Chapter 10 #2
“No, you won’t. They’re geniuses. One day they’ll tell me their secrets, and they can’t do that if they’re dead. And I don’t mind doing this. I think semen is a great collector’s item. Oh! I should start my own collection!”
“Fuck. I don’t need to know what you’re storing below my property.”
I waggle my eyebrows and step off to the side, setting my phone up on the trunk of a car before stepping back and making sure everything is on the screen.
Then I pull my pants down and get to work.
It’s a little rough because I didn’t bring any lube, but I get the job done quickly.
And when I hand the specimen to the twins, they pocket it without another word.
Anthony is rubbing his temples, his jaw clicking as I make my way back to him.
“Do we know how he died?” I ask, realizing this is why we’re here.
“Pink, most likely. This is probably the work of He—” he pauses and sighs. “The man we shall never name.”
My lips quirk at that, and I jostle him into a rough hug. He pats my head, and I pull away. “He’s awful. Thank you for not saying his name.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Is there anything else we need to do while we’re here?” I ask, and Anthony nods.
“I’d like to inspect the most recent shipment, if you’re okay with waiting?”
“Oh, I can wait. Plus, I really like Raphael. He gives the best hugs.” I sniffle slightly, thinking about how Georgiy left me, and Anthony sighs, putting his arm around my shoulders.
“Come on. Let’s get you that hug,” he says as he leads me toward the entrance.
Two heavily armed security guards stand outside, and I waggle my fingers at them.
This is quite the distraction. If I keep going like this, if Anthony keeps dragging me around to his different appointments, then maybe I’ll get through this day without crying again.
He pushes a code into a pad on the door, and then a moment later, it swings open.
As we enter, Raphael rounds the corner and walks up to meet us. He’s been around since I can remember, and from what Anthony tells me, he was around back when Anthony’s dad ran things.
A very kind and loyal man.
“Bane,” Raphael says, and I rush up to him, burying my face in his barrel chest and rubbing against it. It’s a very nice chest, strong and sturdy. He chuckles, patting me on the back. “Leslie-Ann got your gift. She loves it.”
“I’m glad.”
“She’s never had an ankle-bone bracelet before.”
I grin and lean into his side.
“All right, let me see what you’ve got,” Anthony says as he stalks toward the office. “Luca is held up, and I need to get back to Tatum.”
“Heard about the attack on your men,” Raphael says. “Hope you get the creep who did it.”
“Oh, we will.”
I snuggle further into Raphael as he leads us into the office and offers Anthony a taste of the cocaine.
Usually, Luca is the one to do this, but Anthony sniffs it, rubs some on his gums, and then nods.
“Good. Like usual. Can we discuss the Colombians? I’ve been hearing some whispers…
” Anthony pauses and looks over at me. “You want to stay for this? Or do you want to wander?”
“Can I wander for a bit?”
“Go on,” Anthony says, and I leave the office while they discuss business.
I meander out into the large warehouse, seeing lines of people filling orders, masks covering their faces.
Music plays from some portable speakers, and I bob my head as I make my way around the space.
It’s large, but the space is clean and managed well.
Raphael runs a great business. It’s no wonder Anthony kept him on.
Plus, he’s loyal and makes me happy every time he wraps his arms around me.
I’d keep him on just for that.
I chat with a few people in English and some in Spanish, asking them about their families and what their plans are for the weekend.
And then I hear things. Chatter among them.
Concern about the dead body out back, the lethal drug circulating the streets.
And before you know it, I’m huddled around several workers who are speaking frantically, worried about their children and spouses, and more importantly, about their lives.
Because this drug is infiltrating the streets, and it’s being said that it’s coming from us. From the Costellos.
I hold up my hands, silencing them. “Who is saying this? Does anyone know?”
Several people begin speaking quickly, and I have to stop them with a snap of my fingers to get them to speak in turn.
By the time Anthony finds me, I’m awash in new information. Does Anthony know this? Oh, he’ll be so pleased with me once I’ve told him everything.
“Oh. Oh. Anthony, guess what?” I ask, bouncing on my feet.
Anthony peers at me and folds his arms across his chest. The workers scurry back to their places, getting back to work. Bouncing over to him, I link my arm through his and pull him toward the exit.
“I was talking to the workers, and they told me some interesting things.”
“What is it?”
“They were telling me about Pink and word on the street is it’s coming from us.”
“I knew that.”
