Chapter 34 #2
“You keep calling me a good girl, and we won’t ever make it out of here,” I warn, but it isn’t much of a threat.
“You are my good girl. Giving your body to me willingly, and you take my cock so good.” His eyes darken again, taking a step toward me. He stops, shakes his head, and takes a step back. “Fuck, you’re dangerous.”
I laugh. “You are too.”
He pecks my lips again from a safe distance before tucking himself back into his jeans. “I’ll see you downstairs,” he says with a grin, sauntering out of the room.
I wash myself up quickly before getting dressed in ripped denim skinny jeans with holes down the thighs. I throw on a grey tank top that coincidently matches Dex’s eyes. I grab my high-heeled boots and head downstairs.
It’s back to business whether I want to or not.
This quick session with Dex did wonders for the tension in my shoulders, though.
I push open the doors to the pool hall down from Xander’s garage, the place Ghost told Ryder for us to meet him.
I gaze around and notice two guys from last night avert their eyes.
I make the decision to bring Evander and Mateo with me too.
I need to let it be known they are with me to protect Leo more than anything.
I didn’t like his decision to stay when we were giving him the option to leave, to stay safe.
The thought of Leo leaving breaks my heart, but I want him safe more.
I could tell by the stubborn set of his jaw that I wasn’t going to be able to convince him to go, though.
He doesn’t know that I will push him away if shit gets too deep.
I can’t stand the thought of something happening to him.
“Alessa,” Ghost greets, standing up from one of the corner tables in the small pool hall. I never understood why Xander was the leader of the Vipers and not Ghost. He has an air of authority surrounding him, and he earns respect, unlike Xander.
Ghost stands about an inch shorter than Dex’s six foot six with shaggy blonde hair and blue eyes that almost make him look innocent, but I know what’s lurking behind those blue eyes, and it’s anything but innocent.
He’s lean too, but I’ve watched him fight in the underground fights I run.
The man is a powerhouse, and people underestimate him much like they do Gage when he fights.
“Ghost,” I nod. “Can we talk somewhere?”
He nods his head toward the back of the pool hall. “This way.”
He leads us back through a set of double doors labeled employees only into a room with a large table in the middle. He takes the seat at the head of the table, and I take the seat at the other end with Leo and Gage on either side of me. The rest of the guys are lining the wall behind me,
watching.
“What can I do for you?” Ghost asks, leaning back in his chair, looking relaxed. He’s anything but if the set of his shoulders gives me any clue. He’s ready for me to make a move because he isn’t stupid, unlike Xander.
“Xander’s dead,” I say without preamble. Might as well get it out in the open.
His eyebrows raise. “I knew something was up when he didn’t open the garage this morning.” He looks at the guys with me. “What’s with the muscle?”
I wave my hand. “Let’s just say Xander chose the wrong side and met an untimely end. Did you know he was selling for the Russians?” I watch his face closely for any sign that he knows, and except for the slight furrowing of his brows, his face doesn’t change.
“He was doing what now?” Ghost asks, sounding genuinely confused. “Why the fuck would he do that?”
“I wasn’t giving him enough freedom, according to him.”
Ghost snorts. “Rightfully so. He was a fucking idiot.”
I raise a brow. “Then why follow him?”
“I didn’t have much choice, did I?” Ghost leans forward, bracing his arms on the table and lacing his hands together. “He was your dad’s chosen man.”
That I still can’t figure out. Why the hell would my dad put an idiot like Xander at the helm of one of his bigger street gangs? I shrug. “That’s in the past now. Did you know?” I repeat.
Ghost shakes his head. “No. I’m loyal to the Italians, always have been.”
Ryder steps up on my right side. “That’s good to hear because the Vipers are now yours,” he says, and Ghost’s eyebrows shoot to his hairline. He knew that in the case of Xander’s death, he would step up unless I chose otherwise. “It doesn’t come without stipulations, though.”
Ghost nods. “I figured that.”
Gage slides him a folder. “Have you seen him before?”
Ghost opens it and looks at a picture of Spinner. “I’ve seen him at the garage several times, and Xander said he was restoring that old Mustang for him.”
Gage chuckles. “Nah. Spinner was the plug from Viktor Orlov to Xander, and that Mustang was loaded to the gills with coke.”
I got a call today from Joey, one of the guys that I sent to clean up the car and stash the coke until I had a plan.
He tore the car apart, and there was coke not only in the trunk but lining the car’s floorboard and under the seats.
If you name a hiding spot in a car, there was product.
That shipment would have been too large to come in through our dock, so I need to find who is covering for Viktor.
“I’m now in possession of that car and the product.
I need you to find a way to reach out to Spinner and tell him Xander is requesting a meeting,” I say, pulling Xander’s phone from the inside pocket of my leather jacket and sliding it to Ghost. “Everything should be in there. I need you to tear that garage apart because something tells me that car wasn’t the only hiding spot. ”
I need to get to it before Viktor finds out Xander is dead. I need to hit him where it hurts, and nothing would hurt more than taking one way of him making money; the next is shutting down his shipments coming into my fucking port.
Ghost leans back in his chair again, spinning the phone around in circles on the table. “I never talked to the man. What makes you think he will agree?”
