CHAPTER 12 #2
“I haven’t read any texts… I turned off my phone the day I came here.”
“What?! You ghosted him for three days after blowing him in the shower? And you didn’t even text him to say you’re crashing here and you’re safe?”
“No… I ghosted him after he said he ‘fucked up’… but yes to the rest. Though I did text him to say I’d let him know about our next meetup, and then I shut my phone off.”
“Ollie! Check your freaking phone!”
“I won’t. I am not in the mood to read the ‘it’s not you, it’s me, so let’s pretend it never happened’ B.S. text.”
“What if it is the opposite? What if he is dying to see you?”
“Look, Z, I know that if I turn my phone on, I’ll have my answer, and it could be the best news in the world, but it could also break my heart… I’d rather wait until we’ve handled everything else. I can’t let my own heartbreak put this family’s life in jeopardy.”
“That sounds… smart. And you are right, Ollie. Let’s turn on the phone after this plan is over and the family is safe. But…” She then bites her lip and swallows the rest of her words.
And I groan, knowing I would probably live to regret my next words.
“…You can ask.”
“Yay!” she claps and sits, hugging a pillow. “How was it? How big? Was it a yay or a nay?”
“It was amazing, Z… and it’s a yay for me in blowjobs, though I definitely need more practice with the pacing and the whole thing… and yes… it matches with the rest of his body… it matches so much I felt like I had to dislocate my jaw to be able to get the tip inside my mouth.”
“I can’t believe you had the nerve to call this a sad story…” she says, and I frown. “It will be okay, Ollie. With how he looks at you, I promise you, it will be okay.”
She stands up, kisses the top of my head, and goes to the kitchen to bring us our next snacks.
“Here,” she passes me a bag of chips and a salad. “Fill up; I’ll tell Kaleo we are almost done.”
“Just be careful what you post,” I warn.
“I’ve always been careful, I know Rafael checks everything.”
“I know, but I am not talking about Rafael. The Harknetts added a pin that sends them an alert whenever you post something.”
“Aww! Are they my followers?”
“Yes… Apparently, most of my intel was taken from your pics… though Damián told me Leif followed you because he likes your nature pictures.”
“Fine, I’ll send Kaleo a normal text.”
— ¤ —
After an hour of working on the damn logistics and fixing anything that could potentially go wrong, Zara and I got ready and took a cab to Purple Velvet, an LGBTQ+ nightclub that’s honestly a bit too intense for my taste, but they rent out private rooms, which makes it the perfect place to pass information to Kaleo without drawing attention.
We arrive at the nightclub where a table is already set for us in the VIP section, and a room is booked. The treatment is top of the top as always; they bring us champagne with those annoying things that make sparkles, so everyone sees we are spending a shit ton of money on getting drunk.
Still, it helps our purpose, so we always order them.
I follow Zara as we move through the crowd toward our VIP booth. The place is busier than usual, so it takes us an eternity to get there. But luckily for us, when we finally reach the table, Kaleo is already waiting.
Kaleo Māhoe is a tall man in his late thirties with a rugged face, straight nose, chocolate eyes, long dark hair tied back in a messy bun, and a lot of tattoos covering only one of his arms.
He’s filthy rich, he is super connected, draws attention wherever he goes, and is an absolute sweetheart. In short, he’s the perfect front for our team, and has been helping us to ethically smuggle people out of my father’s reach for over five years now.
“Ollie!” Kaleo stands up, pulling me into a bear hug. “Good to see you, man.”
“Good to see you, too.”
“I heard you are finally committing to one man. Who knew that would ever happen?” He teases.
“I heard you are moving to freaking Nashville. Who knew that would ever happen?”
Kaleo throws his head back and laughs. “Touché, Ollie.”
“Seriously, Kal, what the hell are you going to do in Nashville?” I say, leaning closer so he can hear me over the music. “You’re like a mermaid; you’ll die after three days without the sea.”
“They have lakes…” he says, though not entirely excited.
“They also have country music,” I tease, because if there is something Kaleo hates, it is country music.
“Ughhh… I thought you were my friend.”
