by T M Kelly
He walked back over to where I was standing. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah, just the daily update.”
“I need to head out.” Charlie squeezed my hand. “I’ll be there for the fight.”
“You better be.” I pulled her close and kissed her cheek. “Thanks for helping out today.”
“You mean, thanks for letting you kick my ass. Yeah, no problem!” She raised her hand and waved as she headed up the stairs.
I turned to face Malik. “Who was that on the phone?” He had this weird look on his face. “What is it? Is Anora okay?”
“Anora and Ghost are missing.”
“What do you mean, missing?”
“Journey hears from Ghost every two days at exactly eight p.m.”
“And?”
“No word last night.”
I started to pace the length of the mat. “Maybe they got their days mixed up?”
He reached for my wrist to stop me. “Ghost doesn’t mix up days.”
The thought of Anora dead flashed through my mind. I squeezed my eyes shut and threw my hands over my face. No, I couldn’t think that way. My friend was alive. Anora spent too much time already trying to make sure I didn’t die. She had to be okay.
“Would Ghost do exactly what he was trained to do if he thought someone was following him?”
Malik turned his head to the side. “What do you mean?”
“Wouldn’t he hide somewhere? He seems skilled from what you described.”
“Look at you.” He reached for his phone. “You might be on to something. Is there anything about Anora that could help us locate them?”
“You think he would take her to a place from her past?”
“I think he would go off the grid just enough while also making sure he’s traceable.”
“She has a picture in her bedroom of a cabin. Her parents owned it.”
“Let’s get back to the guest house. I need to call Journey ASAP.”
Right before we opened the backdoor to head down the walkway that led to the small house, we heard a crack off to the right. Malik placed his hand on the top of my head and forced my body to the ground. We sat there, silent, with a small bush as the only thing to keep us from being seen. A minute later a small doe and a fawn stepped out into the clearing.
I exhaled finally. “Seriously.” Malik was grumbling all the way back to the house. I had an urge to throw a few rocks in their direction, but I knew our unease was not the animal’s fault.
“Fucking deer.” Malik closed and locked the door. “Let me call Journey. You said the picture was in her bedroom?”
“Yeah, on her tall dresser next to the bathroom.”
“Okay, that could help us.”
“Hopefully.”
I remember when I first saw the picture of her cabin. She told me it was a fourth-generation property. Her father planned to give her all the paperwork when he died. The place was stunning. It was waterfront property on Lake Tahoe. The cabin sat on fifteen acres and was surrounded by trees. If Anora did go there with Ghost, they could easily stay off the grid and out of sight.
Anora was alive. She had to be.
17
“Any word?” I sat down on the couch next to Malik.
He looked up from the computer. “Not yet, but I feel good about this lead.” He leaned over and looked inside the bowl I was holding. “What’s that?”
“Peanut butter.” I lifted the spoon and offered him some.
He moved his body back away. “No. I’m allergic to peanuts.”
I hopped up. “Shit, I’m so sorry.”
“For what?”
“I shouldn’t be eating this around you.”
“You can eat it. I just can’t consume any.” He chuckled.
“My mom was deathly allergic to nuts. Even being around food with nuts and inhaling the aroma was bad.”
“I’m not that bad.” He patted the couch cushion next to him. “Sit. Enjoy.”
I sat back down but made sure there was a good distance between us. “We need more food in the house.”
“I can call Julian’s housekeeper.”
“Can you ask her to get some gummy bears?”
“I’ll make sure she picks some up.” He smiled.
The doorbell chimed. “Expecting anyone?”
“No, you?” Malik sent an alert to Journey and Lincoln before standing. “Go to the bedroom and stay out of sight.”
“What about you?” The doorbell went off again. “That’s weird, right?”
“Yeah.” He grabbed the baseball bat next to the couch and hid it behind his back. “Go to the bedroom,” he whispered as he rounded the corner, making his way to the front foyer.
I knew I should listen and go to the bedroom, but I was starting to hate being ordered around. There was a clicking sound. Malik must be unlocking the door. Did he know who was there? I stood as still as a ghost in the hallway. A second later there was laughter. I hopped up and rounded the corner to find Anora and Ghost standing next to Malik.
“Anora.” I ran over to my friend. “Oh my word. Why are you here? Should you be here?”
“That was going to be my next question,” Malik said.
I looked down and noticed Anora holding Ghost’s hand. Well, now things just got interesting. I gave her a look. She rolled her eyes. I gave another look. “No.” She blurted out and stepped away from the man in question. “Sorry.” She glanced at Ghost and Malik. “Jen, a word privately.” She actually shoved at my shoulder as she pushed me out of the room.
“What the heck, Anora?” I was still being pushed down the hallway toward the bedrooms.
“Which room is yours?” I blushed at the question. “You didn’t?” She burst out laughing. “You did.”
“Oh, hush.” I walked into the room that was originally just mine. “Why the hell are you here?”
“Kac said we had to come. I don’t know.” She threw her hands up and walked over to the chair in the corner of the room.
