Jane tilted her head slightly. “Or what?”
Now Nicole’s smile turned nasty. She reached into her purse on the floor and pulled out a small box—the kind that might hold a tennis bracelet, though I had a gut feeling there weren’t any diamonds in there. She placed it on the table, then pushed it toward Jane with one finger.
Jane dropped a brief and dismissive glance to the box then returned her gaze to Nicole’s face. “A toe? A finger? His balls?” Jane said without making any move to take or open the box, cool demeanor not slipping a smidge. She tilted her head in my direction. “I have an expert advisor on what you can do, have done, and will do to zombies.” With one finger, she pushed the box right back to Nicole. “What is your threat?”
Nicole shot me a furious look, clearly livid that her grand gesture fell flat and that once again she’d been caught off guard. She snatched at the box and shoved it back into her purse, though the disgust on her face told me that, whatever piece of Pietro that was, it was going to end up in the first available dumpster.
“Simple,” Nicole snapped out. “You go call in favors, exert influence, spread rumors, and do whatever you have to do to get us that contract, or I’ll deliver a hundred boxes like that.” Her eyes glittered with contempt. “I’m sure your expert advisor can tell you those creatures still feel plenty of pain.”
Jane didn’t even flinch. “No, darling,” she replied smoothly. “It doesn’t work like that.”
I snagged another breadstick. This shit was good.
Nicole blinked. “Excuse me?”
“I may be new to Washington, but I’ve made my mark,” Jane said, tone still pure silk. “It’s why you chose me to coerce. You thought I’d be cowed by your threats, and I’d go off as ordered and use what influence I have to get you what you want.” She paused, leaned back as casually as Nicole had tried to do earlier. “But I’m not cowed. And here’s my promise.”
Nicole’s mouth worked soundlessly before she closed it with a sharp snap. Her right hand clenched into a fist on the table.
“You harm Pietro in any way, and I will take your teetering corporation to the ground, then bury it,” Jane said, exuding power and confidence. “This isn’t the only contract that matters to you. And, before your little mind moves to taking me out to cut your losses, you should know I didn’t get much sleep last night. Burning the midnight oil to set up failsafes in case I meet with an untimely accident or disappear.”
The blood left Nicole’s face as Jane spoke, then her cheeks flushed hot, lips white as she spoke. “If you think I’m simply going to turn him over to you and get nothing in return, you’re sadly mistaken.”
“I never said you would get nothing,” Jane replied. “I said I will ruin you if you harm Pietro. Not the same thing. I will consider supporting this contract if you meet my conditions.”
I munched breadsticks and watched Nicole’s internal battle to keep from telling Jane where she could shove her conditions.
“Go on,” Nicole finally managed.
“First off, after the contract is awarded, Pietro is released to me—unharmed in any way.”
I glanced at Jane, surprised that she wasn’t asking for Pietro to be released immediately, then realized Jane knew damn well the answer to that would be No. Nicole wouldn’t give up her ace in the hole before she had what she wanted, and Jane had no desire to lose ground by asking for the impossible. Damn, I felt as if I should be taking notes.
Nicole’s nostrils flared. “What else?”
“Second, within three hours from now you will make arrangements for us to see and have complete freedom to speak with Pietro, including physical contact.”
Nicole gave another stiff nod, her hand clenched so tightly it surprised me that blood wasn’t trickling out from her nails on her palm.
“And you tell us who the insider is,” I put in.
Nicole shot me a scathing look. “For all I know, you’re the insider.”
I regarded her with suspicion. It was possible she didn’t know, but I didn’t trust that calculating look in her eye. Then again, “calculating” could be a permanent part of her expression.
Jane eyed Nicole, then glanced toward me. “Anything else, Ms. Crawford?”
“Yeah, she and her thugs can stay the hell away from me, my dad, and my Krewe.”
Nicole’s eyes remained on me for a moment more before returning to Jane. “Anything else?”
“I believe we’re complete,” Jane said.
Nicole seized her purse and stood so quickly she toppled her chair, but she didn’t even glance behind her at the clatter. “I’ll contact you in three hours.” Her jaw tightened. “You will get us that contract.”
“I will exert all possible influence,” Jane said, still seated and not looking at all intimidated by having to look up at Nicole. If anything she seemed more like a queen indulging some commoner. God, I loved this woman.
Nicole planted her hands on the table and leaned forward. “You’re a tougher woman than I expected, Jane Pennington, but I’m sure you understand that if we don’t get that contract, I’ll have little left to lose.” She straightened and began to stalk off but Jane’s voice stopped her before she reached the door.
“And I’m sure you understand, Nicole Saber,” Jane replied without looking toward her, “if I lose Pietro, I’ll see you burn in hell.”
Nicole slammed out the door with her men right behind her, and as soon as they were gone it was as if the entire building breathed a sigh of relief. Jane waited a moment, then stood gracefully and moved to the door. I scrambled to follow, then paused, looked at the maitre d’ as he righted the toppled chair.
“Can I get some of those breadsticks to go?”
Chapter 23
Jane returned me to Battery Park and promised she’d call as soon as she heard from Nicole. Philip sauntered up a few seconds after Jane’s car pulled away as if he’d been waiting there the entire time, then he and I proceeded to take a convoluted route back to the hotel, during which—using the miracle of conference calling—I gave the entire Krewe, along with Brian, a recap of the lunch discussion and the plan to see Pietro.
Naomi let out a low whistle when I finished. “Damn, Jane Pennington has giant, shiny brass balls.”
“She certainly does, and it’s an opportunity to be seized,” Brian agreed, a note of admiration in his voice. “That said, I don’t intend to go with you. I’m not comfortable leaving Dr. Nikas for that long, and it would be foolish to make it so easy for Saberton to grab all of us at once.”
“That makes perfect sense,” I said and heard murmurs of agreement from the others.
“Kyle and I will pick up a couple of things and meet Angel and Philip back at the hotel,” Naomi said, then disconnected.
“Angel, Dr. Nikas says he has a treatment made up for you and Philip,” Brian told me. “I’d like you to meet me at a place in SoHo—Betsy’s Bakes, on the corner of Grand and Greene, in six hours.”
“Sounds good,” I said. “We should be done by then, and I know how to get in touch with you if something goes wrong.”
“Don’t jinx yourself,” he chided, but his tone remained upbeat. “I’ll save a brownie for you.”
“Save two.”
“Deal.”
I stood perfectly still as Naomi rigged up the earpiece comm thing that would allow her to monitor and advise. And I only winced a little when Kyle made a thin slice on my side above my hip and slipped a tiny GPS tracker beneath the skin. If the worst happened, and I got captured again, I wanted the Krewe to be able to find my scrawny ass. The others each had one for the same reason. The zombies’ were beneath the skin, like mine, and Naomi’s . . . well, I didn’t really need to know where Naomi’s tracker was hidden.