Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
Iwatch as Lailani wraps a towel around her body. “You need to stop breaking into my place. What if I didn’t know it was you and—I don’t know—I shot you or something?” she says.
I laugh. “Do you even have a gun, Lailani? Or know how to use one?”
“Pfft, it’s America. Everyone has a gun, Sammie. And you don’t know if I do or don’t, so I could shoot you,” she tells me.
“I’ll take my chances. You’re not a killer, babe. You’re not going to shoot me.” Wrapping an arm around her waist, I pull her against my chest and lean down. “Mmm, you smell fucking delicious,” I say, inhaling her fruity scent.
There is no way this girl is capable of murder. Maybe I should teach her how to shoot, though, and probably get her a gun too. This city is full of bastards who wouldn’t think twice about hurting a girl like her.
“Mmm,” Lailani moans as I start kissing my way down her neck.
I pull away, because if I don’t stop now, I’ll be even later than I already am. “As much as I don’t want to leave, I have a meeting I have to get to,” I tell her, kissing the middle of her forehead before turning around to find my clothes.
“It’s okay,” she says, following me out of the bedroom. “Um, Sammie?”
“Yeah?”
“Can we, um, not tell anyone about this? About what we’re doing?”
I pause before throwing her words back at her. “You ashamed of me, babe? Am I your dirty little secret?”
“Not ashamed. I just… like my privacy and don’t want to be the subject of the rumor mill at work,” she explains.
“Fair enough.” I nod. “I won’t tell. Besides, sneaking around with you is fun.” I wink at her.
It’s actually for the best that no one knows about us.
After what happened to Charlotte, I have no intention of putting a target on Lailani’s back.
I’d never forgive myself if something happened.
I need to put a tail on her, someone to keep an eye on Lailani when I can’t.
I make a mental note to assign a soldier to her ASAP. I should have done it days ago.
“Come to my place tonight,” I say.
“Maybe I might be busy,” she replies.
“Doing what?”
“Washing my hair?” she questions.
“I’ll wash it for you. Come to my place.” I pull out my wallet and give her an access card. “Here, this will get you into the penthouse.”
Lailani takes the card and looks down at it. “Aren’t you worried that I’ll go snooping when you’re not there?” she asks me.
“Are you going to snoop, Lailani?” I ask her back.
She quickly shakes her head. “I wouldn’t, but I could.”
“There is nothing incriminating in that penthouse. Snoop away,” I tell her.
She looks at me with raised brows. “So there’s incriminating stuff elsewhere?”
We haven’t had the conversation, the one where she asks if the rumors around town are true. I don’t want to lie to her. But fuck if I’m going to tell her the truth and give her a reason to run. Besides, whatever this is, it has an expiration date. A girl like her does not end up with a man like me.
“Not that I’m aware of,” I say. “I gotta go. Let yourself in, and if you feel the need to be naked in my bed by the time I get home tonight, I won’t be disappointed.” I smirk.
“Noted,” she replies with a small smile.
“You think they’re going to try again?” Carlo asks.
“Would you give up after the first failed attempt?” I counter. We all know they’re going to try to go after Louie again. Honestly, it could be any one of us next time.
“I wouldn’t have missed in the first place,” the cocky bastard says.
I look over to the sofa where Carlo’s six-year-old daughter is sitting. Jazzy’s wearing headphones and watching a movie so she can’t hear us. “Anything on finding her mother?”
“Nothing,” Carlo says. “I’m not sure I really want to. It’s not like I’m going to give her back.”
“Every child deserves a mother,” I remind him.
“Not one who leaves them in a fucking casino with a complete stranger,” he grunts. Jazzy was left with a note claiming that she was Carlo’s daughter. He has no idea who her mother is, though.
My phone buzzes in my pocket. I pull it out and see a message from one of our soldiers.
George: Found him. He’s Marciano’s guy.
Me: Chain him up like the fucking dog he is.
“They found him. Marciano’s man,” I tell Carlo.
“Marciano? What the fuck is that old fucker up to?” he curses under his breath.
“No idea.” I shrug before standing and making my way towards the door. “I’ll catch you later. I’m going to go see Louie.”
When I get to the hospital, Emmanuel is seated on one of the plastic chairs in the waiting room. “You moving to town or something?” I ask him.
“Or something,” he answers.
“We found the shooter. Marciano’s man,” I grunt as I lower myself into the empty chair beside him.
“Good. Gut him like the snake he is.”
“He in there?” I nod towards Charlotte’s hospital room.
“Yeah.” E glances up before returning his attention to his phone screen.
“Good chat,” I tell him and head to the door, knocking once then opening it. “Bossman, you got a minute?”
“Yeah.” Louie looks like absolute shit. Then again, his wife did just get shot.
“We got him in the basement.”
“Keep him there. I can’t leave until she’s released,” he says.
“Will do.” I nod.
Louie’s gaze falls on to Emmanuel. “Do me a favor. Keep an eye on him. I think Evie has thrown him for a loop and I don’t know what he’s going to do.”
“She does look eerily like her.” I stare through the window at Charlotte’s friend. “I mean, it’s got to be like looking at a ghost. Unless…”
No, she couldn’t be. I shake my head.
“Unless what?”
“You think she’s her?” I ask. We all thought Emmanuel had killed his childhood girlfriend. She disappeared one day, never to be found again. And whenever anyone brings her up, the crazy fucker starts swinging.
“She’s not Laura,” Louie says, keeping his voice low. “Evie has been friends with Charlotte since they were kids.”
“Right, doppelg?nger then.” I shrug. “I’m heading home. You need anything?”
“Nah, I’m good,” Louie replies as he pushes back into the hospital room.
“How’s your girl?” Emmanuel asks when I approach him again.
“I don’t have a girl,” I tell him.
“Not what you said yesterday.” He raises a brow. “I recall something about the girl you’re dating being the sweet and innocent type.”
“I said I was fucking a girl who’s the sweet and innocent type, not seeing her. You know me, E. I don’t do serious.” I smirk.
His jaw ticks. “Right, well, whoever she is, I hope she knows she’s too good for you.”
“I’m sure she does. Gotta go. See you around.” I wave and continue walking out of the hospital. It’s getting late, and as much as I told Lailani I don’t care if she snoops, I don’t want my stuff touched either.
I need to get there before she does. I don’t need her to see the level of crazy I am when I search through my entire apartment just to make sure nothing has moved.
I’m too fucking late.
When I walk into my apartment, I find Lailani sitting in the living room.
“Hey.” I smile. Can’t say I hate coming home to the sight of her. “You’re not naked and in my bed.” I bend down and press my lips to hers.
“Neither are you,” she counters.
“I’ll be right back. Don’t move,” I tell her while scanning the contents of the living room.
I head into the guest room, then my home office.
When I walk back out, I head to my bedroom and into my closet and bathroom, opening every cabinet to check that nothing has been moved.
By the time I turn around, Lailani is standing there watching me.
“I didn’t actually snoop,” she says shyly.
“Why not? I would have,” I tell her.
“What are you looking for?” she asks.
“Tylenol.” I blurt the first thing that comes to mind.
“I have some.” She walks out of the room, and I follow behind her, until I reach the kitchen. I then open the cabinets, quickly inspecting them too. I can’t not do it. If I have to make up some shit about looking for something else, then so be it.
“Here you go.” Lailani places a bottle of pills on the counter.
“Thanks.” I look at the counter opposite us and then over towards the sink. “Did you make coffee?” The pot is full and there’s an empty mug in the sink.
“No,” she says, and my blood goes cold.
Someone has been in here.