Chapter Eighteen
Eros
“Don’t touch anything,” Janea said when she knocked on the door. “Jasper’s a stickler for the rules.”
“Who the fuck is Jasper?”
She laughed. “The butler. He watches over this property.”
“Who the fuck has a butler?” I asked.
“You mean you don’t have a butler?” she asked with a serious look on her face before she started laughing.
“Ha ha. Do you?”
“We have a staff. And Daniel is our butler.”
Before I could respond, the door swung open, and a tall, lanky older man with a shock of white hair, wearing a black suit and a crisp, white shirt filled the doorway.
“Hi, Jasper.”
“Ms. Thorne.” His eyes slide to me, and the disapproval on his face is immediate.
“Jasper, this is Eros. A friend of mine.”
When I smiled, his brows furrowed, the lines on his forehead grew more pronounced.
“Is the governor in?”
“He’s expecting you.”
He stepped to the side, and let us walk in. “Thank you,” Janea said.
I whistled as soon as we stepped into the grand foyer of one of the homes of the Governor outside of the Governor’s Mansion, according to Janea. Now I see what she meant when she said don’t touch anything. Everything looked so fucking expensive.
“How many homes does one person need?” I asked. “And why does it feel like I’ve stepped into a damn museum?”
Polished white marble floors stretched for as far as my eyes could see. Sparkling crystal chandeliers hung from the ornate coffered ceilings. The creamed color walls were lined with large oil paintings in gold gilded frames and golden candelabras.
Janea laughed. “You haven’t seen anything until you’ve seen the Governor’s Mansion,” Janea whispered to me as we followed behind Jasper until we reached the end of a long corridor. “It’s ridiculous.”
Standing in front of a massive mahogany door with intricate designs carved into the wood. Jasper knocked on the door, pushed it open, then stepped in.
Behind the governor’s desk, the wall featured floor to ceiling windows offering a stunning view of a massive garden. Bookshelves containing hundreds of books lined the wall adorned with dark cherry panels. I had never seen a place that looked this expensive.
“Governor, it’s Ms. Thorne and…Mr. Eros,” Jasper said.
The governor stood up from behind his desk. “Thank you, Jasper. That’ll be all.” His eyes slid to Janea. “Janea, sweetheart. It’s been a long time.” He stepped from behind the desk and walked toward her, then engulfed her in a hug.
“Governor, thank you for seeing me on such short notice.” She pulled away from him. “This is a friend of mine. Nikolaus. He’s been helping me.”
“Governor.”
He took my hand, but his face betrayed a hint of doubt as he shook it.
He looked at his watch. “Have a seat.” He motioned to the two seats sitting in front of his desk. “What was so urgent that you needed to speak with me?”
Janea sighed. “I need you to keep an open mind about what I’m about to tell you.”
He propped against the front of his desk, crossing his arms across his chest. “Janice said this has something to do with your father. How is he, by the way? Your mother’s death hit him quite hard.”
“Not as hard as everyone thinks,” she said.
“What does that mean?”
“Nothing,” Janea said. “I’m not here about that, Governor. I overheard a conversation I shouldn’t have.”
“And this conversation had something to do with me?”
“It does. He’s planning to kill you.”
“Who?” he asked, concern etching his face.
“My father.”
He just stared at her then the sound of his boisterous laugh echoed through the study. “Janea, you can’t be serious? I’ve known your father for years. Long before you were even born.”
“I never would have believed it either, Governor, but I know what I heard. Someone’s going to tamper with your brakes before your meeting to make it look like an accident. And now someone’s trying to kill me.”
“Janea…”
“Sir, have you ever heard of the Black Vipers?” I asked.
A moment of surprise flickered across his face before it went stoic again.
“By the look on your face you just tried to hide, you know who I’m talking about,” I said.
“And who are you again?”
“Eros. President of Savage Order MC.”
“The motorcycle gang?” he asked with surprise in his voice. “What does this have to do with you?”
“That’s not what’s important,” I said.
“It is very important,” the Governor responded. “Savage Order is a criminal organization.” He looked at Janea. “What are you doing keeping company with these kinds of people, Janea? Your father would not approve of this.”
“Sir, have you heard anything I’ve said?” Janea asked. “This isn’t about Eros. My father is trying to kill you. Do you think I’m concerned what he thinks about who I’m dating?”
“Look, Janea is under our protection,” I said before the governor could say anything else.
I didn’t give a fuck if this man liked the Order or not.
We weren’t here to talk about us. “The Black Viper Syndicate accepted a contract from her father. He wants to kill her to keep this information under wraps.”
“Sir, I know this sound crazy,” Janea said. “But I couldn’t keep quiet and let something happen to you.”
“If all this is true, why didn’t you contact the police?”
“Because she can’t trust the police,” I said. “She would be stupid to believe her father doesn’t have someone in the police station on his payroll.
“You mean crooked cops?” the Governor asked.
“Of course. You know as well as I do, they exist. Listen, the only way his plan can go off is if he has someone on the inside.”
“Everyone on my detail is vetted.”
“That may be, but he’s got somebody on the inside. That’s the only way he can get close to you.” I blew out a breath, trying to calm down because he wasn’t listening. “Look, I don’t give a fuck if you live or die.”
“Niko…” Janea called my name in warning.
“No, Janea. I’m sure the Governor would like me to be upfront.” I slid my gaze back to the governor.
He gave a curt nod.
“My concern is Janea. If you don’t believe her, fine. She’s done what she came to do. But my suggestion is that when we leave, you ditch your entire security team. If not, then whatever happens is on you. And once you find out that everything she’s said is true, you’ll owe the Order.”
I stood, and Janea followed.
“Governor, take care of yourself,” Janea said before I grabbed her hand, and pulled her out of his office.
If he didn’t want to listen, then that was on him. Janea had done all she could do. Now he knew his life was in danger. If he chose not to heed her warning, then that was on him. There was nothing more we could do. And if he chose to believe us, he’d owe the Order, and I would definitely cash in.