Chapter 34
thirty-four
It’s been two days since Sasha came over to hang out, and I’ve been going out of my mind trying to keep my distance.
Not touching her the other night had been pure torture. Every time she stretched or laughed, I wanted to pull her into my lap and kiss her senseless. But I’d respected our stupid rule, and now I’m questioning why I even bothered.
My phone buzzes with another text from Dylan, and I open it to find a file attachment.
Staring at my phone as if it might explode, I grip the back of my neck. “Fuck.”
The information he’s managed to kick up is worse than we thought.
Ryan has got himself mixed up with some serious players in Vegas. The blackmailers aren’t just random loan sharks—they have ties to the Triple Six Mafia, just as we suspected.
Dylan managed to wipe the video from Ryan’s phone, but he’s having a bitch of a time accessing their systems. Something along the lines of multiple layers of encryption and proxy servers or some shit.
Tension builds in my shoulders as I pace my living room. This isn’t about some low-level extortion anymore. Now that we know the Triple Six is involved, Sasha could be in some serious danger.
My first instinct is to call her, but what would I say? “Hey, turns out things are worse than we thought. Your ex got himself in deep with the mob, and now they might come after you for the money he owes.”
Not exactly the kind of conversation you’d have over the phone.
I look out the window at the house next door. Her car isn’t in her driveway. She’s probably at Summit, working on preparations for the soft opening, so I shoot her a quick text.
Need to talk ASAP. New info about Ryan.
While I wait for her response, I call Dylan.
“Tell me exactly what we’re dealing with,” I demand as soon as he picks up.
“It’s complicated,” he replies. “I traced the money trail back to a shell company that’s a known front for Triple Six operations in Nevada.”
“How much more time do you need getting in?”
“A day, maybe two. Their security is no joke.” He pauses. “But that’s not all.”
My grip tightens on my phone as I growl, “What else?”
“I found something weird in Ryan’s emails. He’s been in contact with someone at Triple Six for almost a year.”
“The fuck, Dylan?”
“Seems it might have something to do with Summit.”
My blood runs cold. “You think he’s trying to sell his half of the business to them to cover his debt?”
“Possibly.” I can hear him clacking away at his keyboard. “I’m still digging, but I need more time.”
“Okay. Thanks. Keep me posted, yeah?”
“I will.” He sighs. “But Jax, one more thing.”
“What?”
“I traced the burner phone’s location. It’s not in Vegas anymore.”
Something cold slithers down my spine. “Where is it?”
“Based on cell tower pings, it’s moved on from Vegas to somewhere in southern California.”
“Fuck.” I press the palm of my free hand against my forehead. “You think they could be on their way here?”
“At this point? Hard to say.”
After he promises to keep me in the loop on the phone’s whereabouts, I hang up and immediately call Sasha again, cursing when it goes straight to voicemail.
Mind racing, I snatch my keys off the coffee table and head for the door. If Triple Six does send someone to Lakeside, it could mean Ryan is no longer in the picture and they’ve decided to come after Sasha instead.
Even though I’m pushing well above the speed limit, the drive into town feels excruciatingly slow.
When I finally pull into the parking lot across the street, I spot Sasha’s car right away, and relief washes over me. At least I know where she is.
The building is buzzing with activity when I walk in. Workers are installing mirrors along one wall while others are assembling equipment as I scan the room, looking for a flash of red hair.
“Jax?”
I turn to find Noia headed my way holding a clipboard. “Hey. Where’s Sasha?”
“In her office.” She tilts her head, studying what I’m pretty sure is a crazed look on my face. “Everything okay? You look like you’re about to murder someone.”
“I need to talk to her. Now.”
She points to a door at the far end of the studio. “Through there, but—”
I hurry across the room, dodging equipment and workers. My heart hammers against my ribs as I reach the door and shove it open.
Sasha’s head jerks up, eyes widening in alarm. “Jax? What are you doing here?”
Sitting behind a desk, surrounded by stacks of paperwork, her hair is pulled up in a messy bun, with a few loose strands framing her face.
Damn, she’s beautiful.
“I’ve been trying to reach you.” I close the door behind me. “Is your phone off?”
She frowns, reaching for her bag. “No, it’s just—” She pulls it out, checking the screen. “Well, shit. Looks like the battery’s dead.”
