Page 9 of Ravenous Prophecy
“You need something retrieved.” Griffin gestured around the room. “It doesn’t seem like I have any other options, and if you can pay me…”
He trailed off, the implication clear. Part of me was so relieved, I almost agreed without asking anything else. But then, I wouldn’t have been Father’s son if I did that.
“How much?” I asked.
“Well, that depends on what you want done.” He stared at me, his eyes calculating as I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. “My normal retainer is twenty thousand. Each day I work, I earn a thousand. That gets you recon, planning, and normalretrieval.” His smirk was so taunting, I almost called it off. “For anything not on the menu, that’s extra.”
“And what isn’t on the menu?” I asked.
His eyebrows waggled suggestively, and I thought about his initial proposition. He must have been joking. Surely he was mocking me. This was most definitely going to end in him laughing at me. Likely accompanied by finger pointing and an audience of the rest of the agents.
Haha, Bradley, you thought a man as intriguing and attractive as him would be interested in you.
I shook myself, realizing that Griffin had been speaking while I’d been picturing a taunting straight out of a high school rom-com.
“…and then there was a time in Pakistan where I had to dress up as a Russian oligarch, and that wasfun, but there’s only so much vodka I can drink before my stomach lininggives out. Anyway, the portal disk was worth it in the end?—”
“I’m sorry,” I interrupted. “Did you say aportal disk?”
“Well,” Griffin said. “I’d never go into details about a previous client…”
He clearly wanted me to ask for more information about the job, but I couldn’t help focusing on what was really important.
“Did it use an Albert link, or was it even older than that? Albert hypothesized that any pre-Edwardian magic would have to be powered by some form of portable magic, like a battery, but no one has ever been able to confirm it, because no one wants to admit they have a portal disk.” I huffed in annoyance. “I understand they’re illegal, but honestly, you’d think someone would see the academic and research value of turning one over!”
Griffin stared at me, his head tilted. “You know, when I was running from the four angry guys with ensorcelled guns, I wasn’t exactly paying attention to the spell work.”
I huffed out an annoyed sigh. “And I suppose that your client wouldn’t be willing to turn it over in order to answer one of the greatest magical mysteries of our time?”
For a second, Griffin appeared to be choking. When he was finally able to breathe, he said, “No. My point is that anything not on the menu costs extra.”
“Wait, was dressing up as the oligarch what cost extra, or was it the men with guns?” Because I imagined that there would be lots of guns involved. Or… I wasn’t exactly sure what weapons JA Williams’ goons had been carrying, but they were most definitely unpleasant, and I wasn’t about to assume that anything was off the table with him.
“Everything,” Griffin said. “That whole job was off the menu, includingthe illegal artifact, which I most definitely turned in to the authorities anonymously.”
He said the last so loudly and with an obvious effort to look around and make sure that whoever was listening had heard him.
“Ah.” I cleared my throat. “Yes, I’m sure it all ended… aboveboard.”
“Anyway, do we have a deal?” He raised his eyebrow in challenge, as though I wouldn’t have the gumption and money to employ him.
Gumption I had in spades. Money, unfortunately…
“Yes.” I extended my hand, and he clasped it firmly. “Now, let’s get out of here.”
I straightened my clothes as much as possible given the wrinkles and walked to the door. Careful not to touch it, I called out, “Hello? I’d like to make my phone call.”
By the time Father’s lawyers had spoken with MEA, including the commander whose name I still didn’t know, they were more than ready to release both Griffin and me on our own recognizance.
The commander glared at me as we walked out, and Griffin, to my astonishment, stepped forward, blocking her view of me. I blinked, surprisingly touched by the protectiveness. Out on the street, I shook Lambert’s hand. Lambert, Lambert & Scott had been my father’s lawyers since before I was born.
I found myself chagrined that anyone from their firmhad seen me in such a state. Previously, it had only been Elaine that had ever needed their services, and with her it was always for going over contracts or arranging some merger.
“Thanks for coming, Lambert,” I said.
“Of course. We’ll follow up with MEA, but they didn’t have the evidence to hold you, and, as we weren’t present at your initial interview, we’ll make sure that anything you said would be considered given under duress. Judges tend to frown on that.” Lambert walked down the stairs, his driver holding open the door of his town car.
“So,” Griffin said. He was examining the envelope full of personal items that MEA had returned to him. A duffel with airplane tags still attached was resting next to his leg. “What’s the job? And where’s my retainer?”
