41. Chapter 41
Chapter 41
Victor
The next morning, we meet at Owen’s house to discuss our upcoming meeting with Hunter. None of us can even guess what he has in mind, but Owen did say he ordered a suite at the Elysium to be prepared complete with a security detail for later today.
“I can’t say for certain it has to do with our problem, but it’s definitely not for a VIP that I’ve been informed of.”
He pours a cup of coffee and slides it my way as he pulls another mug from the cabinet. “Our best bet is to go in with an open mind and present our plan as a counteroffer if we don’t like what he has to say.”
I add a splash of cream to my coffee and swirl it before taking a drink. “She’s open to filing for divorce sooner than planned, but she needs our guaranteed protection.”
Matteo leans forward and stares at me intently. “Do you trust her enough to offer that?”
I nod. “I do. At first, I wasn’t sure, but she’s committed to taking her husband down and has no desire to be part of that family.”
Matteo nods, as if my answer is good enough, and takes the cup of coffee Owen offers him.
Luke and Tobias have been quiet during this conversation, which means they are on board with Owen’s assessment of the situation.
Luke sets his coffee down and adjusts his cufflinks. “Zara is convinced we can trust her as well. And that’s good enough for me.”
I smile at the bearded Irishman. He’s smitten where his wife is concerned, but she’s an excellent judge of character, and has a knack for reading people, so it’s good enough for me as well. Luke and I have butted heads several times over the years, and we’ve never been close friends, but the past couple of years have brought us closer, and I’m grateful to have him in my corner.
Owen pulls his phone from his pocket and groans.
“Looks like the boss is ready for us now, gentlemen. That was a text from Nadine.”
We head for our cars, and drive to the Pink Sapphire where Hunter Novak is waiting impatiently.
“Here is what’s going to happen, gentlemen. Mrs. Draven will move into the penthouse at the Elysium by the end of the day. I will escort her to the courthouse to file for divorce next week on a day of my choosing. It will be public, but she will be on my arm, and my wife will be there for moral support. She will have to reveal the abuse, preferably during a press conference after the paperwork is filed. You and your friends are then going to attend my next party at the end of next quarter where Victor and Lili will ‘meet’ for the first time and hit it off. From then on, it will be about managing PR around your relationship.”
We stare at Hunter as he lays out the plan so efficiently. I hate to admit it’s a better version of the plan I had in mind.
“I am sticking my neck out for you all, and after I’ve drawn him out, it’s up to you to take him down. Once this is done, I want no part in whatever happens next. Your jobs are safe for now, though I don’t understand why you want them given your other endeavors and financial independence.”
Owen laughs. “I just like the tech you give me access to.”
Hunter glares. “I’ll keep that in mind next time I’m choosing people to watch over my wife.”
Owen sobers. “I apologize, sir. Now isn’t the time for jokes. You’ve seen that I take Mrs. Novak’s safety as seriously as I take my own wife’s.”
Hunter nods. “You do. Which is why you’re still standing here.” He glances at his watch and shoves a hand in his pocket. “I have one more request.”
Matteo raises an eyebrow. “And that is?”
“We want to check out your club.”
I groan. We try not to let outsiders in. Hunter isn’t an outsider to kink, but he isn’t involved in the same enterprises as most of our members, so it’s hard to justify the invitation. Then again, he has helped us out of numerous jams, so it’s not unreasonable.
“That can be arranged,” Owen says. “Who is we?”
“My wife and I plus Matteo’s boss and her husband.”
“Mitch and Amalia? I had on idea they were... inclined to that lifestyle.”
I look at Matteo with an are-you-serious expression on my face. “Seriously? She wears an obvious collar and has at least two kink themed tattoos that I’ve seen. And I’ve talked to the woman less than a handful of times.”
“It’s not that obvious,” Matteo mutters.
Owen puts a hand on either of our shoulders as he looks at Hunter, silently telling us to shut the fuck up. “We’ll see that it happens.”
Hunter nods. “Thank you. Our business is done for today, gentlemen. I’ve got three more meetings to get through. Nadine will work out the specifics and we can go from there. A suite at Elysium has already been prepared.”
For the second time in as many days, we leave Hunter’s office feeling like we’ve just left the principal. I understand why Matteo and Owen trust him, but I don’t have as much reason to, so I’m not sure I’m convinced that it’s a good idea to just run with his plan. Yes, it involves doing what I wanted to do, which was to have Lili file for divorce, and the specifics are better than what I’d come up with, but the timeline is too accelerated for my taste. But the power and influence he has over this town, this country really, is unmatched, so I also recognize how pointless it is to ignore him and do our own thing.
All I want to do right now is go home to both of my girls. It’s getting harder to imagine life without both of them together, and it’s clear they’re head over heels for each other, maybe even more than they are for me.
