use Benjamin against me.
A door slammed from across the room. It broke the tension of my silence, both of us snapping our heads to look at the newcomer. We heard him before we saw him.
“Dude, you dragged me away from one hell of an informant,” he complained. “What’s so important?”
In the quiet privacy of the lounge, there was no mistaking his voice. When he emerged from a dark hallway, different from where I’d entered, it was confirmed.
“Guinn?”
He stopped short, eyes going wide. “Fuck.”
“You know him?” Brooks asked.
“He either saved my life or ruined it,” I said. My shocked stare narrowed into a glare. “Considering I’m seeing you here, I think I know which.”
Benjamin was an O’Connor, and Guinn worked for them. He must have called my scent match after all. I stood, backing away from both men. It only served to put me in a corner.
“Are you still accusing me of calling that asshole?” Guinn strode further into the space, meeting us in our corner alcove. “Just because I work for your family’s rival doesn’t mean I wanted to ruin your life. All I was trying to do was get your ass somewhere safe. You’re the one who ran away!”
“What the hell are you both talking about?” Brooks demanded.
“She had a bad night. We met,” Guinn explained vaguely.
Brooks rubbed at his temples. “And you didn’t think to mention it?”
“Wasn’t your business.”
“We’re packmates. Everything is my business.”
“Packmates. Heh.” Guinn shook his head.
The two men shared a glare, rife with tension. Neither one gave in, and it lasted so long the anger in the air made my skin tingle.
“Um, I’m going to leave.” It had been long enough that Benjamin would have discovered my presence by now. We could move on to part two of the plan. Extending this chat with Brooks wasn’t necessary.
