Chapter 21
HARLOW
Iwalked arm-in-arm with Boner.
Cass stayed a couple of feet behind. He held his phone in his hand and glanced at it every few moments, scowling like he was waiting for an important phone call.
I smiled up at Boner, like I was some kind of fangirl, jersey chaser, hooking up with a famous man, just to say I had.
The scenario was nothing new in the sporting world.
Whatever though. If other women wanted to do that, I wasn't going to judge them for it.
Personally, a bunch of professional athletes ate at my restaurant, on and off, usually during the off-season.
Some were arrogant as hell. Others were humble.
None of them caught my eye the way my four men had
Of course, they were usually there with a gorgeous woman on their arm.
Wives, girlfriends, or the latest hook-up.
I never paid much attention. They were customers, that was all.
No one to gawk at or spread gossip about.
As long as they enjoyed the food and paid at the end of the night, I left them alone.
"This is where you live?" I asked sweetly.
Should I be batting my eyelashes? Probably not. That wouldn't be very subtle, but what did I know? This wasn't a role I was used to playing.
"Sure is, babe," Boner said in his best impersonation of a New York accent. I had to admit it wasn't bad. He reminded me of Nathan Fillion in the show Castle; adorably dorky.
"This place is ahhmazing," I said, glancing around. "Not as amazing as you, though." I smiled up at him again and inched even closer, crowding him against the wall.
"Do we have to wait until we get to my apartment?" he asked as he slid his hand down my back and grabbed my ass.
"Someone might see us," I said as if shocked by the suggestion.
I didn't mind a bit of risk taking, but I wasn't going to fuck him in a foyer, in full view of the street.
Not today.
"Sure they might." He winked and squeezed my ass, keeping his hand there while the elevator opened.
We stepped inside and moved to the back, giving Cass room to stand on the opposite side.
He glanced at us, his lips pressed tight together, like we were intruders to his building, before turning his attention back to his phone.
I smirked like I was offended by him, and nestled into Boner as the door closed.
Certain there'd be cameras on us, we played the role all the way up, staring at each other, flirting with our eyes and fitting in a quick kiss here or there.
He slid his finger under the back of my G-string and over the curve of my ass. Deliberately grazed my rear hole before sliding down to ghost his finger over my pussy.
"You're so naughty," I teased.
Cass was trying not to watch us, but our reflection, in the side of the elevator car, would have shown him exactly where Boner's hand was. He swallowed, his eyes dark.
I admired his control. The front of his pants remained mostly flat. Only the hint of an erection tenting before he closed his eyes and willed it back down.
As we'd planned, the elevator stopped at the twentieth floor. The doors slid open and Cass stepped out.
I forced myself not to look at him as he moved away down the corridor, and the elevator kept on moving.
The doors slid open again at the twenty-second floor. Arms still around each other, we headed down toward apartment thirteen.
Two delivery people were just placing the last of a few boxes beside the door.
"That's a lot of boxes," I whispered loudly, my voice high.
Boner grinned. "Sure is, honey bun. I wonder what's inside." He eyed them speculatively, a smile in his blue eyes, along with a healthy dose of curiosity, because he didn't know the specifics any more than I did. Only Cass knew those.
The door to apartment thirteen opened.
"What the hell is all this?" Zeus said.
I recognized him immediately. How had I never noticed the coldness in his eyes? Was it always there? It was there now as he stared down at dozens of boxes.
"Delivery for you, Mr. Lotz-Moore," Jules said.
Kevin Lotz-Moore, esteemed film critic, AKA Zeus, glared at him. "I didn't order anything."
Jules shrugged. "Just doin' my job, man. This is apartment twenty-two-thirteen, right?" He looked at the number on the door and nodded.
Lotz-Moore seemed to be considering his next move.
"Bring it inside," he snapped, finally. "I don't have time for this bullshit."
"Oh, but that's going to take so looong," I said, stepping past the biggest pile. "Would you like some help?"
Lotz-Moore looked at me up and down, assessing me. "Suit yourself," he said and stepped back into his apartment.
"I guess we're helping," Boner said, his tone bland.
Jules muttered something about people being ungrateful that they bought the packages this far, but grabbed up an armful and carried them inside.
As expected, the apartment was an ordinary two-bedroom place. Kitchen on one side, living area on the other, a couple of bedrooms down the back.
"Where do you want them?" Boner asked, placing his boxes on the dining table.
"There is fine," Lotz-Moore said with a grunt. He stomped over to the kitchen and yanked open a drawer. The knife he pulled out made me shiver again. For a minute I thought he was going to use it on one of us.
Instead, he sliced through the tape that sealed one of the boxes.
"What the fuck?" He reached in and pulled out a cardboard box. Squinted at it. The photo along the side was of a black dildo. Shaking his head, he sliced open another box.
This one contained a couple of cock rings, in cheerful colors.
"Looks like you won the lottery," Boner said, grinning. "You planning on opening a sex shop?"
"I didn't order any of this," Lotz-Moore growled.
Archer and Jules continued carrying in box after box.