“Yes, but did you know which club was saying it?”
Anthony freezes. “Which one?”
“One I’ve never heard of.”
“Name, Bane.”
“The Mavericks. Apparently, they’re based out of San Francisco.”
Anthony’s eyebrows rise, and I shift slightly. “I’ll have to ask my informant in the FBI if they know that club.”
“Good idea, and you could ask sexy Senator Ruiz, too. But also…they mentioned a guy with an earring. It must be he whom I refuse to name.”
“You mean Henry.”
I gasp, throwing a hand over his mouth. “Oh my god!”
He peels my hand off him. “And what did they say about him?”
“Just that they’ve seen him around. One person even said he was out there selling it!”
“We knew this.”
“Yes, I know, but it’s confirmed. Henry must be connected to this Maverick group. He was working with more than just the Sirens.”
“It seems so.” Anthony mulls it over and then meets my gaze. “Good work, Bane. I should bring you along more often.”
“Oh, anytime. I’m happy to help. I mean, it is my fault—”
Anthony cuts me off. “No. Don’t blame yourself. If it hadn’t been you, it would have been someone else. That man is a menace. We’ll find him and you’ll get first dibs on his eyes.”
I clap my hands and bob my head.
“Ready to head home now?”
“Yeah, I think I am. I’m kind of tired.”
“Could be the concussion. I’ll have Doc take a look at you. Come on.”
He wraps his arm around my shoulder, and I snuggle in, feeling vulnerable in this moment.
I’m mad Georgiy isn’t here, that he left without telling me. That he held me all night and promised me he’d keep me safe.
And he’s gone. He left me. He hurt me.
Just like the ghost in the shadows did all those years ago.
It seems men aren’t so different after all.
Evening arrives, and Georgiy makes no appearance. Of course he doesn’t. He’s abandoned me. My obsession was misplaced. Once again.
I sulk and even Agatha’s homemade cake pops that look like eyeballs don’t make me smile. I just take a few and stalk out the back door, moving into one of the sheds and making my way underground to the small house on the periphery of the estate.
Doc’s place.
Anthony had this built when he grew tired of continually having to call Doc back to the property—which was often with the amount of trouble Anthony and his men found themselves in. Now he lives here full-time. Kind of like Georgiy does with Mikhail.
Has he gone back home to New York?
I don’t know where he is. He hasn’t tried to contact me.
I pop out of the shed closest to Doc’s house and make my way to his front door. I use the key under the mat and let myself in, moving toward the bedroom. Doc usually has an eight p.m. bedtime. He only ever misses it if someone is in trouble.
The bedside lamp is on, and I see Doc in his pajamas. Glasses rest on his nose as he reads a medical book. So much like Georgiy and yet so different, I think as his eyes move up from the text in front of him, lips twitching.
“You know, you could knock,” he says as I pull a cake pop out and hand it to him.
He eyes it and then shakes his head. “I’m good.”
I shrug and stuff it in my mouth, chewing on it as I kick off my shoes.
“You need a snuggle?” Doc asks.
“Yeah.”
“What happened?”
“I made Georgiy a ring, and when I went to give it to him, he’d left.”
“Ah. I see,” Doc says, removing his glasses and pulling the sheets back slightly. “Come on in then.”
I flop down beside him and then wiggle right next to him, throwing my arm and leg over him. It’s nice, but not quite what I need. Georgiy—that’s who feels right. But he’s not here.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“Well…” I chew on my bottom lip. “I told him things a while back. More than I’ve told other people because I really like him, but I don’t know if he feels the same. He’s really hard to crack. Worse than a femur.”
“That’s pretty rough. Opening up and not feeling like you’re being noticed.” His hand slides up to my neck, massaging it slightly. He always gives the best rubs. He should look into being a masseur on top of being a doctor. “Maybe you should tell him how you feel.”
I sniffle. “I don’t think he’d care.”
Doc is quiet for a moment and then shifts slightly so I can look into his eyes. If only I wanted Doc the way I want Georgiy. He’d make the best partner. “You’re worth it, Bane. You need to talk to him. And if he doesn’t realize what a treasure you are, then good riddance.”
I sigh and nuzzle into his neck, listening to the nice thrum of his heartbeat.
My mind swirls, pulling me back to when I first met Georgiy.
How after stalking him relentlessly, he tied me up, extracting information from me, bit by bit.
About Henry and how foolish I was, how hurt.
And about the man in the shadows. Death.