Hard Rules (Dirty Money #1) - Lisa Renee Jones Page 0,101

glance at William. “Did we get the official approval?”

“Just yesterday,” he replies. “I planned to document it in next week’s reports.”

“This approval must have been a shock,” Agent Jones interjects. “I mean, from what I read in the reports, even to me, a complete nonacademic, especially when it comes to the complexity of drug manufacturing, it’s not market ready. Surely a man with your experience, Mr. Nichols, knew that. Unless…” He looks at me. “Management told him to submit it, and you’d take care of the approval?”

“I don’t think I like where you’re going with this, Agent Jones,” I say, my voice low, hard.

“The FBI is far less concerned with what you think, than what you’re doing,” Jones replies dryly. “And if this is going where I think it is, it’s a good thing you’re an attorney. You might be needing those skills.” He stands and sets the chair back at the table behind him before giving me a mock salute. “I’ll be in touch.” He walks away and I watch his every step until he disappears, only then turning my attention back to William, who has turned yet a deeper shade of green.

“Is there something you need to tell me?” I demand.

“What? No. Of course not.”

“Agent Jones certainly seemed to think something is amiss.”

“I admit I was shocked the drug was approved, but I did nothing but submit it.”

Semantics, I think, leaning forward, and tightening my voice. “I plan to make Brandon Enterprises the greatest brand on the planet. Do not let me find out you’re working against that.”

“I’m not. I swear to you, I want the same thing.”

I don’t immediately reply, letting my gaze cut through him. “Go back to work.”

“What about—”

“Go back to work.”

He nods and quickly stands, all but running across the coffee shop. My lips quirk and I dial Seth. “I’m pretty sure William’s shitting his pants right now.”

“I have eyes on him and the man stumbled twice on the way to his car.”

“I’m headed to the office to show my outrage over what just happened and ensure the Brandon clan believes it was real,” I say. “I fully intend to use this to back Derek the fuck off, and hope I keep him in the shadows long enough to take over the board, and get him out of it for good.”

“Get him out for good,” he repeats. “You’ve never said that before, and let me tell you, those words are music to my ears.”

“Blood only goes so far,” I say, wondering how I understood that with my clients but only now accept it with my family. “I’ll give you an update after I talk to my father.” I start to hang up, but pause to add, “By the way. Tell Nick I still have my reservations about contracting an active federal agent for this job, but his man Jones made that easier to swallow. He played William like a star quarterback. If he didn’t break William today, he will.”

Thanks to a hellish traffic jam, it’s nearly an hour later when I arrive at the office and ride the elevator to our floor. Jessica let’s me know that Derek is in the building, and that he shut his door about the time Seth observed William standing outside the pharmaceutical plant on a phone call. I also know Emily’s still at her desk working. That’s a problem I’ll solve while chatting with my father about “Agent Jones.”

Entering the lobby, I offer the receptionist a two-finger wave and head down the hallway toward my father’s office, my blood pumping a little faster with the knowledge that I’m about to see Emily. Rounding the corner to her office, and my father’s, I stop at the sight of her on the phone, her gaze averted, and damn if my heart doesn’t race just looking at her. And my heart doesn’t race in reaction to anything, not even a courtroom full of people during closing statements.

She ends her call and her attention lifts, her eyes going wide as they land on me. I stride toward her, stopping in front of her desk. “Hi,” she says, her voice quavering ever so slightly, the high neckline of her black silk blouse reaches her collarbone, and is ten times sexier than Lana’s deep V.

My gaze flicks to my father’s office, and back to her. “Is he alone?”

“Yes.”

I lean forward, resting my hands on the desk, my gaze meeting hers. “Why are you still here?”

“I don’t want to leave.” She lowers her voice. “Shane.