Chapter Six
Diego
I woke up to an empty bed, but I expected her to be in the condo because there was no way in hell she could get out without me knowing.
All the exits had a keypad and scanner on them, and unless she had a code, which she didn’t, there was no way she could bypass my private elevator.
I smiled and slipped on my boxers, padding over to the bathroom.
After I came out, I walked into the kitchen to look for her, but she was nowhere to be found. I searched the entire condo, but she was nowhere in sight. Pulling up the surveillance cameras, I spotted her hopping on the elevator and entering the code to exit the building.
Did she see me enter the number? Or had she already had my passcode? How could she? Who the hell was she? From the angle I had entered it, there was no way she could have seen. Besides, the exit was opposite the entrance.
Fuck, I knew I should have gone through her bag while she was sleeping. I summoned my security up to my condo. As soon as I opened the door, I punched Jose in the mouth. “How the fuck could you let her out of the building?” He held his mouth and tried to answer.
“Fuck.”
I threw a towel at him. “Clean yourself up,” I replied in disgust.
“It’s not my fault, boss. She said you gave her the code to leave and that you had an agreement for one night and that was it.”
“Do I ever give anybody the fucking code? For that fucking matter, is there ever a woman up here?”
“No. So I didn’t know what to do.”
“What you do is you fucking ask me.” I paced in a circle, unable to control the venom in my veins.
I’d lost her, the mysterious woman from the party that I had loathed attending.
The only highlight to a brutal year. The only reason I hoped for a future.
She ducked out of here like her soul would burn up for sleeping with the devil.
I paced until my blood simmered down enough to speak. I asked, “Do you know how she left here?”
“She started walking. I didn’t have anybody to follow her, but I can pull up the street cam and see where she went.”
I wanted to pull out my gun and shoot him. Then it dawned on me: that might be the reason she ran. Did she see the gun on the nightstand? Had my life spooked her? “Yeah, you better fucking do that.”
I poured myself a fucking drink and then set it down. I had to have a clear head. I needed to find out who she was and get her ass back over here where she belonged. I hoped to God she wasn’t one of my enemies.
Vasco came to join us and shook his head when he stared at Jose’s face.
“You said you needed the cameras loaded for this morning. They’re ready.
” He flipped the laptop around, and we had her departure.
It was almost twenty minutes later, and like a damn professional, she slipped through the early hours like a damn ghost. A professional and getting away as fast as possible, and we lost her.
I thought about the hotel party, and there was another matter I had to deal with…the handsy, conspiratorial bartender. I found Vasco, and he backed away nervously after seeing what I did to the other idiot. “Where is that son of a bitch from last night?”
“In the hotel lock-up, waiting to be interrogated.” I nodded and stormed off. “May I make a suggestion, Diego?”
“What is it?” I snarled, rolling my shoulders and then my head.
“You should put some clothes on before you head out.”
I looked down and I was still in my fucking boxers. “Son of a bitch. She’s going to make me lose my mind.” He scoffed. “I know. I’m already there.”
“Just don’t kill him. Everyone saw that interaction last night. Too many interested assholes could be too costly.” I’d completely forgotten my mission last night.
“Oh, I’m not going to kill him. No, I’m going to use the little prick.
” I returned to my bedroom, where I stared at my mussed-up sheets.
Fury stirred in my guts as I stared at the empty bed where nothing remained.
My sweet nothing disappeared, vanished as if she were just a fantastical dream.
With a grunt, I turned sharply toward my closet, pulled out a change of clothes, and hopped in the shower.
It took me another ten minutes to reappear, and Vasco popped up from his seat.
“We got her on camera, hopping on the subway at Forty-Second, but we don’t know which one.
The place was swamped with people, and, frankly, several of them resembled her.
It looked like she ditched the fur thing she was wearing and snagged a hoodie off a vendor on the street. ”
“Really?” Damn, she was legit trouble and so fucking hot. The way she got away made me proud as well as confused. How the hell had she gotten past my private security? I had to get my hands on her and bring her ass back.
“Yeah. Diego, did you give her the code to the elevator?” he asked.
“She must have seen me enter it.” Although it was possible, I wasn’t sure. Still, he didn’t need to know that she got out of here on her own. No one needed to know that. I wondered if she was connected to one of my enemies.
“Let’s not worry about that right now. I need to deal with that piece of shit.”
“His name is Maurice Turner. He works at the bar owned by Tomasi.”
“Interesting.” I pressed my lips together and then slid my suit jacket on. I didn’t pack a gun on me on the off chance I’d lose control and use it. Normally I had impeccable restraint, but yesterday proved otherwise.
Vasco’s face twisted as he dropped his eyes to my belt. “It’s best I’m not carrying or I might put a bullet in his mouth.” He nodded.
“I got you.” We left the suite and then went down to the hotel lock-up for unruly guests.
We hit the code for the private entrance to the lower level. As I opened the door, my eyes landed on the piece of shit who tried to drug my woman.
“Oh God,” he uttered, eyes wide and jaw slack.
“Please. I’m important, but not that important. However, if you don’t answer my questions, you might be meeting the Lord much sooner than you’d like.”
His chest heaved. The tailored outfit was gone, and he was in just his undershirt, sweating. “Um…I can…try.”
“Try? You will, or you’re going to have a big problem.” I stalked toward the man and watched as his body shook in the chair. Although he was afraid, he had someone on the outside that he feared as well. Tomasi would probably kill him if he gave me anything.
“Are you procuring women for Tomasi?” I asked. His eyes widened like I’d guessed correctly, but that was the only response I got. “A simple nod of your head will do.” He nodded. “That’s all I fucking needed.”
“Vasco, let him go now. I’m going to have a word with Tomasi right now.”
“Oh my God. He’s going to kill me.”
“He’s not going to do shit because you’re going to jail, and I’m going to put it out there that you work for Tomasi. Unless he wants everyone to look in his direction, then he’ll leave you be.” I looked at Vasco and added, “Clean him up and take him to the police station.”
“Yes, Diego.”
I went up to the suite and prepared to meet with Tomasi. As I returned to the lobby, the bastard was waiting for me. “Well, Tomasi, I hadn’t expected to see you here. You saved me a trip.”
“Well, you took one of my favorite bartenders, and I’m short on staff for tonight.”
“Funny, you’re going to be short-staffed for a bit.”
“You didn’t kill the bastard, did you?” he whispered through clenched teeth. I led him into the manager’s office off the lobby.
“Calm down. No, I just had your little shit taken to the police station. Maybe you should have been more careful bringing that trash into my hotel. He violated my property, and if I hadn’t been paying attention would have added another little asset to your new business.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
“Don’t play dumb with me, Tomasi. He put a sedative in one of the drinks last night, and he’s lucky I didn’t snap his neck.” His mouth fell open.
“Excuse me. I need to leave.” He left without another word.
I had questions, but none of that mattered as long as they stayed out of my property and they kept their noses out of my business.
It wasn’t that I didn’t want to kill Maurice, but I had to bide my time until there was enough time and distance between us.
My bigger priority was finding my nothing-but-a-dream woman. My first goal was to review the video from last night.