“Kac?”
“Ghost. Kac. Whatever you want to call him.”
“Oh, so you’re on a first name basis now?”
“Really, Jenny?”
“Sorry.” I knew it wasn’t a good time to joke, but it did feel good.
When I met Anora, things were completely different. She thought Ray was a good husband. I thought I was the luckiest wife. Then a few years later he started drinking.
“The man is an ass.” Anora stood up and paced the length of the room.
“He can’t be that bad.” She stopped and gave this look. “Oh, he’s really that bad.”
“Ray didn’t find our whereabouts, but we think he was hot on our trail.”
“How so?”
“Two of the guys working for Kac started asking really weird questions.”
“I’m confused.”
“Yeah, you and me both. Kac suspects the men were compromised.”
“Why would you come here then?” I walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed. “I mean, I’m excited to see you, but we shouldn’t all be together.”
“That’s exactly what I just told my buddy,” Malik said and stepped into the room.
“And I was about to share my theory behind your fabulous husband and his drinking problem.”
I looked over at Anora. “I see what you mean.” Kac. Ghost. Whatever he wanted to be called was as tacky as they came. “A theory? Do share.”
Kac stepped into the room and glanced around. “Already?” he said to Malik.
“Talk.” Malik crossed his arms over his chest.
“The Blue Elephant is the drop-off point for a mob ring.”
“I’m sorry. Come again,” I said and stepped closer to both men.
“It’s hidden enough I almost couldn’t find the connection. Then the CEO borrowed money from Allen Times Bank.”
“He didn’t?” Malik sounded surprised.
“What am I missing?” I was looking between them trying to figure ou
t the connection.
Kac continued, “The bank is widely known to be used as a back channel for the mob ring that originates in Toronto.”
“Are you seriously telling me, my husband is messed up with a mob?”
“Pretty much.” Kac leaned against the door frame. “He’s head of the finance department at The Blue Elephant, right?”
“Pretty much,” I said back.
“Well, maybe that’s why he used you as a punching bag.”
“Real smooth,” I said and stepped directly in front of him. “Did you leave your be kind card at the door or are you always this rude?”
Malik wrapped his arms around my waist. “Kac, leave the room.” The asshole just stood there. “Now.”
“And you thought I was into him,” Anora said from behind me the moment Kac was out of earshot.
“What the fuck?” I spun around to face Malik. “Why is he here? He couldn’t share that on your private line?”
“Give me a moment.” He touched his hand to my shoulder. “Let me take care of this.”
I waited until Malik left the room. “Okay, you’re staying here with us. I don’t want you around that man for one more minute.”
Anora flashed the biggest smile. “You’ve changed.”
“What? No I haven’t.”
“Oh, yes you have.” She circled her finger in front of my face. “You also look like you’ve bulked up some.” Then she gasped. “Are you fighting?”
“Maybe. Why does that matter right now?”
“Holy shit, Jenny. You’re fighting?”
“Yeah. We needed something to pass the time. This house is not that entertaining.”
“Oh, I’m sure you’ve found other ways to pass the time.”
“Shut up.” I shoved at her shoulder.
Anora was giggling. “Okay, okay. Listen, I have to go with him. You and I need to stay separated.”
“But the man is awful.”
“He’s not that bad.” She paused for a beat. “Okay, he is that bad, but I can handle him.” She reached for my hand. “If your husband seriously got messed up with all those people. This is worse than we thought.”
“I don’t understand. We know nothing. Why does he want us dead?”
“He thinks you know,” Kac said from the doorway. “Anora said you started training at the gym secretly.”
“Yeah, because I didn’t want to be a punching bag anymore.”
Kac nodded. “I understand. Your husband probably thinks everyone is out to get him. Fear has set in for him.”
“So what now?”
“Anora and I will be heading to her cabin for a few days. Then to my second house. You both stay here. We have to stay out of sight since he’s still off the grid.”
I looked over at Malik. “The fight with Spartacus. We need to get my picture up somewhere. Use me to lure him in.”
“Jenny, no.” Anora grabbed my arm. “That’s signing your own death warrant.”
“We can’t live like this forever. I need to do something.”
“She’s right, Malik,” Kac said. “It’s the perfect plan.”
“Looks like we finally found common ground.”
“Don’t get used to it,” Kac said and turned to leave. “Anora, we need to go.” He sounded so gruff toward my friend.
Anora started to walk toward the door. She stopped next to me. “Are you planning to fight with Spartacus if you win the open fight night?”
“That’s the plan.”
“You would be amazing.”
“How would you know that? Every time you found me, I was full of cuts and bruises.”
“Because you never once gave up. I knew there was a lion roaring to be set free inside of you.”
I didn’t know what to say. I wrapped my arms around her and held her tightly. “I love you like a sister. Just in case I forget to tell you later,” I whispered. “You take care of yourself.”
“I love you.” She kissed my cheek and left the room. “I’ll see you soon,” she said while walking down the hallway.
