I switched on the lights and walked across to my desk. The accounts had been neatly stacked, the "done" pile much larger than the "to be processed," and Mike's bold scrawl noting receipt numbers was on several of them. I half smiled. In some ways he reminded me of Jak – he'd never entirely trusted computers, and tended to have paper backups of all legal documents.
I once again pushed down the grief that threatened to overwhelm me – grief that came from Jak's death and the deeper, older loss of my mom – and pressed the vid-phone's button for downstairs. Margie answered on the second ring.
"Hey, boss," she said, a smile crinkling the corners of her dark eyes, "when did you sneak in?"
"Only a few minutes ago," I replied. "I'll be down later, but right now, I'm expecting a visit from my uncle —"
"If he's the red-haired gentleman with the thunderous expression, I just sent him up." She hesitated. "That's not a problem, is it? He said he was expected."
"No, it's fine. Thanks." I hung up.
Footsteps echoed – Rhoan, taking the stairs two at a time. I swallowed nervously, then squared my shoulders. I could do this. I had to, for everyone's sake.
"Uncle Rhoan," I said, the minute he appeared. There was no way in hell I was giving him the opportunity to vent all over me. Not without making him hear me out first. "Sit down, shut up, and listen."
He blinked. Whatever welcome he'd been expecting, it hadn't been that. "I'll listen if it's the damn truth, but there's been too little of it coming out of your mouth of late."
"Rhoan," I said, more forcefully this time. "Not another word. Just sit. Please."
He studied me for a moment, then spun a chair around so he could sit with his arms resting on the back. He waved a hand, motioning me to continue.
I briefly met Azriel's gaze. Am I doing the right thing?
Yes. He has every intention of confronting Hunter if you do not answer his questions satisfactorily.
Something I had to prevent. I'd killed a Cazador to stop Hunter knowing of this meeting. I'd be damned if I'd let that death be wasted by Rhoan marching up to Hunter and demanding answers.
And that, I realized suddenly, was precisely what she wanted. What other explanation could there be for her failing to block the mind of her assassin?