Page 7 of 'Til All the Seas Run Dry

The man extended his hand. “Robbie Cain.”

Callum sat back down in his chair, the expensive leather creaking gently. He gestured to the chair in front of his desk. Robbie sat on the edge of the desk instead. Callum arched an eyebrow at him, and Robbie smirked in response.

“How would you like to proceed, Robbie?” Callum asked, leaning back in his chair and tenting his fingers.

“I’m easy.” Robbie shrugged, and Callum snorted. “But before we start, I wondered if you were hiring.”

“I dinnae hire dedicated blood donors.”

“No. I mean, sure if you like what I’ve got. But I meant for ajob, job.”

Callum tipped his head to the side slightly. “What are your skills, Robbie?”

Robbie reached out to play with the pens in the silver julep cup on Callum’s desk. His tattooed fingers were nimble as they slipped over and around the pens, and if Callum’s eyes were any slower, any more human, he would have missed the pen that Robbie slipped out of the cup.

“Put that back.”

Robbie grinned at him.

“This isnae the best showing, Robbie. Do you think I make it a regular practice to hire thieves?”

“Just a party trick,” Robbie said with a bright smile.

As if to further annoy Callum, or maybe further his point, Robbie opened his palm to display a knickknack that Callum knew came from Penny’s desk.

“I dinnae care for you messing with my employees,” he said sternly, sitting forward in his chair.

Unintimidated, Robbie shrugged. “I’ll give it back.”

“See that you do.”

“But about a job,” Robbie began, “I’ve got a lot of skills.”

“Like what? Wreaking sexual havoc in a kitchen by titillating front of the house?”

Robbie snorted a laugh. “Besides that. How’d you know I?—”

“Lucky guess. You have that”—Callum waved a hand—“air about you.”

“Well, if that’s what you’re in the market for, sure, but a buddy of mine said that you’re looking for someone. And I’m really good at finding things.”

“And what do you do when you find them?”

“Whatever you tell me to, boss.”

Callum snorted again. The impertinence was almost charming. Almost.

He sat up straighter. “How exactly do you propose to find this….” He let his voice drop off.

“I know people.”

“You know people?” Callum sneered. “What kind of people?”

“Don’t worry about that. Just believe me when I say that I can find her.”

“I never said it was a woman.”

“No, but word on the street is that you’re looking for a certain witch who almost chucked your operations off a cliff. And I know I can find her.”