entirely? I want confirmation he did this—either by his own hand or by an order. And I want eyes on him. His every move. As much intel and as soon as you can get it.”
“Not our first rodeo,” Claire says.
“Does Blackstone know about Saint’s Angels?” I ask.
Devlin shakes his head. “Not as far as we know. Which gives us an advantage.”
“And we’re pulling in all North and Central America operatives who aren’t in the middle of an active mission,” Penn adds.
I say nothing, making sure my face doesn’t reveal my surprise that this organization I assumed was a small collection of people is actually large enough and organized enough to have operations around the globe. Instead, I ask the question that has been bugging me the most. “Are you looking into his half-brother, Christopher? We don’t think he’s involved, especially since he testified against Joseph not that long ago. But I’d love additional confirmation.”
“We were involved in the investigation after the incident with Anna,” Penn says, making the whole thing seem far away and formal. “As of right now, we still have no indication that he was working with his brother. In fact, everything we’ve learned suggests that turning state’s witness firmly sealed an already growing rift between the two. But we’re keeping an open mind.”
“Good,” I say. I don’t want him to be dirty, and I truly don’t believe he’d hurt Brandy. But she’s falling for him hard, and I want to make sure she has the truth.
“Ronan will be back tomorrow,” Devlin says.
“He’s in New York,” I add with an ironic scowl. “Although, considering his stealthiness, I suppose he could be in that closet.” I nod toward Devlin’s coat closet as the three of them chuckle.
“Ronan told us about his midnight visit,” Claire says. “He was sorry he didn’t have time to stay and see you. He likes you, you know. Which is actually saying a lot. Ronan doesn’t get close easily.”
“Oh.” I’m not sure what to say to that. When I’d first met him, Ronan had been hot and cold, and I’d even been convinced for a while that it was him who was gunning for me. Now, it’s hard to even imagine having those suspicions. Even so, hearing that he’d actually missed seeing me is a surprise. And a pleasant one at that. “I’m looking forward to seeing him again, too,” I admit. “I want his take on everything that’s happened. He’s sharp.”
“He is,” Penn says. “And we’re already scheduled to meet with him in LA tonight. He’s been fully briefed.”
“And that’s why I work with good people,” Devlin says to me. “They’re always on top of things.”
“Looks that way.” As always, I’m impressed by Devlin’s operation. Just the fact that he runs this mini-universe amazes me, and it’s so different from how I used to imagine my Alex as an adult.
At the same time, I can’t picture the man I now know as anything but the powerful, commanding leader he is. It’s a riddle, but the good kind.
“You’re thinking very loud,” Devlin says, as Penn and Claire exchange amused looks.
“Just reminiscing about the boy I knew, and how he grew up into the man you are.”
“Now there’s a conversation to have over drinks,” Claire says, to which I eagerly agree. This is a woman I could see being friends with, and I’m already sad that she lives so far away.
“While you two focus on running the team, I’m going to put together a little press conference.” He reaches forward to press the button on the intercom before the rest of us even have a chance to react. A moment later, Tamra enters.
“Think you can pull together an invite-only press conference coupled with cocktails and dessert for Thursday night? I know it’s short notice, but I think the sooner the better.”
I glance at Penn and Claire, both of whom look as clueless as me.
Tamra frowns. “Logistically? That’s tight. I can manage. But Devlin, do you think that’s wise? If you want to make a statement, you could go to any television station. You hardly have to throw a party.”
Penn makes a scoffing noise. “What she means to say is, are you fucking insane?”
“I couldn’t have said it better,” I add. “Have we not been talking nonstop about the target on your back ever since that press bomb dropped?”
“An extremely limited guest list. Keep it under seventy-five. Reporters we’ve worked with over the years. Foundation supporters we know personally. Tight security. Metal detectors at the doors. There