30. Chapter 30
Victor
“Kara seems to have gone dormant, and I don’t like it. Does she know we’re watching her so she’s lying low?”
I pace behind my desk as I wait for Owen to respond on speakerphone. He’s at work at the casino, so we’re forced to communicate this way about his progress on finding out what Kara’s next move will be.
“There’s no reason to believe she suspects us, mate.
It’s likely that she realizes Grace isn’t at home right now, and she’s regrouping.
I’m still not finding any connection to Griffin Price, but it doesn’t mean it’s not there.
I did find some potential overlap around the time Grace was with them, but it’s not been corroborated yet, so it’s in the maybe column. ”
A knock on the door interrupts, and I ask Owen to wait while I answer it. Lili is standing there with a panicked look on her face. I’ve only ever seen her this pale one other time. Not even when I pulled a gun on her.
“What is it? Is Grace OK?” I step back to make room for her.
She’s quiet as she steps into the office, but immediately steps into my bubble.
“I heard you on the phone. Is it safe to talk?”
I pull her closer and cup her jaw. “It’s Owen. He’s on speaker. What’s going on?”
“Jacob, yes that Jacob, is in the sandwich shop. Insists on talking to you. Says it’s important.”
I frown. “Did he say what it was about?”
“No. I was about to get you something to eat when I heard the commotion in the front. The security guy wouldn’t let him past the shop, but something about the way he was acting told me it might be important, so I told him to keep Jacob up there and I would get you.”
“You hearing this, Owen?” I call over my shoulder.
“Yep. Go. Update me when you know what that fucker wants.”
It’s good to know that Owen feels the same way about the bastard as I do. Matteo and Luke were a little more forgiving.
I end the call and slip the phone in my pocket. “You can wait in here if you don’t want to see him again, Spitfire,” I murmur, pulling her close.
She shakes her head. “I’m curious. Let me join you.”
I don’t argue, just grip her hand and lead her back to the front of the building.
She’s right about Jacob’s demeanor. He is frantic and wild-eyed, as if something has him spooked.
“What’s going on, Jacob?”
“I know I’m the last person you want to see, but when I discovered what I had in my possession, I had to bring it to you right away. I’m not even supposed to be in Las Vegas right now. The job I’m on has me out of the country another week at least.”
He glances behind him at the large storefront windows and jerks his head to the back room. “Can we get away from all these windows?”
My frown deepens. “Are you bringing danger to my club, Jacob?”
“Not on purpose. I was careful. But I really don’t need the wrong people finding out I’m back in town when I should still be in Europe.”
If he flew all the way back to the States without finishing a job to see me, it must be important. With that in mind, I wave him back and nod for the guard to stand down.
“Be on alert for anyone looking for our guest,” I tell him before disappearing into the back with Lili and Jacob.
Lili’s face is still pale, but she seems less freaked out than when she knocked on my door. I don’t bother taking him all the way to the back offices. Instead, I unlock the door to the front office that is usually for Bellamy. I point to the chair in front of the desk.
“Sit. Start talking.”
Lili sits on the sofa along the wall, clearly wanting to stay out of the way, for which I’m grateful.
“I was on a job. Not going to give you details, but in the course of events, this landed in my lap.”
He pulls out a small voice recorder and hands it to me.
“It’s got a lot on it, but the files in the middle that were recorded three months ago are the ones you’ll be most interested in.
I did make a copy of the memory card, and it’s in my safe deposit box, but you can have the original. Stay safe. And keep Ami safe.”
Ami is what he calls Amarjit, the good doctor and Dom who frequents our club.
“We’ll do our best. What can you tell me about what I’m going to hear?”
He pinches the bridge of his nose and closes his eyes. “Griffin Price talking with my mark about this club. About the four families. I think he’s coming after all of you, but I don’t know why. Just… just listen. And consider this a good-faith gesture that I don’t want to be on your bad side.”
I don’t smile or offer him any encouragement. Earning my forgiveness for what he did to Lili is going to be hard, if not impossible. Especially when she’s sitting right there with terror still in her eyes from what she endured at his hand.