“We need to talk.” I take a step closer, trying to keep my voice steady. “Dylan found more information about Ryan and your blackmailers.”
She takes a deep audible breath. “Tell me.”
I drag a hand down my face, trying to figure out how to say this without freaking her out. “It’s not good. The people Ryan owes money to? Turns out they’re not just some random loan sharks like we thought. They’ve got connections to a Vegas crime family called the Triple Six.”
Sasha’s face drains of all color as she grips the edge of her desk. “Are you serious?”
I nod grimly.
Crossing the room, I crouch beside her chair and turn it so she’s facing me. “He’s been tracking the burner phone they used to text you. It’s not in Vegas anymore—he thinks there’s a possibility they could come after you.”
Eyes wide, her head jerks back. “You think they’re coming here? To Lakeside?”
“Dylan doesn’t know for sure, but we need to stay alert, just in case.” I rest my hands over hers, which are now twisting nervously in her lap. “There’s more. He found email correspondence between Ryan and someone inside Triple Six going back almost a year.”
“A year?” Her voice cracks. “But that means...”
“It predates when you found out about his inappropriate behavior with your employees,” I confirm, watching her face closely as she processes. “We don’t have all the details yet, but Dylan thinks it might have something to do with Summit.”
She pulls her hands out from under mine, standing so abruptly her chair rolls back and hits the wall. “That son of a bitch! What the hell was he thinking, getting involved with people like that?”
I rise to my feet, giving her space as she moves from out behind her desk to pace the small office. “We don’t know exactly what he was involved in yet; Dylan’s still digging.”
“This is insane.” She tries raking a hand through her hair, but all it does is dislodge more strands from her bun. “First the blackmail, and now this?” She slams her hands down on the desk. “I knew Ryan was shady, but this is a whole other level of fucked up.”
“That’s why I came to find you as soon as I heard,” I tell her, trying to keep my voice calm. “We need to be careful. At least until Dylan can shut this thing down. Hopefully, he’ll be able to dig up some dirt to threaten them with so they’ll back off from you.”
Sasha stops pacing and comes over, standing close as she looks up at me. “What do we do now?”
“First, we need to keep you safe.” I run a hand over my hair, yanking at my ponytail to try to keep from touching her. “I think you should stay with me until this all blows over.”
Her eyes flare. “I already told you I’m not going to hide—”
“This isn’t just about hiding.” My hands come up to grip her shoulders, and it takes all I’ve got in me to not literally shake some sense into her.
“This is about being smart. These people don’t mess around.
If they can’t get their money from Ryan, there’s a good chance they’re gonna come after you.
And that text you got? It’s proof enough that ball has already started to roll. ”
I can see the struggle in her eyes—fierce independence warring with reality.
“Look,” I say, softening my tone. “You’ll still go about your day like everything’s normal. But at night, let me keep an eye on you. My security system is top of the line, and I’ve got cameras covering every angle of the property.”
When I see the fear flicker in her eyes, something in my chest tightens. Without thinking, I pull her against me, wrapping her in my arms.
“Hey,” I murmur against her hair. “No pressure for anything else, okay? This is just about keeping you safe. You can even sleep in the guest room if you want.”
Relaxing into me, her voice is muffled as she presses her forehead against my chest. “I don’t want to be an inconvenience.”
“The last thing you’ll ever be is an inconvenience,” I croon, rubbing small circles on her back. I can feel her heart thudding in time with mine. “I just want to make sure you’re safe.”
After a long moment, she sighs and pulls back just enough to look up at me. “Fine. But just until your friend figures this out.”
Relief floods through my veins. “Good. That’s… good.”
“I need to tell Noia what’s going on,” she says, glancing toward the door. “As soon as she sees me, she’ll take one look at my face and freak.”
“I need to get to work anyway. I’ve got appointments all afternoon.” I check my watch, wincing when I realize how late I’m running. “Fuck. Ryder’s gonna kill me.”
“Would you mind telling Noia to come in here on your way out?” she asks, stepping out of my arms. “I don’t want anyone else overhearing this conversation.”
“Sure thing.” I give her shoulders a gentle squeeze, then drop a quick kiss on the top of her head. “It’s gonna be okay.”