Chapter 32
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Sienna
I could count on one hand the number of times I’d been shocked speechless. This was one of them.
Both Ralf and Dodd stared at Fury and me long enough for Fury to close the door behind us, but they recovered much quicker than I did.
“If it isn’t the highest earner for RC’s Escorts.” Ralf smirked. “How about a private demonstration of your best moves?”
I heard Fury growl behind me, but I was already moving, breaking free of my shock. I didn’t think, didn’t consider whether this was smart. I just acted. My fist connected with Ralf’s nose, and I smiled at the satisfying crunch.
He yowled, jerking away hard enough to tip over his chair and send him crashing to the floor. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Dodd bolt for the door, but with Fury there, he wouldn’t get far.
“Get up, Ralf,” I ordered.
“Sit down, Dodd,” Fury said, shoving him back toward the empty chair. “You two have answers we need.”
Then Fury stepped back, crossing his arms over his muscular chest. When I shot him a questioning look, he nodded at me to go ahead. My heart gave an unsteady thump as I realized what he was doing. Even though he had as much at stake in this as I did, he was letting me take the lead because he knew how powerless I felt with Ralf.
“You first.” I pointed at Dodd. “You’ve been taking money from Arthur Dalton.”
He glared at me.
“That wasn’t a question,” I said. “We know you’ve gotten money from him, and we’re pretty sure we know what he got out of it. I want to know how far you went.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” His voice was thick, nasally.
I took a step toward him and was gratified to see him flinch. “Did you just let him or his goons into the club, or did you join in? Help them trash a place where your friends worked?”
“I don’t have any friends there,” Dodd said petulantly. “Everyone just stood there and let Gavin treat me like shit.”
“You let guys with guns into the club and nearly got people killed!” I shouted. I took a step back, inhaling slowly, then letting it out just as slowly. “Okay, so that’s where it started, right? Gavin demoted you, and then what? Keep in mind that since Fury and I aren’t cops, we can beat the shit out of you, and nobody’s going to care.”
I could see the wheels turning in Dodd’s head and wondered if he would believe me. While it’d been very satisfying to break Ralf’s nose, I didn’t think I was up to torturing Dodd for information. I’d do it to protect the people I loved, but I was hoping he’d spill before that became necessary.
“Yeah, that’s when it started,” he finally said. “I don’t know how Dalton found out about what happened, but when I got home from work the next day, he was there, waiting for me. He said he needed eyes and ears in the club, that he’d not only pay me, but he’d make sure I had any job he wanted when he took over the club.”
“What did you do as his ‘eyes and ears’?”
“I let in some guys for him, and they trashed the club,” Dodd admitted. “And they did some other shit, like messing with the lighting rig, that sort of thing.”
“That crashed during the middle of a practice, you idiot,” I snapped. “What else?”
“He said he needed to test the employees, see who he’d want to keep around when he took over.” Dodd shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “And he wanted to know if anyone was looking for Venus.”
My heart nearly stopped in my chest. “What about Venus?”
Dodd looked at Ralf, but I slammed my hand down on the table to get his attention.
“Arthur got her personal info from somewhere. I don’t know where. He didn’t tell me. But he had some people grab her.”
“What for?” I didn’t think I wanted to hear the answer, but I needed to know.
“He’s selling her to traffickers,” Dodd finally said. “And he said he needed to know who the people would be that’d look for her, because he couldn’t have nosy people working in his club.”
I glanced at Fury, the clenching of his jaw telling me he was just as furious about this as I was. “What else?”
Dodd shook his head. “That was it.”
“Dodd,” I warned.
He held up his hands. “I swear. I don’t know anything else.” He pointed at Ralf. “But he knows more. He’s been working with Dalton longer than I have.”
I turned to Ralf, pushing aside the flutter of nerves that came with being near him. The fact that they were a flutter and not a full-on panic attack was an accomplishment, and I knew it was because I had Fury with me. Not in some sort of ‘I needed a big strong man to defend me’ way, but rather just knowing I wasn’t alone, that someone had my back, gave me the courage to face off with a man who’d exploited me for years.
“It’s your turn to talk,” I said to him. “And don’t think for a minute I won’t break more than your nose.”
Ralf looked at Dodd, then at Fury, and finally turned his attention back to me. He folded his arms, and for a moment, I thought I’d have to follow through on my threat. While it was tempting, my hand hurt already. But he started talking instead.
“Dalton never would’ve found me if he hadn’t been digging up dirt on you.”
I took a step back at that. “What are you talking about?”
“Exactly what I said. Arthur was looking into all the managers and shit at that club, and you led him to me. I was, after all, your previous employer.” He leered at me, rocking his chair back on two legs.
“If you want to break something else but don’t want to hurt your hand, I’m sure we can find something to hit him with,” Fury said mildly.
All amusement vanished from Ralf’s face, and the chair dropped back on all fours with a thump.
“What else did he say?” I asked.
“He was interested in my ‘expertise,’” Ralf said.
“What the hell does that mean? Spell it out.” I spoke through gritted teeth.
“He offered me a shitload of money for my girls,” Ralf said. “Which is why I need to know where Lulu is. He paid for her. When I figured out she went to you, I realized that was a chance I couldn’t pass up.”
“A chance for what?” I asked.
“A chance to deliver you.” He shrugged. “Dalton said he’d give me a bonus if I could get you for him. Said it’d piss off two guys you were important to.”
“So even if I’d been able to tell you where Lulu was, you weren’t going to leave me alone,” I hissed.
“It ain’t personal, sweetheart,” Ralf said. “Just business. Like it always was.”
“Must’ve pissed both of you off when you realized your plan failed,” I said. “No money for you and no revenge for him.”
Dodd snickered.
I shot him a glare. “What’s so funny?”
He shrugged, and I took a step toward him. He held up his hands. “Damn. All right. You don’t need to get all violent on me. I was just laughing because Arthur doesn’t have anything to be pissed about. He found a better mark.”
Fury and I exchanged glances, both of us confused.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked.
“Gavin has someone he’d be willing to pay a hell of a lot to get away from the future Arthur has planned for her.” Dodd looked pleased at the idea. “And if Gavin decides to call the cops and not pay, Arthur could get a fuckton of money selling a pretty little virgin teenager.”
I opened my mouth to ask for a name, but it hit me before I got the question out. “Skylar? Dodd, is Arthur going after Skylar?”
Dodd shrugged, but I didn’t need confirmation. It was the only thing that made sense.
“Someone would have to be monumentally stupid to go after Gavin’s kid,” Fury pointed out.
“Gavin won’t let anyone near his daughter,” I added. “We’re not idiots. All of us took precautions. Skylar’s not even in the city.”
It was Ralf’s turn to laugh. “C’mon, you gotta know that a man like Arthur Dalton would have his ways.”
When I looked at Fury this time, I saw my concern reflected on his face. He pulled out his phone and called Gavin, putting him on speaker.
“Hey, Fury. What’s up?”
“Sienna and I are looking into something and we think Arthur might try to go after Skylar. Is she still at your vacation home?”
There was a slight pause and then Gavin let out a string of curses before saying, “One of my security guys just took Vanessa and Skylar to a doctor’s appointment Skylar couldn’t miss. They’re not here.”