Chapter 12 #2
Shane focused on me. “I swore I was talking to one of the other escorts, and he mentioned a friend of his knows a guy with eyes like that. Apparently they’d tried to hook up and it’d been… kind of a bust. But that was like a year ago.”
I curled my fingers into my palms until the nails dug into my skin. I wasn’t jealous—I’d had a previous sex life too—but knowing how badly Tav enjoyed sex made my heart ache for him that he hadn’t gotten what he wanted. His partner either.
I leaned forward, hope surging unwanted in my chest. “Do you know him?”
“No, I don’t. And I can’t remember who I talked to. Anthony? Nathan?” He chewed on his fingernail as he thought.
The hope still smoldered. “Can you ask around?”
“Yeah, of course. Give me some time, and I’ll check with the guys.” Shane looked upset as his fingers twisted in his lap. “I’m sorry I don’t know more, Conrad.”
Not Shane’s fault. He didn’t know he’d be quizzed later. “It’s all right. If you could make some inquiries, I’d appreciate it.”
“Of course, you know I’d do anything for you. What’d this guy do?”
Oh nothing, just pierced my fucking heart. “Don’t worry about that Shane.”
“B-but is it bad?” He was concerned.
“No, not at all. I wouldn’t have you ask around for something that could put you in danger. I’m just looking for him. I want to make sure he’s… okay. And safe.”
Shane seemed appeased by that. “Okay, I can start making calls.”
“That’d be great.”
He leaned forward a little bit. “Is that all?”
I gazed around his apartment, at the small figures he displayed on the mantel—action figures. Shane loved his superhero comics. A shelf full of worn paperbacks stood in one corner, a flat-screen TV in another. “When will you come and tell me you’re leaving Soto’s employment, Shane?”
Silence. No movement, not even breathing. I turned to him. He stared at me, his lips parted, face drained of color. “H-Have there been complaints? Or—”
“No, nothing like that. But you’ve done well. You could get out if you want.”
Shane shrugged, some of the color returning to his cheeks. “I don’t know. I’m not sure what else I’d do. I guess, I don’t have a reason to get out right now.” He grinned quickly. “Soto’s a good boss. He changed my life. You did too.”
Despite Shane’s praise, my gut still twisted.
I wasn’t a hero to these men. Some of them were still stuck in sex work they didn’t love.
All I did was work hard to make it as safe as possible for them, unlike when they’d been under the employment of Devlin.
But for every man I saved from him, three more rose up to take their places. There was no end to this.
I wasn’t proud of peddling skin, but I at least I could sleep at night knowing the men in my care were treated well. I’d get out, one day, when I could hand over the reins to someone with the same values as me but until then, Soto was in business.
“He tries,” I muttered.
Shane’s grin spread.
I patted his bare foot and rose. “I need to get going. You know how to get in touch with me if you find out anything, all right?” Shane rose with me as we walked toward the door. I pulled on my coat. “No information is too small.”
Shane was always eager to please. It was one reason he was so good at his job. He seemed almost excited to start his mission. “I understand. I’ll start making calls right away.”
I placed a hand on his shoulder. “Safely, okay? I’m not looking for heroics. Keep this quiet. Don’t let anyone know what you’re really asking for. And do it safely, yeah?”
He mock saluted. “Yes, sir.”
I shook my head with a sigh. “Brat.”
When I closed his apartment door behind me, Nik was there, leaning against the wall with his booted feet crossed at the ankles.
I walked past him, and he followed me out to the car without a word.
He snatched the keys from me before I could get in the driver’s side, so I sighed sat like a good passenger while he fixed his mirrors with a huff and a glare at me.
Once we were on the road, he spoke, “So what was all that about?”
My head swirled with memories of Tav, my conversation with Shane.
I had to tell Nik. Nik’s job was to keep me safe.
And if everything went my way, soon his job would include security on Tav too.
With a clenched jaw, I told him everything I knew about Tav.
I left out anything too personal—he didn’t get to know about Tav’s panic attack over being bound against his will.
I propped my elbow on the door frame and ran my fingers over my lips, still able to taste him.
“He’s in trouble. Whether it’s his own making or not, I’m going to fix it.
You didn’t see how well he lets go when he’s with me and feels safe.
That man you saw holding the knife in my kitchen…
that’s someone I think he’s forced to be.
