25. Chapter 25
Chapter 25
Victor
“Owen, what’s going on?”
I walk through the dungeon until I’m in the social area that separates the four play spaces.
“The hairdresser was a good lead. Shara, the one who called in sick, was paid ten grand a day before calling in sick. The guy who replaced her received double that the morning he did Lili’s hair. The trouble is none of these accounts show any links to Phineas. Doesn’t mean they aren’t accounts I’ve not traced yet, but I’m almost certain that’s the case. Someone else was after Lili. Maybe to get to Phineas or the mayor?”
“That’s pretty far-fetched. But his enemies list is long. Let’s look into some of them. Do we need to move her?”
“Might be best. Just make sure you leave the pins at the club, and don’t draw attention to yourselves.”
“What if I take her to my place?”
“You live almost an hour away.”
“And you designed my security system.”
“Fair enough. Let me make sure your system is fully upgraded and then we can come up with a plan to move her tomorrow sometime.”
“I’m going to stay here with Grace tonight, then.”
I tuck the phone in my pocket and drag a hand through my hair. As I’m heading for my own office, I hear movement in Luke’s play space.
I poke my head in the room. “Zara? Are you OK?”
She’s coming out of Luke’s office, and her eyes are red as if she’s been crying.
“I’m working on it. Lili said something to me that still has me shaken.”
My senses are on high alert when she mentions Lili and I pull her towards a nearby sofa. That conversation was hours ago. It must have been serious if it’s still affecting Zara.
“What did she say?”
Zara shakes her head. “I don’t think it means anything. She said I look like someone and later told me it was a homeless woman she used to see in her charity work. That makes it likely to be my sister.”
That raises alarm bells in my head. Is it a coincidence that Lili met Zara’s sister? I don’t like it. Not at all. I want to quiz Lili, but there are a bunch of arrangements to make if we’re going to move her.
“Have you checked on your sister lately?”
Zara’s phone rings, and she flashes the screen at me so I can see Luke’s face. “I should answer this so he doesn’t worry.”
“Tell him we’re looking into what Lili knows about your sister and whether or not it’s a coincidence.”
She puts a hand on my shoulder. “I’ve already talked to him. He just had to take a call of his own.” She puts the phone to her ear.
“I’m here, Mr. Bowden.”
I find the honorific weird, but she refuses to call anyone Sir or Master, and we all respect that limit. Still, anytime she calls me by my last name while the club is open, I look for my father.
That reminds me I haven’t heard anything more from my brother about our father since the other day. I don’t want to reach out, but I may be forced to.
My father is still disappointed in my choice to stay in Las Vegas after Ernesto Trentini was killed and his men were blamed for it, but I knew we didn’t do it, and I knew Matteo didn’t start the rumor that we did, so there was no way I was abandoning what we’ve built just because of a rumor designed to break us apart. I’ve convinced him not to come after my friends, but every day that Ernesto’s death goes unsolved, it gets harder. We are almost certain about what really happened with Matteo’s father, but we can’t say with absolute certainty, because the person we believe it was hasn’t fessed up.
With Zara engrossed in her conversation, I make my way back to the front to check on Grace in the dungeon. She’s leaned against the bar facing away from me with her face in her hands.
“Are you OK, butterfly?”
She turns and smiles. “I’m better now. Still confused.”
“I understand. Try not to worry about it. Owen has some ideas for moving Lili to my house. Are you still good to come with me? I don’t want you doing it because I’m pressuring you.”
She pushes away from the bar and waves her hand. “You’re not pressuring me. I want to help. But thank you for the consideration. I’m still experiencing guilt about kissing her, but I want her to be comfortable at your house and if having me there achieves that, then I’m all in. Not that I can do anything but make things more awkward. You don’t like strangers in your house. Even I’ve only been there a couple of times. And…”
I step forward and put a finger to her lips. “You’re rambling, butterfly. It’s fine. I’m happy to bring you to my home. We have a lot to talk about, you and I.”
She blushes and grabs my wrist, pulling my finger away from her mouth. “We do.”
Her fingers tangle with mine, and it feels like that’s where her hand has always belonged. She doesn’t let go of my hand until her cell phone rings, and she pulls it out to answer. Her voice is a little breathy, like she’s flustered, and I retreat back into the club towards my office with a little smirk, knowing I caused the reaction. That realization makes me happier than it should.
Back in my office, I touch base with some of our contacts and connections who we work with on our extralegal endeavors, and I do my best not to dwell on the gorgeous soft-hearted girl working the sandwich counter at the front of the building or the sleek, strong-willed woman currently locked in suite two.
I don’t understand how I’ve managed to fuck myself so badly where women are concerned. Actually, it’s pretty simple. I did it by breaking my very few rules regarding the fairer sex. This is nothing but proof that the rules are sound, and they work. As long as I follow them.
But it sounds like I’m about to break another one, which is to bring them both to my home. I’ve never brought a woman I’ve slept with home. And while I haven’t technically slept with Grace since high school, I’ve kissed her, spanked her, and seen her naked all within the last few days, so I might as well have, and having her in my home might push me over the edge. And Lili is a whole other can of worms that I’ve been trying not to think about, especially since Grace kissed her.
By the time I’m done with my calls, Luke and Owen are in the owners group chat arguing about the best way to move Lili. Owen wants to do it in two parts and involve Bellamy and several decoy vehicles. Luke wants to take her out in a linen cart. I’m not sure either is necessary, but I’m letting them hash it out.