“I appreciate the information. But I make no promises about the rest of it,” I say plainly. “This will not be forgotten, though. Now it’s time for you to leave.”
Jacob huffs as he twists the large gold ring on his right ring finger. “Of course. Have you seen Ami? I can’t risk seeing her until this job is done.”
I nod. “She’s been staying here. She’s helping us out with someone who needs medical attention. I believe she’s already at the hospital, or I would arrange for you to see her.”
He stands and shoves his hands into the pockets of his black cargo pants. “I appreciate the thought. I’m… Yeah. Let me get out of here. I’ll be dark for a couple more weeks. After that Ami can reach me if you need anything.”
And just like that, he’s leaving the office.
I’m tempted to follow him and make sure he leaves, but I believe his story enough that I sit next to Lili instead.
“Well, that was interesting. Are you going to listen to it now?” She asks.
I turn the recorder over in my hands and stand, holding my hand out to her. “Let’s go see what Owen has to say.”
In my office, I sit at my desk, dial Owen’s number, and square myself in front of my monitor, prepared for a barrage of technical jargon as he walks me through uploading the drive Jacob handed us.
It turns out to be easier than I imagined, and Lili stands behind me with her hand on my shoulder as we wait for Owen to open it and examine the contents.
I don’t even pretend to try and make sense of what pops up on my screen, but judging from the whistle Owen lets out, it’s valuable information.
“This is a gold mine. Where did Jacob get this?”
I sigh and drag a hand through my hair. “He wouldn’t say. But the sense I got was that it was from a mark, and when he realized what he had, he figured it would buy some goodwill with me.”
“Smart man. How much danger is he in for having shared this with us?”
“Let’s just say that until now, the only time I’ve ever seen him sweat is when Amarjit has her boot on his balls, and he was sweating today.”
Owen lets out a staccato laugh. “Fair enough, mate. I’ll let you know what all I get off of this thing, but so far, it’s looking like Griffin Price has been after us and a few other people around the country, hell the world, for a long time.”
I drag a hand through my hair. “What are the odds he’s the real puppet master and not Phineas?”
Owen hums. “There’s an idea. There was always something fishy about the lack of financial trail for Phineas.
You can bet I’m going to be looking into Griffin and Crimson Peak, but we both know that Crimson Peak is likely just the first of many shell companies that hides his network of financing.
He’s smarter than any of us have given him credit for.
Here’s the thing… and don’t shoot the messenger. ”
I step forward. “Tell me. Don’t sugarcoat it.”
“We’re fairly sure Griffin had a connection to Kara Lindon years ago. Where were the four of us back then?”
I close my eyes and let out a muttered curse. “How has that not occurred to me until now? What does that do for your research?”
Lili squeezes my shoulder again and bends down to kiss my hair, whispering, “I’m going to go find Grace and leave you to your call. Find me when you’re done?”
I pull her into my lap instead of letting her leave, wrapping her slick ponytail around my fist to pull her head back and give me access to my neck as Owen rattles off an answer about the pile of data he has to sift through.
My teeth graze her skin, and she lets out a little gasp, which earns her a sharp look and a nod toward the phone.
She clamps her lips together, taking my warning seriously. This time, my teeth sink into the tender flesh where her neck and shoulder meet, and I take pleasure in the way she squirms on my lap in an effort to remain quiet.
“It sounds like you’ve got this under control then,” I say, wrapping my arm firmly around Lili’s waist. “Let me know when you want to get everyone together for a report.”
Owen grunts in agreement, and I end the call.
“Now, what were you saying about finding Grace?”
She clears her throat and tries not to look flustered. “I think I was saying we should go find her together and bring her to the suite.”
I smirk and nudge her off my lap so I can stand. “Let’s go.”
In the hallway, we bump into Tyson who is whistling as he carries a tray of food.
He lifts the cover and a delicious smell wafts from the tray. “I made mini tacos for everyone to try. Thought I’d take a vote and make the top three flavors for your birthday next weekend.”
