Chapter 24
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
No one talks. The surveillance booth hums around us, monitors flickering, chatter over the radios from the day shift team, the air still carrying an echo of the gunshot like it hasn’t figured out it’s long since been over.
The blood is gone from my hands, but I still feel it. I revel in it. Warm. Slick. And absolutely fucking necessary.
Maverick stands at the center of the room, his eyes on the screens, jaw tense and arms crossed.
Slater leans back in his chair, arms behind his head, watching the same feed with Mav.
Cole sits off to the side with Jeremy, watching a different angle of the same footage.
Of the moment that piece of shit signed his own death certificate.
The two say nothing. Kellen, Declan, Owen and Levi file into the room and park themselves along the back wall.
Mav glances over his shoulder at the four of them, then turns to shake their hands.
“Morning boys,” he says. “Were you able to get anything on whoever that was?” No pleasantries, jumping right to business.
“Stan Billings. Forty-three years old. Married, or at least he had a wedding ring on. Fucking scum bag,” Kellen starts. “License says Nevada. Best guess: he was here on business.”
“On it,” Slater clips, pulling up his background software, already running the guy's name before Mav can say anything.
“And the body?” I ask.
“Driven to your old warehouse and disposed of as ordered,” Levi chimes in.
“Good.” Mav nods, and turns back to Slater.
The room goes quiet again, my body humming in sync with the monitors.
The four newbies eye me warily while the rest continue watching monitors.
They’re sizing me up, trying to figure out if I’m completely out of my fucking mind or not.
They’re going to need to get on board soon, or they’re not going to make it.
Maverick didn't bring them in on a whim.
Nothing he does is sporadic or without reason.
The door bursts open, slamming against the wall, causing all the monitors to shake. Slowly, we all turn in unison to see Michael storm into the room, flanked by Nico. His eyes burn with anger, his entire body tense.
“What the fuck did you do to my club?” he hisses.
Maverick slowly turns, glancing at me quickly, then levels Michael with a lethal stare.
“Hello, Michael. Nice of you to join us. I suggest you calm the fuck down, and then we can fill you in.”
“Listen to me you little shit,” Michael starts, pointing a shaky finger at Mav.
He glances at the digit before his gaze slowly drags back up to Michael’s contorted face, and smirks.
I rise from my chair, knocking it backward and step to Maverick’s side.
Slater, Jeremy, and Cole stand behind us.
The four against the wall tense slightly, but remain silent.
“Dad, calm down,” Jeremy speaks calmly.
“You sit down and shut the fuck up,” Michael barks at his son. Jeremy doesn’t budge, but I step forward.
“Don’t ever speak to him like that again.” My head tilts, “Understand me?”
Nico steps into his boss’ back, “Mike, relax. Let them explain.”
“Explain what? The murder of one of MY casino’s patrons? The potential police investigation that will likely end with them in prison. Including my fucking son!” His voice echoes off the booth walls. I bark out a laugh.
“That’s your concern, Mike? Not the five people that have disappeared from this casino? Or how about the fact that one of your employees was nearly attacked last night?” I step closer to him, and everyone behind me takes a step back. The guys along the back wall shift left. I grin.
“You work for me,” he jabs his chest. He opens his mouth, but before he can say anything else, I grab him by the collar of his too-neat suit jacket, and walk him backward to the wall.
Thanks boys.
His back slams into the wall and his eyes widen in disbelief.
Oh no. How dare I?
“Do I need to remind you of the contract?” I ask calmly.
“Cain Defenses is the exclusive security authority for Perdition,” Maverick recites behind me.
“All surveillance, enforcement and response will fall under the authority of Cain Defenses. Maverick Cain and Karson Tate retain full discretion to implement protective measures as they deem necessary, without limitation or interference.” Michael struggles under my hold.
