a P

e wanted to see me about a contract. I didn

was waiting for me when the doors opened on forty-tw

ile as this morning. "Thank

you know what

down a long, silent hallway with black marble floo

A voice sai

ent

burning orange in the sunset. He was standing at the window with his back to me and a phone to his ear. He'd taken

r at me. Just a glance. The

phone. "Tell them no. .

my hands folded and tried

ail

Those hands had pinned my wr

s Qu

his desk now, watching me, and I had no idea ho

allowed. "You wa

sk. I recognized my own face on t

he was wearing them. He set them on the desk, and

e Sovereign Hotel. Suite 380

't a qu

sidered lying. I could say I didn't know what he was ta

hat elevator. Lying to a wolf about

hispered.

anything. He

s 3306, and the card worked, so I thought... I thought I was in the right room. I didn't know you wer

ut the card

top

ery door on that floor." He set the folder down. "So you were not entire

t I thought my sk

ou," he said. "I want to know what hap

tol

in a small, flat voice, staring at a spot on his desk. When I got to the part about t

he was quiet fo

n I was with you. You calle

G

aid it like it tasted

s of Saturday morning. I thought... I was so drunk, I thought

u're s

ed. "I.

ers together over his flat stomach. He studied me f

en I have a proposal

er to a branch office. A check to go away and keep m

, and he looked m

rry