It was hard to watch Anora leave. With everything Kac had just shared, I was afraid for my friend.
“Hey,” Malik said and stepped back into the room. “Kac means well.”
“He’s also an ass.”
“Yeah, that’s true.”
I sat down on the edge of the bed. “This is deep. Why would my husband want to kill me?”
“Once you get in with the wrong side, you start to create wild scenarios in your mind.” He sat down beside me. “He won’t stop until you both are dead.”
“So what now?”
“The Lioness has just been born.”
“Who’s The Lioness?”
“You.”
“Me?”
“That’s your nickname in the ring.” He nudged my shoulder. “I think you’re right, and that’s something I don’t say often. We need to use you as a pawn to lure him in. It’s the only way.”
“Lioness?”
“Do you like it? I loved what Anora said to you just now.”
I said the name several times in my mind. Me, Lioness, and the very same woman who feared for my life just weeks ago. Things were definitely about to change. I didn’t want to live in fear anymore.
18
One week later…
“Here,” Journey said and handed me a tablet.
On the device I could see there was a man walking out of The Blue Elephant with his arms around two women. “Who is that?” The image was really blurry, and it was hard to make out the man’s face.
“Ray.”
“My Ray?”
“It looks like he is staying at the hotel.” Journey sat down in the chair opposite me. “Your house has been empty for days. She leaned over and tapped a few buttons. “I have a feeling he thought you hid something in the house.”
I scrolled through the images. Every room in my house was ransacked. Dishes were shattered, cabinets were broken, and furniture was torn apart. “Did you see him do this?”
“No. I have a feeling we just missed him.”
My eyes locked onto the jewelry strewn all over the bedroom. I touched my finger to the screen. “I—”
“What is it, Jenny?” Malik said from beside me.
“It doesn’t make sense. None of this makes sense.”
“Cases like this rarely do,” Journey said.
I leaned back and glanced between Malik and Journey. “Are you sure Ray let himself get mixed up with the wrong people? Maybe he’s just pissed at me.”
Journey tapped the screen on the device a few more times. “See those two people in the background?”
“You mean the woman in a fur coat?”
“Yes. That’s Ella Nesta, and the guy next to her they call, Erickson.”
“Should I know them?”
“Her father was killed in a police raid a few years ago. She quickly moved up the ranks to become the youngest mob queen Toronto has ever witnessed.”
“Toronto.”
“They’re here in Las Vegas and we have video footage of your husband having dinner with them twice.”
I let my body fall back against the chair. “Why would he do this?”
“They have a lot of cash to offer. We’re trying to find out why they’re here.”
“Could Ray be in danger?” I knew I sounded concerned and I had no idea why. “I don’t know why I feel worried. He deserves whatever is thrown his way.”
“If he slips up, yes, it could become serious.”
The memory of my wedding invaded my thoughts. His smile distracted me. There was a time several years ago when he cared about my wellbeing. I couldn’t wrap my head around the thought that money become a priority over his own wife.
“So he started drinking to counteract all this shit?”
“Well, it looks like Ella and Erickson have been in Las Vegas awhile now.”
“So he must’ve used alcohol as a coping mechanism.”
“I know that’
s not at all what you wanted to hear,” Journey said.
“No, but I’m glad you told me.”
My mind wandered back to when Ray first hit me. We were in our bedroom. I was pulling socks out of the dresser drawer for him. There was an event for his work that evening. He seemed off when he arrived home, but I just chalked it up to him having a bad day. Then I teased him about the shirt he picked out, and he surprised me by reaching out and smacking me with the back of his hand. The pain was so intense, but I didn’t react immediately. I was on my knees in the middle of the room with my hand over my left cheek. Ray didn’t help me up at first. Then a few minutes passed by and he reached his hand out. He apologized over and over. That’s the day I started to make excuses for the man. I had no reason to believe he was in deep with a mob.
Ray was average. Didn’t dress like most of the men at the office. He did wear a suit, but the jacket was always full of wrinkles. I would offer to iron the material, but he would ignore my offer.
“He doesn’t fit their mold. Why him?”
“Money talks,” Malik said. “He’s the vice president of finance. He has access to everything they need.”
“Do you have proof he’s involved with this Ella chick?”
“No.” Journey grabbed the tablet and turned it off. “The trail’s clean. Well, the trail we checked. Now we need to dig deeper. We just keep finding him in the same space as them. Almost every picture with him has them in the background.”
“We’re four days away from the open fights with Spartacus.” I wrapped my fingers around my mug and took a sip of the coffee. “Think the plan to use me as bait will make him trip up?”
“Honestly? No. We need to try, though.” Journey touched her finger on the back of my hand. “He will get taken down.”
“You don’t plan to kill him, right?”
“No, but he’ll regret what he did.”
“This is a bad time.” Malik stood up from the couch. “Shit. Where is he?” He rubbed his fingers over his temple. “Fine. Give me ten minutes.”
I watched him hit end and throw the phone on the couch. “That bad?”
“Devon’s MIA.”