Chapter 6 - The Man Everyone Feared
The recording was enough to break the case open.
Shaw cooperated.
Crane's network began collapsing.
The copied shipping manifests revealed a smuggling operation using Murphy Maritime containers without Devlin's authorization.
Within forty-eight hours, arrests spread through three companies.
Chantelle expected her life to return to normal.
Instead, Devlin Murphy kept appearing.
Monday morning, he arrived at her apartment.
She opened the door.
“What are you doing here?”
“Breakfast.”
“You brought six security men to breakfast?”
“Three.”
She looked down the hallway.
“There's another one by the elevator.”
Devlin glanced back.
“Four.”
She laughed.
Bellamy's had offered her job back.
She refused.
Devlin offered her a position.
She refused that too.
“You don't even know what the job is,” he said.
“I know you.”
“That's becoming offensive.”
“What job?”
“Client relations.”
Chantelle stared.
“You want a waitress running client relations at Murphy Maritime?”
“I want someone who notices what everyone else misses.”
“I don't have a business degree.”
“Neither did I when I started.”
“You inherited the company.”
“A technicality.”
She folded her arms.
“What would I actually do?”
“Sit in meetings. Watch people. Tell me who's lying.”
“That sounds ridiculous.”
“You identified Crane's man before four professionals did.”
“I'm never letting Liam forget that.”
“Neither am I.”
Chantelle smiled despite herself.
“I'll think about it.”
Devlin nodded.
Then he handed her a small box.
She narrowed her eyes.
“What is that?”
“Open it.”
Inside was a new phone.
Chantelle looked at him.
“No.”
“Your screen is held together with tape.”
“It works.”
“It accidentally recorded a criminal conspiracy.”
“Exactly. It's lucky.”
Devlin sighed.
“Keep both.”
Three weeks later, Chantelle accepted the position.
Her first board meeting lasted eleven minutes before she leaned toward Devlin.
“The man at the end is lying.”
Devlin didn't look at her.
“Which one?”
“Blue tie.”
“Why?”
“He hasn't touched his water.”
“That means he's lying?”
“No. But every time someone mentions Rotterdam, he covers his wedding ring with his thumb.”
Devlin glanced toward the man.
Ten minutes later, Liam confirmed she was right.
After the meeting, Devlin followed her into the elevator.
“You're enjoying this.”
“Immensely.”
“You terrified three executives.”
“Now I understand why you like your job.”
The elevator doors closed.
For once, they were alone.
Devlin's expression became serious.
“Chantelle.”
“What?”
“When Crane called you my weakness…”
She waited.
“He wasn't entirely wrong.”
Her teasing disappeared.
Devlin continued.
“I spent a long time making sure nobody could threaten me by threatening someone else.”
“That sounds lonely.”
“It was efficient.”
“That's not the same thing.”
“No.”
He stepped closer.
“I don't know how to do this normally.”
“Do what?”
“Ask someone to dinner without having Liam investigate the restaurant first.”
She smiled.
“Start by asking.”
Devlin looked almost uncomfortable.
“Would you have dinner with me?”
“No bodyguards at the table?”
“Across the room.”
“Two?”
“One.”
“Devlin.”
“Fine. Outside.”
Chantelle smiled.
“Then yes.”
The elevator opened.
Liam stood outside.
He looked from Devlin to Chantelle.
“Well?”
Devlin walked past him.
Chantelle whispered, “He asked me out.”
Liam grinned.
Devlin stopped.
“Liam.”
“Yes, Boss?”
“Walk away.”
“Absolutely.”
Chantelle laughed.
Devlin looked back at her.
And this time, in the middle of a crowded corporate lobby, the feared scarred man smiled openly.
People noticed.
Naturally, they went silent.
Chantelle shook her head.
“You really need less terrifying employees.”
Devlin held out his hand.
“You sat beside me voluntarily.”
She took it.
May you like
“Your seat was empty.”
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