“Yeah Pete, I hear the words coming out of your mouth, I just don’t like them.”
Again with the damn pausing. Part of me knew it was because the district attorney was speaking, but another part of me knew that Levi was doing it on purpose.
“I’ll speak with my clients, and let you know,” he stated before hanging up.
Turning back to Richard he said, “The DA will drop all charges if you give them everything they need to know about the drugs. That means giving up Hector as well.”
“Will anyone else know about Hector?”
“I doubt it, it would only make them look worse, and since the drugs are still being distributed, it would be like putting a Band-Aid on a cracking dam.”
“Okay?” He looked up at his parents, who just nodded.
“Yes!” I squealed.
Suddenly a room full of eyes were focused on me. Realizing my outburst, I shrank back into my seat. “Sorry,” I apologized.
Levi stared at me, shaking his head before taking the rest of the Archibalds into the adjoining room.
“Lame,” Richard grinned at me.
“You wound me with your words, and just when I was beginning to like you.”
Rolling his eyes at me, he turned to walk away and stopped, “I’m not saying thank you or anything, because it’s kind of your job to help me—”
“Just go.”
Little brat… but when I looked at the situation retrospectively, he wasn't half-bad.
When he was gone, Atticus came up beside me, and his baby blue eyes looked me over.
“How did you do it?” he asked
“Do what?”
“Don’t play dumb! How’d you get to do the conference?”
I smiled. “While you were searching for Mr. Archibald, I was upstairs winning over the kid. I did say ‘game on’, remember?”
He popped his jaw and nodded. “It ain’t over yet, Cunning.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” I told him.
“Why don’t you both just whip it out already, so we can measure?” Raymond interjected.
Raymond had light brown skin and dark brown eyes. He was one of the first associates Levi hired when he started, making him at least in his late twenties or early thirties.
Atticus and I ceased our spat, and moved to help the other associates pack up the case files that were scattered all over the ground. By the time we were done, a row of taxis were all parked in waiting outside of the house and Levi was already at the door with his jacket on.
“Good work, head home, you all look horrible,” was all he said.
As he looked over to where I was standing, I immediately looked away and raised my hand to signal the driver of our complementary taxi.
The moment the cab stopped at my feet, I threw myself inside of it. I didn’t want to be left alone with him again…I didn’t think I could handle it.
“Hello?” I answered my phone without thinking, as I gave my address to the driver.
Shit.