I flash him a glare as Lili’s eyes light up beside me. “Birthday? This is exciting.”
“No, it’s not,” I grumble. “Pretend you didn’t hear that.”
“Sure, Vic. Whatever you say.”
I groan and then kiss her cheek as Tyson jerks his head toward the kitchen. “Can I talk to you for a minute, Victor?”
“Go find Grace,” I tell her with a tight smile, hoping she won’t catch on to the vibe that something is wrong with Tyson. “I’ll catch up with both of you soon to finish what we started in my office.”
She winks and snags a taco from Tyson’s tray as she sashay’s off in the other direction.
“What’s going on?”
“I’m considering leaving Las Vegas,” Tyson says, dragging a hand through his hair.
He glances over his shoulder as if someone might be listening, then lowers his voice.
“I got an offer. To open a restaurant in New Orleans. Not just as a consultant, but as executive chef, with my name on the door. It’s…
prestigious. The kind of place people fly into town just to eat at.
The owner reached out after that private event you had me run last month, so we know he lives our lifestyle.
Said he’s been looking for a chef who can handle pressure and create something special.
He wants me there as soon as possible. Already has a building secured, and I would get final say on kitchen and dining room layout and hiring and firing power of key staff. ”
I walk backwards the few feet that takes us into my office again and motion for Tyson to set the tray down. He paces in front of my desk, clearly torn.
“What’s the trouble?” I ask, keeping my tone neutral.
“I used to think Vegas was everything I wanted,” he says.
“But lately I just go through the motions. I want the adrenaline again. I miss the rush of building something, running a kitchen where every night is a new challenge. Here, I work for Novak, and it’s great.
I get a lot of freedom, and I bounce around from restaurant to restaurant hosting special events for VIPs.
But it’s not mine. It’s always going to have his name on it. ”
I lean against the desk, arms folded. “It’s a big move. Sabrina would go with you?”
“That’s the plan.” His jaw flexes, and he pauses.
“What is it? She doesn’t want to go?”
“I haven’t asked her.”
“That’s the problem,” he says when I raise an eyebrow.
“We’ve moved three times in four years. First San Diego, then London, now here.
She follows me every damn time, packs up her life and starts over.
She says she just wants me to be happy, but I wonder if she’s tired.
Tired of being the new girl, tired of having nothing that’s really hers. ”
He shakes his head, eyes fixed on a spot on the floor.
“She was so connected in London. The club we were a part of? She was in charge of the submissive training program there. Here? She’s barely getting involved, and I worry it’s because she knows I’m just going to uproot our lives again.
I don’t want to be the asshole that keeps her from putting down roots just because I’m chasing some high. ”
He stops pacing and drops into one of the chairs in front of me. “But I don’t want to stay here and get resentful either. That’s not fair to her. Or to me. She’s got other partners. I haven’t had much time to date other people, so the polyamory feels a little one-sided for her.”
There’s something else under the surface. The way his hands won’t settle, the way his words come out in streams of chaos rather than carefully considered thoughts, all of it tells me there’s something more to this. But I don’t press. He’ll tell me if it’s important.
“I haven’t told her,” he says again. “Not everything. I want to ask her to go with me, but I can’t do it if I’m not sure she’ll say yes. Her happiness matters more than anything. But if I wait too long, I’ll miss the window. If I push too hard, I lose her.”
He looks up, meeting my gaze for the first time since he started this conversation. “You ever have the feeling you’re about to fuck everything up, but you have to do it anyway because standing still is killing you?”
I nod once, knowing exactly what he means. But I’m also not the best at giving brotherly advice. That’s Matteo or Luke. So, I just clap him on the shoulder. “You’ll figure it out. And if you go, you’ll be missed, but everyone will understand.”
He stands and picks up the tray of tacos again.
“Thanks, man. It feels good to have told someone about it.”
I nod and jerk my head toward the door.
“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go find Liliana and prevent her from doing something catastrophically stupid for my birthday. No thanks to you.”
Tyson walks away laughing, and I realize I’ll actually miss the bastard if he leaves.