Right now, I’m skeptical of my own judgment because I am still clearly attracted to her even after finding out who she’s married to. And the abuse she’s suffered at her husband’s hands is clouding things as well. I can’t handle seeing women be abused. The first life I ever took was that of an abuser, and to this day I’ve never felt an ounce of guilt for the act. I would end him again in a heartbeat.
Phineas Draven deserves the worst imaginable death possible, and I hope to be the one to deliver the final blow.
Then again, I would gladly give Lili the opportunity to enact her own revenge if she was so inclined.
Jesus Christ, listen to me. I sound like some sort of lovesick sap, and that’s not who I am. Even in high school where I first met Grace, I didn’t date or have girlfriends. Loner wasn’t quite the right word to describe me, but it was pretty damn close.
The one time we hooked up, I knew we would be connected for life, but I’ve kept her at arm’s length to protect her.
Now I’m pulling her in, and I feel like a bastard for putting her in harm’s way. But I’ll do everything I can to keep her safe unless it means letting her go. I’m too selfish for that now that I’ve had the taste I’ve been depriving myself of for nearly a decade.
My phone rings, and Matteo’s name lights up my screen. I answer, and he wastes no time with pleasantries.
“I’m bothered by Zara’s conversation with Lili. We know Pratchett was working for Draven. We know he hired Bryce and his crew to shoot up Tobias and Bellamy’s wedding to get to Owen. Why? What is it about us that Draven hates so much? Does my father’s death connect somehow? Danny has always been cagey about whether or not he actually did it. I’m starting to think we were wrong about that. Or at least that we don’t have the complete story. The only thing I can think of is that Draven’s got ties to the Russians, and we drove the Russians out of town.”
Matteo is saying everything I’ve been thinking for the last few hours.
“How do you suggest we find these things out?” I ask when he stops talking.
“I’m not sure. Lili seems comfortable with you. Perhaps you can ask her a few more pointed questions about her husband’s dealings with the Russians?”
Standing, I head for the door. “I can do that. I’ll report anything useful.”
Lili
Victor pokes his head into my door. “Can we talk, Spitfire?”
“Not like I have anything better to do,” I snap.
I’m not sure why I’m so bitchy with him. It probably has something to do with the fact that I kissed Grace.
He doesn’t seem bothered by my attitude today, which takes some of the fun out of it. He pulls the chair from in front of the vanity—the same one I tied him to—and sits in it across from the sofa I’ve been resting on.
“Did your husband have dealings with Maxim Agron and his gang?”
I whistle. “I haven’t heard that name in a few years. Let’s just say when he went to prison, there was no cheer in the Draven household and Finn was... particularly cruel in bed.”
Victor’s fists clench and he shakes his head. “I don’t like thinking of what he’s done to you.”
“You like hurting women,” I say. “Why is what Finn does so different?”
Victor laughs. “I enjoy hurting women who want to be hurt. I seem to remember you enjoying the pain that night.”
My cheeks flame as I remember our one night together. I would pay good money for a repeat. But I’ll never admit that to him. Not now. I like Grace too much to hurt her that way, and while I understand his rationale, I’m still pissed at Victor for kidnapping me after our one amazing night.
“Did you ever meet him?”
“Agron?” I shake my head. “I met a few of his underlings that were local to Vegas, but Agron traveled a lot and didn’t really have a home base. Finn did what he could to keep everyone in that gang from going to prison, but the prosecution’s case was too tight, and Finn didn’t have him in his pocket. Now that the DA has been replaced, Finn pretty much gets what he wants in court cases around here, but he wasn’t able to work his magic on the Russians.”
“That’s helpful. Thank you. This is a weird question, but are there any pop stars he hates?”
I frown. “He’s not much of a music fan in general. The only one I can think of that he refuses to tolerate when I turn music on is Skylar Cameron.”
Victor straightens and I’m certain I’ve landed on the right name.
“What does Skylar Cameron have to do with my husband? I know she has a residency here. God damn it. Did Finn fuck her too?”
Victor laughs. “No. You don’t have anything to worry about there. She was a significant witness against two of the Russians who went to prison in Nevada.”
“Oh. That makes his irrational hatred of her songs make a lot more sense. What does that have to do with your business with Finn?”
Victor shakes his head. “I’m not at liberty to disclose those details, but this has been helpful.”
“Is he making more noise than just visiting the casino?”
Victor shakes his head. “Not that we’ve heard, and we’ve got eyes and ears everywhere.”
“So does Finn. Your questions about Skylar remind me he was ranting about her being a whore and having a secret boyfriend that would piss Hunter Novak off. Apparently, she used to be engaged to Hunter? It was weird that my husband was up on popstar gossip, but I was too busy trying not to piss him off, so I paid little attention to it.”
My stomach is in knots just talking about all of this, and now I want to understand how the popstar relates to everything. Is it really just that she was a witness that put some of Finn’s friends away? Or is there more to that story? Something tells me there is more to it. But I’m not going to get answers out of Victor, I can already tell.
“Thank you, Liliana. This has been enlightening. I’ll make sure someone brings you dinner, and we’ll be moving you to my house as soon as tomorrow evening.”
I give a nod of acknowledgment, but my mind is spinning too fast to say anything else. Though the idea of seeing Victor’s house sparks something in me that is both inappropriate and exciting.