“I’m heading home,” I say as we head out the door to our cars. “Grace is in class until four, and that will give me time to talk to Lili about the plans.”
The others nod in agreement, and I slide behind the wheel of my car and point it in the direction of home. It’s a long drive because I didn’t want to live in a cramped neighborhood of annoying rich people.
Despite having money, I’ve never felt like I belonged in the world of money and power.
At home, I peek into the office where Grace is listening to a lecture. She smiles at me and gives a little wave, so I blow her a kiss. “I’m going to take Lili to the den for a chat. Join us when you’re done.”
She gives a thumbs up, and I go in search of Lili.
She’s curled up asleep in the den with a book on the floor next to her as if she fell asleep reading.
I pick up the book and sit on the end table as I crouch to sit on the floor next to her. Picking up her hand, I stroke my thumb across her knuckles.
“Hey, Spitfire,” I whisper against her ear. “Wake up. We need to talk.”
She stirs and opens her eyes, a smile tugging at her lips. “Hey, I didn’t mean to fall asleep. Did Grace get logged on to her class?”
I brush a wayward strand of hair from her face.
“She did. We need to chat.”
“That doesn’t sound good.” She sits up, and I lay my head against her knee. The way she runs her fingers through my hair is comforting, and I could fall asleep here, but I know we have to talk about Hunter’s plan.
I walk her through what Hunter wants to do.
“So, because Hunter is the one helping me, you think Finn won’t come for you even if we have our public meeting after the divorce? I’m just not sure about that, Victor.”
“I understand that. And we can put some time between the divorce and the meeting. Phineas is just poking his nose around and threatening Novak and that’s not good for anyone. What do you think?”
“I think if that’s what everyone else wants to do, I’ll go along with it. I’m ready to be done with that family even if it costs me. And it’s only a little faster than your initial timeline.”
I know she’s worried about how going this route will affect her finances, and her relationship with her own family, but the stories I’ve heard about her father make me pray I never meet him. Still, I understand the influence family can have on a person, so I don’t say anything.
“We’ll do what we can to mitigate the impact on you. And you’ll be better off in the long run even if you don’t want to stay with us.”
She frowns. “I want to. But I don’t know if it’s best for you and Grace. My life is going to get messy for a while, and I don’t want to cause problems.”
“We’re going to get through this together, Liliana. Grace wants you in her life. I want you in our lives. But only if you want to be here.”
“Can we figure that part out later?”
It’s painful to hear her hesitate, but I mean it when I say I don’t want to hold her here if she doesn’t want to be here. Grace is growing attached, and I would rather not watch her get her heart broken.
“Of course, sweetheart. I’m waiting on a call from Hunter’s assistant to hammer out timing on everything.”
“I need better clothes if I’m going to do this. There is a certain standard I’m expected to live up to, and it’s important to get there.”
“We can work that out.”
We sit and talk for another half hour until Grace comes to find us.
“Do you need me to come back later?” she asks when she finds us looking serious.
“Not at all, Mariposa. Come join us. How was your class?”
She sits next to me and lays her head against my chest. “Interesting. Things will get harder as the year progresses, but I’m excited to be back in school.”
I kiss the top of her head. “I’m proud of you.”
“What were you two talking about?” she asks after a moment or two of silence.
“It looks like I’m getting divorced and moving into the Elysium for a few days.”
Grace sits up, her eyes wide. “You’re leaving us?”
I squeeze Grace’s thigh and nod to Lili. “Let her explain, butterfly.”
Lili walks Grace through what I just described a half hour earlier, and Grace relaxes against me. “I don’t understand why you have to go stay on the Strip, but the rest of it sounds good.”
Lili leans across me to pick up Grace’s hand. “Are you saying you’re going to miss me?”
Grace grins and nods. “I will. So much.”
“And I will miss you.”
Grace chews on her lip. “I guess with Lili leaving, I can go home too.”
I frown and shake my head. “Out of the question, Mariposa. We still don’t know who is stalking you.”
Grace sighs. “I just don’t want to be a burden.”
“Have I given you an indication that I don’t want you here, Grace?”
“No, Sir,” she whispers, her voice thick with emotion. “I just…”
“Hush. No just, no buts. You have never been a burden. Don’t think of yourself that way. I want you here. Both of you. But Lili will be safe at the Elysium. I promise. And you can come with me to take her later tonight, OK?”
That seems to soothe her, and she picks up the remote. “Let’s watch a movie together before we go.”
Lili hops up. “I’ll make popcorn.”
Grace snuggles close and puts her head on my chest. “Promise me we aren’t going to lose her, Victor.”
I grimace and put a hand on her head, holding her close. “I’m going to do everything I can for her, Mariposa.”
It’s the best that I can give her, and I hope it’s good enough.