“Get creative,” Ryder says. “Just get the meeting.”
“You also need to make sure some of your guys keep their mouths shut,” I warn him. “There were some guys there last night that heard everything. Two are sitting at the bar right now.”
“Hm,” Ghost hums, rubbing the stubble on his chin. “Funny they never said a word that they saw anything.”
I shrug. “That’s how you weed out the ones you want under you, Ghost. Anything else will be your downfall.”
“Which ones?” Ghost asks, standing from his chair. I’m impressed by the initiative to take care of it and not bristle under my orders like Xander did.
Gage walks out with him, and as luck would have it, all five of them walk back in with them. I have the sixth one stashed away. Their eyes widen when they walk in seeing me sitting there.
“Sit,” Ghost barks, pointing to the couch and chairs lining the wall. They all sink into their seats, warily eyeing their new leader. “Which one of you motherfuckers was going to tell me what happened last night?”
“Man, she killed Tony,” one of them answers. “And she said not to tell anyone!”
“You dumbass,” Gage laughs. “She meant the Russians, not your second in command.”
“How the fuck were we supposed to know that?” another one asks, leveling a glare at Gage. I look at Gage and see his eyes take on that crazy look, and the guy looks away quickly.
I get up and walk over to where Ghost is standing.
“Meet your new leader, boys.” I tilt my head to the side.
“Xander’s taking a long vacation.” I motion for the guys that it’s time to leave.
“Just know that if I find out you have anything to do with the Russians, you will join him. I’ll be in touch, Ghost.”
Ghost nods. “I got this.”
Ryder slaps him on the back on the way by. “I hope so.”
We make our way outside, and I climb into the passenger side of Ryder’s new Explorer with Gage and Dex in the back. Leo rode with Evander and Mateo in Evander’s black BMW Alpina XB7. We always joked that driving a black car is your way of initiating into the Mafia.
Ryder pulls from the curb. “You believe he didn’t know?”
“For now. I just need to keep an eye on him. Closer than I did Xander.”
“You mean we, Pretty girl,” Gage says, leaning between the seats. “We.”
Ryder slides his hand into one of the rips in my jeans, squeezing my thigh. “He’s right. You have yourself stretched thin enough as it is. Let us handle the Vipers.”
This is a massive test for me. I’m used to just doing it myself, not because I don’t trust them. I do, without question. Ryder and I still haven’t fixed anything after our showdown, but I can give them this. I take a deep breath. “Okay,” I agree.
Ryder looks at me, then back at the road. “Thank you, Il mio sole.”
I can feel some responsibility slide off my shoulders, and it feels good. I can trust the guys to handle the Vipers until I need to step in. “You and Dex need a tux for the gala.”
Ryder groans. “I’m not wearing a fucking tux.”
I laugh. “You can’t wear jeans and boots, Ryder.”
“I have something to wear, but it won’t be a damn tux.”
I roll my eyes and turn to Dex. “Are you fighting me on the tux too?”
He chuckles. “Yes, Baby girl, I am.”
I cross my arms over my chest, fake pouting, “Fine.”
“I got a tux,” Gage throws in, and I look over my shoulder at his grin. “So does Leo.”
“See, they’re wearing tuxes,” I plead to Ryder.
Ryder gives me a dry look before looking back at the road. “No tux for me, Il mio sole.”
“And that’s why Leo and Gage are my favorites,” I joke and laugh when Ryder’s grip on my thigh tightens.
“It sounded like Dex was your favorite before we left the house,” Ryder says, cocking an eyebrow at me.
I grin unashamed. “He was,” I exaggerate a moan. “He fucked me so good.”
“Damn right, I did,” Dex replies.
“Goddamn it, Les,” Ryder says, adjusting his hips in the seat. “That should not turn me on.”
Gage chuckles. “It does, though. Knowing at any point in time you can walk into a room and she’s getting railed is a fucking turn-on.
” Gage leans between the seats again. “Wait until you’re buried inside of her with someone else.
” Gage groans and flops back in the seat. “It’s like fucking paradise.”
“Shut the fuck up,” Ryder grinds, adjusting his hips again.
I turn in my seat to see Ryder better, wanting to join in on the fun. “Let’s talk about what happened in the hallway.”
Gage’s head pops between the seats again. “Oh fuck yeah. Let’s talk about that.”
“Let’s fucking don’t and say we did,” Ryder replies.
“No. I think we should,” Dex agrees.
“He was all,” Gage throws his head back and moans, copying Ryder, “It was kind of hot.”
“Him getting choked out or the fact he liked it?” I ask with a chuckle. Ryder’s hand keeps getting tighter on my thigh while slowing down for a red light.
“Both. Pretty girl, you were gorgeous, all perched up on him, squeezing the life right out of him.” Gage reaches around the seat and locks his hand on Ryder’s throat, squeezing it like I did with a crazy grin on his face.
Ryder’s grip tightens on the steering wheel, and he sinks his teeth into his bottom lip, stopping his reaction.
“Fuck,” Gage breathes, watching Ryder’s reaction in the mirror.
Gage lets go when the car starts moving again. “Damn it. Now my cock is hard.”
I can’t help it; I laugh. Ryder shoots me a look, promising retribution.
Bring it on.