“Shannon and any member of my goddamn family whose in on it,” Hill looked to Caiphus, his meaning was clear. “You know they’d never be convicted with all their connections.”
Caiphus was already nodding. “You think Son’ll give ‘em up?”
Hill’s smile was grim with a touch of amusement. “He knows what Gary’s there for. I’d say he’d confess to everything he was part of and who was in it with him if it meant savin’ his dick. We already know Vale’s in it up to his receding hairline, everybody else is second string,” he shrugged then, “he’ll give ‘em up.”
Bill sighed, raking her fingers through her short curls as she paced the deck. “I can’t believe we’re finally ready to close all this down.”
“We’ve got our target,”
Hill walked the opposite side of the deck from Bill. “We’ve got our
location-hopefully. If my genius pans out, we know how to destroy
it. In a couple of days, we’ll have a small army on our
hands...yeah Bill, I’d say we’re finally ready to close all this
down.”
CHAPTER THIRTY
“Are you sure about this, Hill?”
“I am.”
“But you hate eating out,” Persephone kept her lips pressed together to keep from smiling.
Members of Vestige had begun to arrive. The leading group had been handpicked by Caiphus and SyBilla to take part in what everyone hoped to be the final Black Island mission.
Hill and Persephone didn’t see the harm in making themselves scarce while all the preliminary chatter got underway. When Hill suggested they use the free time to grab a bite, Persephone agreed. When he told her they would dine out at an actual restaurant, she was floored. She knew such things were not on Hilliam Tesano’s to-do list. He was well aware of the attention he drew and he hated it.
Persephone understood. He was an attention-getter of the highest order. People couldn’t help but stare when he entered a room. Wary or lustful, their gazes caught and held.
She’d told him how surprised she was that he’d gone out with the guys for Caiphus’ bachelor dinner, adding that she was pretty sure lots of staring had gone on there. Hill had confirmed and said the staring was easier to handle in that particular crowd. Persephone had figured as much, sure that women had fallen all over themselves to catch a glimpse of that group.
“You know, I would’ve been okay with takeout.” She said as they headed toward the restaurant.
“I wouldn’t have been. Not tonight,” Hill said.
“What’s tonight?”
Hill hesitated on pulling open the restaurant’s beveled glass door. “We don’t know what we’re about to walk into with Shannon, Goddess. Guess I just want to spend tonight doing something average- a night out with my girl.”
Hill ushered her inside and Persephone managed to close her mouth before they were met by the host. The man greeted Hill with a warmness she believed was usually reserved for regular customers… or the ones who paid exceptionally well.
Her hand snug in his, they were escorted through a series of corridors and stairways. It was a trip that got draftier the higher they traveled. Persephone snuggled into the black wrap she wore over the lilac gown she’d purchased for the evening. Hill told her she’d need a dress for where they were going. Her mounting excitement had started to give way to unease as his words about Shannon had her concerned.
When the host had guided them to their destination however, Persephone’s concern- some of it- transitioned to wonder and sheer delight. The restaurant was located at a gallery not far from SyBilla’s. There were only six tables dedicated to the rooftop level which maintained a surprisingly comfortable temperature. The sky was clear and star-lit that evening. It perfectly assisted the moon in providing radiant illumination upon the lush vineyard below.
“How’d you find this place?” Persephone was admittedly stunned by the darkly spectacular venue.
“Bill knows the owners. She helped me set it up.”
“Well, thank you, but you didn’t have to go to any special trouble for me-”
“For me too. I needed it.”
Her concern began another slow surge. “You don’t think it’ll go well? This Shannon thing?”
He lifted a shoulder, sending a crease flashing along the front of a walnut brown suitcoat. “There’s always a chance things won’t go well. Always a chance the ones you care about,” he rubbed his thumb across her fingers where her hand rested on the table, “might not fare well in the midst of it,” he finished.
The waiter arrived to introduce himself and take drink and appetizer requests.
“We’re featuring an aged burgundy on the drink menu tonight,” the young server was saying, “there’s also an olive oil from our specialty collection that we’re serving with fresh made pumpernickel medallions.”
“Sounds good,” Persephone said without consulting her date for his input.
Hill didn’t mind and nodded to send the waiter along when he looked to him for approval.
Persephone was too preoccupied by the present discussion to waste time on menu selections just then. “Hill-”
“If I asked you to stay away from this, would you?”
She slumped back against the massive armchair with its padded seating. “Is that what tonight is about?” She sounded crushed.
Hill rested his elbows along the padded rest of his chair, tapped his fingers along the edge of the table. “If you agree to stay behind, it might make it easier for Caiphus and Carlos to convince Bill and Dena.”
“That’s bullshit. They should go more than any of us.” Absently, Persephone skirted her fingers along the scooping edge of her bodice, oblivious to the attention she drew from her date.
Hill gave himself a mental shake. He had to blink away from her bustline prominently displayed in the killer dress when he heard her talking.
“I’ll stay behind if you want.”
He blinked again. “You’d do that?”
“Next to Dena and Bill, this whole thing has screwed with your life just as royally. You should be there to see it destroyed.” She gave a quiet smile, shrugged. “If me staying behind is what it takes to show you I’m trying to be done with flying blind into my own plans…”
She straightened in her chair, moving closer to the table and smiling when his eyes drifted to her chest. It took him a few seconds to force his gaze back to hers.