“I am one of your best friends; that’s why I’ll make sure to bring ten boxes of Li Hing Mui when I go visit you.”
“Really?! But how? It’s so hard to get here.”
I burst out laughing. “Kal, I can smuggle a thousand kilos of cocaine across the Pacific… ten boxes of dry plums is nothing.”
“Hahahaha! Jesus Christ, Oliver.”
“Well, let’s get this started, cheers!” I grab a crystal flute of champagne from the table, raising it to clink against his and Zara’s glasses.
After that, we spend the next twenty minutes talking, dancing, and laughing until the bottle of Dom is completely empty.
Zara checks her phone and taps Kaleo’s arm. “Come, honey. The room is open.”
“Have fun!” I say, waving them off.
Kaleo takes Zara’s hand and guides her toward the velvet-draped corridor that leads to the private sex rooms. From where I am sitting, and, more importantly, from wherever Silvio and the other shadow are, it looks exactly like they’re about to hook up.
But in reality, the second that door locks, they’re going to do… math.
Well, math and all the logistics with times, set the coordinates for where Tom needs to wait with the other boat, the party, food, and everything else… kinky, right?
Technically, that used to be my job.
I was the one who used to disappear into those back rooms with Kaleo to run all the numbers. But since I am supposed to be in this super happy, committed relationship, I’m not exactly free to sneak off with him anymore.
So today, for the first time since we started doing this, Zara and I swapped places.
And honestly? I have no idea how she used to stand being out here alone.
It’s only been ten minutes, and I am already bored out of my mind waiting for them to come back.
I can’t even drink because I’m too depressed for that. Plus, if I get drunk, I might do something stupid… like call Damián crying and ask him why.
Ugh…
I can’t even play something on my phone because I don’t want to turn it on and freak out over whatever texts Damián sent… If he sent anything at all.
Which would honestly be worse.
So I stay here, moving my head like I am in a boy band, nursing my drink and wishing I could sleep.
Finally, ten minutes later, Zara and Kaleo emerge from the back hallway, looking appropriately ruffled, and sit next to me.
“How was it?” I ask Kaleo, but the music is too loud.
“What?!”
“How was it?!” Kaleo sits next to me and leans in close so I can hear him over the bass, his mouth practically brushing my ear.
“Everything is ready for Monday. Thank you for adding this family to the list, Ollie. I know they aren’t as connected to your father’s business as the rest of the people we’ve extracted…”
I lean in just as close, the music practically leaving me deaf. “Kal, any soul we save from my father is a miracle. It doesn’t matter how connected they are, or if they have any intel to help us close a case.”
Kaleo pulls back just enough to look me in the eye. “You are a good man.”
I laugh because how fucking ironic to hear those words today.
“No worries. And thanks for lending us the yacht for the drop. Did Zara give you all the info?”
Kaleo nods, and I turn to Zara.
She’s standing in front of the table, her phone glowing in her hands, and a mischievous grin on her face.
Oh… that smile always means trouble.
“Are you texting a booty call?” I ask.
“I’m not texting. I’m casting a very, very large hook.”
“To whom?”
“To Moby-DICK.” She slips the phone into her purse, throws her arms around my neck, and pulls me into a fierce hug. “I love you, Ollie. And even if you can’t see it right now, you deserve the world.”
But before I can process whatever the hell that means, Zara pulls back, throws her arms in the air, and screams over the music.
“Now, who wants some shots?!”
“Shots!” Kaleo cheers.
“Wait,” I say, frowning. “Are you sure we should be doing shots right now?”
“Absolutely, we should,” Zara insists, flagging down a waitress. “That part is done. Now, let’s relax and party.” She glances down at her watch, and that damn grin returns to her lips. “Besides, you’ll probably need a bit of liquid courage in… fifteen minutes or so.”
I frown, twisting around in the booth to scan the club to see if there are any VIP banners, a new DJ taking the stage, or a celebrity walking in… or anything that might be happening in fifteen minutes.
But the club looks exactly the same as always.
“What is happening in fifteen minutes?” I ask.
Zara pats my cheek. “A great show for me. And for you… well, you’ll see.”