Lotz-Moore was becoming angrier and angrier as he opened more and more boxes.
Personally, I'd never seen so many adult toys in my life. Everything from clit stimulators to inflatable women with a long-suffering expression on their faces. They were all scattered around Lotz-Moore's apartment.
A few boxes remained unopened when he tossed down the knife onto the tabletop and said, "Take it back.”
Jules stared at him. "Say what now?"
"I said, take it back," Lotz-Moore said again. "There's been a mistake. I didn't order any of it. Get rid of it."
"I don't think you can return them when the box is open," Jules said, chewing on a piece of gum. "Besides, we aren't paid to take them away. Just to deliver them. Sorry, man," he shrugged and gestured for Archer to proceed him out the door.
"You can't leave all this here," Lotz-Moore said, starting to look slightly desperate. "I don't care what you do with it. Get rid of it." He glanced at me and Boner, as if we were his servants.
"I don't need any of that when I have what I'm packing," Boner said, patting the front of his pants. "Come on, babe. It's time you found out."
I whined, "But we can't just leave him alone with all of these…" I widened my eyes as if I couldn't bear to say the words before whispering, "Sex toys."
Lotz-Moore actually looked grateful for a moment. It didn't last long.
"Take them with you," he insisted.
"Well," I said slowly, inching toward the pile of boxes, "I guess I could take a couple of them. That'll save you some trouble, right?"
He gave a dismissive wave with his hand. "Whatever. Take what you want."
Your life, I thought. Don't mind if I do.
"Mr. Lotz-Moore." Cass stopped in the doorway and stared at the scene in front of him, like he had no idea what was going on. How he wasn't laughing his ass off right now, I didn't know.
"Who the hell are you?" Lotz-Moore asked.
"My name is Agent Stone," Cass said, "I'm with the FBI. I'm investigating a case of extensive insider trading. Do you have a few minutes?"
The haughty expression was gone from Lotz-Moore's face for a fraction of a second. A crack in the facade. A hint of uncertainty, if not fear.
"As you can see, I'm busy, Agent Whatever-it-was," he said, spreading his hands to either side to indicate the mess in the room.
"Stone," Cass said, "You can call me Flint if you want. What do you know about Somno-tech?"
"Somno?" Lotz-Moore frowned. "I've never heard of it."
"That's interesting." Cass scratched behind his ear.
"According to our records, you're the biggest shareholder.
Looks like you made a lot of money investing in them.
They were a no one, nothing but a little startup.
They made a few apps, including one that helps people to find the best pizza in their location.
That app is now worth billions. Care to explain about that?
"I swear to God, I've never heard of Somno-tech," Lotz-Moore insisted.
He was telling the truth. Cass had made up the company. The app, though? That sounded like a good idea to me. When this was done with, maybe he could develop it himself.
Cass hummed. "What about Peen-Tech?"
"Peen…" Lotz-Moore stared at him. "What the fuck is going on? You're shitting me, right? You're not really from the FBI."
"Aren't I?" Cass asked. "Are you up to date with our interrogation techniques and questioning practices?" He rocked back and forth on his feet, hands behind his back.
"You're out of your fucking mind," Lotz-Moore told him. "Get out of my apartment. Don't come back unless you have a warrant."
Cass dropped his phone into his pocket. "Okay then. One more thing before I go. Why do you have so many sex toys?"
I put a hand over my mouth and giggled, pretending to be shocked that he'd say the words.
"I didn't—" Lotz-Moore started. He shook his head. "You know what? It's none of your business anyway. Get lost."
"Yeah, let's do that," Jules said, starting toward the door.
"No, not you," Lotz-Moore said, waving his hand in the direction of Jules and Archer. "You're going to get this stuff out of here." He pointed at the boxes.
"No dice, dude," Jules said. "Have yourself a good day now." He raised his hand as if to tip a hat, but snagged his fingers in his wig and pulled it off his head. It dropped onto the floor with a plop.
"The fuck?" Lotz-Moore shook his head. He leaned back like the wig might come to life and bite him.
I wished.
Jules leaned over and snagged up the wig. "I like having a different look, okay? Don't judge me." He looked Lotz-Moore up and down, curling his lip. Irritated, at himself for losing the wig or Lotz-Moore for being a judgy prick.
Possibly a bit of both.
"Whatever. You can get the hell out too," Lotz-Moore said. "These two can get this crap out of here." He jerked his head toward me and Boner.
"Good luck with that," Boner said with a snort. "I have some tail to bury myself in. Come on, babe."
I was tempted to leave Lotz-Moore to stew in his own annoyance, but we had him on the back foot. It was time to finish this.
"I don't think I will leave, babe," I said, locking my eyes on Zeus.
He was tall, sturdily built, strong enough to hold down someone smaller than himself. His cold gaze was like twin balls of ice.
He'd spent his life hiding right out in the open, judging other people's work in public while doing heinous things in private.
Not anymore.
He frowned, trying to place where he knew me from.
I smiled and pulled off my own wig. I tossed it aside, my red hair tumbling down around my shoulders
Recognition dawned on his face and we both sprang toward the knife on the table.