Page 66 of Starving Butterfly
“At least tell me you have an exit strategy,” he pleaded.
“I have a quiet fortune it wouldn’t be a problem to simply disappear.” Karter spoke up.
Silence fell as everyone contemplated his words. Of course rich bastards got away with everything.
Karter agreed to meet us there, something about checking a patient or something beforehand, probably didn’t want another award-winning conversation with Summer. He’d graduated from stares to simple words, slowly chiseling his way into her defenses with a toothpick.
If I were her, I would have shot him on the spot, watched him bleed out and die for his crimes, but every time I brought it up, she waved it off.
“Watch him suffer for his actions and when my children are born they will not know him.”
Scott just laughed, muttering, “Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool bent on Folly. God didn’t account for Summer’s rage.”
I shook it off, thinking how God chose the bear and every man was lucky we were made first. If I were God, I would have regrets right about now.
57
DINNER
January 23rd
We walked down the back alley to the kitchen entrance. Cole wordlessly opened the door to the kitchen, extending a hand to Summer, who wouldn’t touch him. I slapped him on the shoulder, giving him a sympathetic pat. We wove through the kitchen as the chefs scrambled to prepare everything. Karter was picking at the steak cooking on the grill when Dustin shoved him forward. Cole picked up a spiral potato cutter, eyeing it curiously before pocketing it as we walked through the kitchen chaos.
We emerged from the kitchen into a lavish waiting room; there were staff running about, but none of them focused on us. They seemed to have been paid off or just so desensitized to someone walking through as they prepared the place for guests.
Dustin walked ahead of us, clearing the way toward the large dining hall.
We were technically early for dinner, as the main event didn’t start until later. Of course, that was the plan all along: early enough to do our business, late enough not to tip the senator off.
Cole’s hand wrapped around a security guard’s mouth as he dragged the man against him and quietly snapped his neck. The man fell in a crumpled heap. I stepped over and continued walking.
The large dining room was meant for some of the senator’s financial backers. Something about an annual gathering or whatever. Truthfully, I didn’t give two shits about it so long as we did what we came here for.
The door opened with a slight creak, and Summer’s steps clicked against the floor as she walked to the middle of the table, taking her seat. The dining room held about a dozen chairs, all empty except for the Senator’s chair and now Summer’s chair. He looked up from his wineglass, a small, polite smile crossing his face.
“Thank you for the invitation Senator, it seems we are a little early. I hope you don’t mind.” She said in an almost cheerful voice.
“Of course not, what a lovely surprise.” He raised the glass to his lips, taking a small sip.
We filed in behind her, each taking a seat around the table, but far enough to isolate the Senator’s chair.
“I must hand it to you, you are a hard individual to track down.” Dustin rumbled, and I watched every slight twitch of his face.
“Well I do get awfully busy this time of year with plans for re-election,” he said smoothly.
“We are only twenty-three days into the new year and that’s your excuse?” Karter asked, eyeing the salad dish in front of him.
“Well you know what they say,” he took another sip of his wine.
“Are you hungry I can have them bring the meal a little early? We wouldn’t want to anyone to starve.” The Senator said in a cheerful voice.
Cole’s steak knife landed in the wood of the table; he shoved the chair backward, and within a moment his gun was at the senator’s head.
“Enough games,” he growled.
The Senator placed the napkin in his lap, face perfectly straight.
“I think we will have the food sent a little early, Claire.” He chimed, and a brunette with a clipboard filled with a dozen different options came out.
