Chapter 16
LANTANA
Istared at the ice cubes in my glass, watching them melt into the whiskey. The burn of the alcohol hit the back of my throat, but it did nothing to thaw the ice in my chest.
Velvet Desires smelled of expensive old leather, and the faint, lingering scent of cocoa butter and cheap perfume.
It was classier than most strip-clubs with deep crimson velvet draping the walls, absorbing the sound of our breathing.
Polished mahogany tables reflected the overhead chandeliers, and the private booths offered privacy for those kinks men liked to indulge in.
Roulette sat beside me, her hand on my arm for support. She had handed me the drink without a word, knowing exactly what I was going through. We had both been there last night.
My mind drifted back to what had happened, the memory had replayed over and over in my head for the last twenty-four hours.
Duchess had called and asked us to go see about a lost Bastard.
We didn’t know what to expect but from Hoax’s voice on the lie, the guy seemed seriously concerned for his friend.
The abandoned subway tunnels were filled with mildew and the stench of rat shit.
Hoax was the one who was guiding us through it since he was the only one who knew where his friend was.
I’d known about that section of the tunnels for a while now, kept it tucked in a private place. But I never thought anyone would actually use it.
"I've got a heat signature." Rainbow stated moving deeper into the tunnels
All of us picked up the pace, weapons came out and you could see our flashlights reflecting faster against the debris.
The tension inside the tunnel became suffocating.
Looking back, I hated how quickly fear had settled into my chest. At the time I convinced myself it was concern for a potential victim.
Concern for whoever we were about to find. That excuse didn't survive very long.
“He’s here!” Rainbow had called out.
The beam of Roulette’s flashlight had sliced through the darkness and had landed on a heap of clothes and body sprawled across the grime-streaked floor.
When Roulette reached down and flipped the body over, her flashlight swept across the figure and illuminated a bloodied jaw, my pulse had stopped completely.
“Benjamin Harper,” I whispered his name into the air and everything around me went even darker.
I recalled shoving past the others and dropping to one knee beside him.
I searched for signs of life before my brain could even process what I was doing.
There were bruises covering his face, blood staining his shirt, and cuts across his knuckles.
The sight of him registered in pieces while my heart hammered against my ribs.
For one horrible second I genuinely thought he was dead.
Then Roulette found a pulse and everything inside me unlocked at once.
Relief crashed through me so violently it almost stole my breath and I felt my stomach sink.
I stood there, frozen, the flashlight's glare reflecting on his face.
He had lied. Every word, every touch had been a fabrication.
He had played with me while he watched us, all the while seeking information from us.
The shock felt like a blow to the ribs that left me gasping for air, and Roulette had quickly taken over for me on the coms.
The anger and betrayal came slowly afterward. Because once we got him out of those tunnels and the truth started surfacing, every conversation we'd shared suddenly looked different.
The realization settled heavily in my chest, we hadn’t met by accident and that thought made me angry at myself.
Because somehow, despite every lesson life that had taught me about trusting people, despite every wall I'd spent years building, I'd allowed myself to believe he was exactly who he claimed to be.
I blinked, returning to the present and to the smell of tobacco that lined the room.
Duchess stood at the center of the empty bar, which wasn’t opening for a few hours.
Her eyes scanned each of us, as if trying to figure how to say something.
Rainbow, Gypsy, Obsidian, Demise, and Angora pulled up chairs, their expressions a mix of exhaustion and alertness.
Rainbow dropped her head backward dramatically. Paramore muttered a curse. Mirage laughed under her breath. Even Demise looked annoyed, which was impressive considering very little seemed capable of moving her emotional needle.
"It was only a matter of time before he found out." Demise said, her voice ringing out from somewhere in the corner of the room.
“ I agree. I just hoped we'd have answers before he did."
“What does he think he know, exactly?” Roulette asked beside me.
"I spoke with Hoax again this morning as was able to get some more information as brief as he was. Jameson knows about the murders, the calling card, and the Feds.”
Roulette shifted, her leather jacket creaking. "Well, fuck.”
"He played the long game. He wanted to see how we’d react, or perhaps he wanted us to do the dirty work before he stepped in to clean up the mess."
I stared into my whiskey. The betrayal tasted more bitter than the drink.
"This is my fault. I was stupid enough to think that the news reports wouldn’t reach him in Louisiana, but I was wrong.”
Duchess stepped closer, her heels clicking sharply against the polished floor.
"Last night we retrieved Benjamin Legion Harper from the abandoned subway tunnels.
Our sources suggest he's been in New York for a few weeks.
He spent that time tracing us and the Scorpions, mapping our movements, and sending back anything he found to Jameson. "
"I actually thought I was safe with him,” I whispered into my drink.
“You couldn’t have known,” Roulette whispered back, squeezing my hand.
“Jameson states he sent him on a goose chase following the Scorpions but from what we found last night, that looked more than a goose chase. We’ve managed to gather all their weapons but the Bloody Scorpions have found a way to retaliate against us.
“I knew those assholes were up to something,” Demise reacted.
“I’m not sure what they’ve planned but Legion heard something down there. Something that got him killed. So since he decided to operate in the shadows, now, he faces the consequences of that silence."
I felt a surge of anger in my gut and it was finally starting to override the shock. He had looked me in the eyes and lied. He had used my trust as a way of getting close to my people.
"He's got information," Duchess continued, her gaze locking onto mine. "He knows things about the Scorpions' current alignment and what’s going on with the murders. I want that information before Jameson has it.”
The room went silent. "Lantana," Duchess said. "I need you on this."
The glass in my hand trembled. The thought of being in a room with him, smelling his skin, hearing that voice that had deceived me, made my skin crawl.
"Me?" I asked. "No. I... I can't."
"You're the only one with the means to do this," Duchess countered.
Duchess didn’t know about my connection with Benjamin Harper, or that he’d been using me to gain access to the Harlots. I wondered how far he would have gone and what his endgame was.
"I don't know how you want me to do that," I snapped, my voice cracking.
Obsidian, sitting to my right, leaned in. She gave me a knowing nudge, her shoulder pressing firmly against mine.
"I can do it," Obsidian whispered.
Duchess glanced between us, her brow furrowing. "What? What are you two fools talking about?"
"I mean, I can help her, Duchess," Obsidian said, her voice smooth. "She’s just a little worn from last night.”
“Both of you, get your shit together. Lantana, you’re the only one who can get inside his head."
I looked around the room feeling everyone’s eyes on me once again.
“I’ll do my best.” I said.
"Break him, Lantana. He’s not leaving until he tells us everything he knows." Duchess replied.
I muttered a curse under my breath and set the whiskey glass down on the table with a sharp clink.
"This is about finding out who attacked him and about finding out what he discovered. We need to determine whether whatever happened in those tunnels connects to what’s going on with the Harlots before somebody else ends up dead. Maybe one of our own."
I looked at Duchess and nodded. "Yes ma’am," I said, my voice steadying. "I'll get what you need."
"Good," Duchess said. "He's in the holding cell downstairs. He's been patched up and he’s awake, but he's not talking."
"He's arrogant," I said, that slight fact I knew of him slipping from my lips.
"Arrogance is a flaw we can exploit," Duchess replied. "Go. Take your time, but don't come back until he's told you everything we need."
Church was dismissed and as I slowly walked to the exit both Roulette and Obsidian were at my side.
“Are you sure you can do this?” Roulette squeezed my shoulder.
“I don’t know, “ I shook my head.
“My offer stands,” Obsidian whispered. “I can help you.”
“I need to do this on my own.”
“I know you’re angry but just remember, he unfortunately needs to go home alive.”
I nodded, pushing the exit door.