But the real Tav makes me eggs and has dimples. ”
I glanced over at Nik. His expression no longer held the judgement and contempt he’d had about Tav earlier, so that was something. He glanced at me before focusing on the road. “So what’s that got to do with visiting Shane?”
“Tav won’t tell me what’s going on with his life.
He’s less secretive about it and more…” I ran my tongue over my teeth as I tried to think of the word.
“…embarrassed. Ashamed.” I sighed. “Shane knows a lot of people, so I told him to ask around about someone with two-toned eyes. He thinks he might know someone who knows Tav.”
“You could have at least snooped through his wallet and found his ID. What are you, an amateur?”
I narrowed my eyes. “When I’m with Tav, the last thing I’m thinking about doing is sifting through his wallet.”
“Well next time, before you fall into a dick coma, how about you do some digging?”
“You know, most bosses would fire their employees for talking to them like that.” I could hear a slight pout in my voice that I wasn’t proud of.
Nik snorted a laugh. He didn’t speak again we were almost at my office. “Want me to ask the guys?”
I shook my head. “Not yet. I think Shane will pull through.” At least, I hoped. Either that or I might start to tear this city apart.
Three days later, Shane did in fact pull through, the pretty little genius.
He began chattering excitedly as soon as I answered his call.
I stared out the window of my office as he spoke in rushed words.
“I knew it was Anthony who mentioned it. I left him a message, but he was on some cruise with Howard Beaumont so he couldn’t call me back right away.
Did you know that Howard took him on a cruise?
Why can’t one of my clients take me on a cruise? ”
“You’ve been on a cruise with a client, Shane. Also private yachts.”
He paused. “Oh yeah.”
I scratched my ear and tried to be patient. Shane did his homework, so I wasn’t going to snap at him. “So what did Anthony say?”
“Right! So Anthony knows a rent-boy named Casey who said over a year ago he tried to hook up with this smoke show with two-toned eyes, but I guess they weren’t compatible or whatever, and the sex was super awkward.
It was the only reason Casey mentioned it, because he had wanted it to work, I guess. ”
A smoke show with two-toned eyes. That was Tav. Had to be. I tried not to get jealous about someone else touching Tav. It’d been over a year ago, but jealousy still burned through me. “Is there a way we can get in touch with Casey?”
“Anthony tried, but Casey has been out of communication for over a month.”
Fuck, I hoped he hadn’t left the city. Or died. I chewed the inside of my cheek. Shane was quiet for a moment, but his breathing had changed. I registered it immediately. “Shane?”
He cleared his throat. “Casey works for Devlin.”
I blew out a breath. Of course he does. I forced myself to speak. “I appreciate all your information, Shane. This was more than I could have hoped for.” The words tasted sour. “You let Anthony know to keep it quiet that you were asking around?”
“Yeah, and I didn’t mention you, Conrad. It won’t get back to you.”
“Good,” I said softly. “Thanks Shane.”
I hung up the phone and leaned back in my chair.
A file folder sat on my desk in front of me.
I’d already looked through it, as Nik had dropped it off that morning.
It contained haunting details of Devlin’s criminal escalation.
For a while, it had seemed that Soto’s actions had hurt Devlin enough for him to curb his activities, but lately, no matter what Soto did, Devlin only worked harder.
The bodies he left in his wake now were carved with the remnants of his anger and desperation.
For a while, I’d ignored his underground fighting ring, because his focus had been on illegal gambling of the fights, which wasn’t necessarily a concern of mine, not when he was coercing barely legal adults to sell their bodies on the streets with no protection.
But lately, he’d been pouring more energy into this fights. There were rumors about battles to the death, and Devlin had been using the fights as covers to conduct backdoor businesses with those in attendance. The fights were now the center of his enterprise.
The wise decision would be to send Nik and trusted members of his crew to a fight to scout it out.
So far, the information we’d been able to gather was secondhand.
But I wasn’t in a wise mood. My appearance at a fight would get back to Devlin, but it was also an opportunity to try to find Casey.
His sex workers were always at the fights.
How would Tav have met Casey? In the back of my mind, I’d entertained that Tav could somehow be mixed up with Devlin, but I hadn’t let myself go there, not yet.
The thought was too ugly. But it was entirely possible Tav owed a debt to Devlin.
Maybe he worked it off by shaking down debtors or working security on a job.
I didn’t even want to let my mind go there, because the thought made me ill.
All I knew was that the next fight was in a week. And I planned to be there.