“Like it was last minute?” I asked.
“Exactly.”
I frowned.
“What are you thinking?”
“I’m wondering if our good friends Hank and Benjamin are being controlled by someone else, someone bigger?”
“How is that possible? They’re two nobodies.”
“Risingthe ranks of power, and easy puppets to use as no one would suspect.”
Vlad frowned as I stared at him. It would make sense as to why they were stepping up theiroperations, but also how they’d been able to set up such a sloppy trafficking gig.
Professionals had men in place. They had private places not easy to locate. They moved quickly, swiftly. Drugging girls took a lot of time, a lot of movement, as they were unable to move quickly. There was a lot happening now, and I didn’t want to take anything for granted.
“I can look into it,” Vlad said.
Benjamin and Hank were two rival city drug pins. They were low level, sneaky, but stupid at the same time. I’d dealt with them a couple of times over the years, and they’d been easy to squash.
Tapping my fingerson the desk, I thought about how hard it was to go from drug running, to creating a new drug that inhibited women, and then stealing them away. It wasn’t as simple as it sounded. Shit like that was easy to detect.”I want you to get the information on the clubs where these women were last known to be.”
“In one of our clubs.”
“We have more than one, Vlad. If Hank or Benjamin had stepped foot into one of our nightclubs, I’d have been alerted to it.”
“Do you think they’ve got someone else?” Vlad asked.
“Theyeither have someone else working for them, or they paid off one of my men to keep quiet. Either way, I need answers, so I can deal with each part accordingly.”
If my men could be easily bought off, then they had to go. I didn’t accept disloyalty. I wouldn’t even tolerate a bad word said about Ivan. If I ever heard of discord with the Volkov Bratva, I took care of it personally.
“I’m on it.”
I didn’t stop Vlad as he left my office.
Sitting back, I brought up the security screens of my casino, and checkedto make sure everything was running smoothly. In the last twenty-four hours, I’d attacked Hank and Benjamin’s places and burned them to the ground, as well as removed their potential business avenue with the girls. There would be retaliation, I just had to wait for it to happen.
The text came through seconds later to say Charlotte was at the penthouse suiteand Hubert would be taking care of her. The reminder of my wife brought with it a question of why she’d been fucking crying. I don’t even know why I cared so much. Women cried. It was part of their DNA.
Putting my cell phone down, I thought over this morning. I’d taken her shopping, dealtwith the rudeness directed at her. Swiftly nipping it in the bud, because it was unacceptable. I didn’t like any of this.
Something didn’t feel right. I understood the cheekiness of Hank and Benjamin. They wereamateurs, but even they knew their limitations, which once again told me someone else was pulling the strings, but who? Why? Where? I didn’t like not having answers to my questions. I needed to find them and soon.
Lottie
I didn’t mind being bored. Boredom meant safety. It meant I could do whatever I wanted without fear ofrepercussions. Growing up, boring meant safety. If my father thought I was being driven crazy with boredom, he wouldn’t bother me. So, standing in Ive’s penthouse apartment wasn’t too bad. The view was incredible. I didn’t think I’d ever been in a place so high up, I felt like I was close to the clouds. It was pretty amazing. Staring out across the city, I couldn’t exactly make anything out, but it was just pleasing to see the world go by.
Hubert wasn’t in the mood for conversation today. I stoodstill near the main corridor, keeping an eye on the apartment. He was never one for small talk back at the country house, but this was different.
Ive’s apartment wasn’t quite the adventure to explore as his home was. I liked his home with all the houses and the sticky notes I’d placed on each door, reminding me I’d explored there. His apartment had a main sitting room, which did look comfortable. I’d already tried out the plush white sofa, and yes, I did indeed sink into it. It was so lovely. Better than anything I’d ever sat on. My booty felt like it had been treated well.
Then, of course, there was a dining room. I counted the chairs and wondered if he entertained at all. The table could sit twelve people, and it was spacious.
He didn’t have a lot of furniture or possessions, just enough to create a show home, or a show apartment. That was what this was. A showroom apartment.
The kitchen looked modern with pristine cupboards and top-of-the-range models. Did he spend a lot of time in the kitchen, or did he hire a chef like back home?
There were three bedrooms, as well as a small office. There was no library in his penthouse, nor a game room, nor a cinema room. So, again, not a lot to explore.
Staring out across the city grew tiresome, so I moved over to the sofa and took a seat. I made sure I faced Hubert. “You can sit down, you know?”
“We’re expecting a delivery,” he said.
“Ah, right, the clothes.” I wrapped my arms around myself. Shopping for clothes hadn’t been quite the enjoyment I had expected. I don’t know who had spoiled it more-me, Ive, or that dreadful woman who clearly wanted my husband.
Dropping my handsonto my lap, I couldn’t help but twirl my diamond wedding ring. Ivan Volkov had insisted I wear an engagement ring as well as a wedding one, both on the same finger. They were pretty. The most expensive things I’d ever owned in my life.
But the rings weren’t mine. No, they belonged to Ive, my husband, and if they killed me, they’d go back to him. I merely wore them for show. Nothing more than a trophy. I wasn’t a great trophy, though. The unwanted daughter, the mistaken kidnapping. This should be Cassie.
“Have you worked for Ive long?” I asked.
Hubert turned his gaze toward me, and his lips seemed to tense. Back at home, I rarely asked him personal questions. I’d been too busy exploring, and of course I’d been a little too nervous to ask questions.