“For the duration of the facility’s operation. ”
I lean into Michael, my body pinning his to stop his obnoxious fucking thrashing, and bring my face to his. “I don’t fucking work for you,” I say casually. “None of us do. Not even him.” His eyes flash to his son.
“That’s enough.” Elias enters. His eyes scan the room, analyzing the situation. He steps to my side, shakes Nico’s hand, then stares at Michael.
“If you wanted optics, you should have hired a PR team. You don’t get to demand protection and then complain about its cost.” The low gravel in Elias’ voice leaves no room for debate.
I release Michael and take a step backward, my eyes never leaving his.
“If you want to be filled in on what’s going on, it would behoove you to come back at another time,” Elias tells him.
“And to not question my boys again.” His green eyes flash with an unspoken warning.
Michael straightens out his jacket. His eyes land on Jeremy, who stares at him blankly, then turns his back and walks out.
“I’ll talk to him,” Nico tells us. “I apologize.” He gives Jeremy a sympathetic smile.
“Not your fault,” Mav says. “I understand his concerns. But he’s worried about the wrong thing. We have this under control.”
“I know that. So does he, that’s why he contracted you,” Nico shakes his head. “You gentlemen have a good day.”
The door closes, and the room remains silent for a long minute.
Cole huffs a chuckle through his nose, shaking his head before he turns back toward the monitors.
Jeremy rolls his shoulders once, then sits back down, rewinding the footage until Cole finds a stopping point.
Walking back over to my chair, I pick it up and sit down.
Stretching out, I cross my ankles and my arms over my chest.
“When did you get back?” I question Elias.
“Just now,” he answers. “Heard his tantrum from down the hall.”
He notices the four perched on the back wall, and steps forward to shake their hands.
“Nice to have you boys in here with us,” Elias welcomes them, then turns back to the rest of us. He nods for Maverick to continue.
“Billings,” he says. “Let’s retrace his steps on the property throughout the day. Levi and Kellen, check with the front desk at the hotel. See if he had a room here, and get inside if he did.” Mav orders. The two nod and exit the room.
“Owen and Declan, the club’s going to be closed for the night. You two go back and do a sweep, make sure nothing was missed. Then get the cleaners there.”
“Yes sir,” they say in unison before leaving.
Elias drags a chair next to Slater. “Alright. Fill me in.”
We catch him up to speed, going over everything that happened with the bartender that was taken from the parking garage, and last night in Rapture.
He watches the footage from the second floor, shoulders tensing the moment Stan corners Ashlynn.
He pinches the bridge of his nose when he notices the cut in footage where Slater deleted my body slamming into Ashlynn’s over and over.
I owe him big for the amount of shit he cuts from footage for me.
It picks up again as I’m carrying her down the stairs, and he shakes his head with a “can you believe this guy?” grin.
“I think it might be a good idea to bring Nick in on this,” Elias starts. “Another set of eyes isn’t going to hurt, and he’s got some experience with this shit.”
Maverick mulls it over, questioning whether or not he wants to involve his wife’s uncle. After a second, he nods.
“I’ll talk to him tonight. He’s coming to the house for dinner.”
Elias stands, slapping my shoulder and giving it a squeeze.
“Good. I’ll be back tonight then.” He says his goodbyes to everyone, then exits the room. The room falls back into rhythm again. Maverick’s gaze lands on me, my arms still crossed and feet shaking side to side on my heel.
“You good?” He asks quietly.
Am I?
My jaw flexes.
No. But I will be.
“Yeah, I’m good.” I nod. Because upstairs, tied to my bed, my terror is sleeping. Wearing my shirt. Leaving her scent all over my sheets. And for the first time since I found her again, she’s not running.
I made sure of it.
My phone vibrates in my pocket. Fishing it out, I see a notification from the cameras in my penthouse. Movement.
She’s awake.
Standing, I push my chair in and walk toward the door.
“Let me know what Nick says,” I throw over my shoulder.
There are bigger problems coming, I feel it in my bones. But right now? I have something far more important to get back to.