Beyond Revenge by Harley Christensen

Author:Harley Christensen [Christensen, Harley]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harley Christensen

Chapter Eleven

Stu warned us Arch had access to the building’s security feed, so we weren’t surprised to find him waiting as we stepped off the elevator and into Charlie’s penthouse. He’d probably been watching us from the comfort of his laptop all along. I hoped there was no audio, otherwise we were in for a short conversation. It did, however, make me wonder how secret the cameras inside the penthouse were—if Leah had found out about them, perhaps Arch had too? I fought the urge to look around but the instant he turned away, both Leah and I were craning our necks in awkward angles. Arch scowled when he swung back to face us, clearly inconvenienced by our intrusion.

“Why are you here?” His upper lip twitched, a cross between a smirk and a snarl. Billy Idol he was not.

Annoyed by his attitude, I quickly stepped toward him, closing the distance between us. The movement caught Arch off-guard and he staggered back a step as I continued to invade his space.

“Is that a rhetorical question, Arch?” My voice came out like sweet tea, thick and sugary, borderline diabetic. “Or are you just pretending to be a complete dolt? Because I’m pretty sure you already know the answer.”

Leah and Nicoh had closed ranks and we faced him, three abreast, a united front. Or, more accurately, two cranky chicks and one ravenous canine, the latter of which was currently looking at Arch’s legs like they were the last chicken wings on Earth. Temporarily subdued, Arch bowed his head in resignation.

“Now that we’re all on the same page, we’ve just got one question for you. Are you going to help us get Charlie out of this mess, or what?” I crooked my eyebrow at him, a hint of malice in my tone.

After a moment, Arch sighed and to show his concession, shuffled to the open living room and motioned for us to sit. Leah nodded at me, but kept her poker face intact. We were both aware giving Arch any leeway would be a mistake. If we wanted compliance, we needed to maintain control of the situation, which in this case meant keeping the tension high.

Arch slumped into a modern, uncomfortable looking chair as far away from us as the space permitted. We selected our own seats and once settled, noticed he’d been keeping the penthouse tidy in Charlie’s absence, just the way his boss would have liked it. The only addition to the stark decor was an enormous bouquet of vibrant purple orchids, artfully composed in a striking crystal vase.

Arch caught me admiring the display and elaborated, “I thought they might add a splash of color, improve the vibe…given all the negativity that’s transpired the past few days.” I nodded though I wasn’t sure who, other than Arch, would have been around to enjoy them.

We sat for a few moments in awkward silence until Arch spoke. “In case you were wondering, I don’t think Charlie killed Parker.” Arch’s statement may have effectively sliced through the tension, but it was his resolve that surprised me the most.

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