by Cassie James
“I just told you; trust is earned.”
I choke on a disbelieving laugh. “So, what? You sent me here to prove myself to you? I’m not your fucking foot soldier, Murph. If you’ve got someone here willing to spy on me for you, then you can damn well tell whoever it is to get whatever information you think is here.”
I turn on my heel, halfway out the door before Murphy speaks again.
“I don’t need more foot soldiers, as you call them. What I want is a successor. When your father falls—and he will fall—I’ll have back the empire that rightly belongs to our family. The empire that will fall on your shoulders should something happen to me.”
“I’m not interested.” Whatever Murphy’s involved in, it landed him in jail. And my father taking over in his absence has turned the man into even more of a monster. As far as I’m concerned, I want nothing to do with it.
“I wasn’t asking.” He shakes his head slowly. “This is your birthright. It’s time you learn about your duty to your family.”
I huff out a laugh. “If I cared about duty to family, I wouldn’t be here right now.”
“That’s different. Your father betrayed all of us. Besides, I’m not trying to put you under my thumb the way he’s done all your life. You would be my equal. The legacy your mother failed to be.”
I would bet my trust fund that Murphy has no idea what it means to treat someone as an equal. His words also make it that much worse that he keeps looking at me like he’s undressing me with his eyes.
We could stand here talking in circles forever, but neither of us are getting anywhere.
“This conversation is over. I won’t have it again while my father still hasn’t been dealt with. You want me to consider working with you when this is all over? Then stop talking in riddles and actually help me get somewhere.”
“What are you willing to trade?”
“Another bargaining chip?” I raise an eyebrow. “If you’re imagining a future where we’re equals, why does everything have to be a negotiation?”
Murphy tongues the corner of his mouth as he turns my words over. It takes him a minute before he nods thoughtfully. When his fingers hook at the edge of his towel, I nearly jump out of my skin. He smirks as he drops the towel to reveal a tiny pair of shorts. I genuinely had figured he was naked underneath, as gross as this has all been so far.
He reaches into a small pocket and withdraws an orange prescription pill bottle.
“Here. Add this to your toolbelt.”
I reluctantly take the bottle, glancing at the label with my fucking name on it. “Sleeping pills? You know this isn’t what I meant.” I could use a good night’s sleep, but there’s no way I’m letting my guard down enough to knock myself out with sleeping pills.
“Kevin Banner is returning today.”
My hand trembles. I can’t hide the sound of the pills shaking.
“You could lock your door and put a chair under the handle,” Murphy suggests. “Though my real recommendation would be to find one person you can trust. Preferably a person without a dick, so they’re thinking with their actual head. Let them babysit you for a night so you can let your guard down. If you let that prick keep you from getting some good sleep you’ll never survive the month in here.”
“A month?” My voice is laced with horror.
Murphy grimaces.
“Just a rough estimate. I think it’s going to take some time in here to make sure you’re thorough.”
One month will be the official four year anniversary of Dash’s death.
If I knew Murphy anticipated me being here for it, I would not have come. Fuck screwing over my father. This is about self-preservation. I don’t have much of it usually, but what little I do have finally kicks in.
“No. Absolutely not. If I haven’t found what I need by then, I’ll find another way. I’m not spending that long locked up in here. I’m not tempting fate like that, Murphy. I’m a lot of things but stupid isn’t one of them.”
“I’m not going to argue with you about it. You can decide when the time comes,” he says.
I’m surprised he caves on this so easily when he seems so ready to fight me on everything else. After this business with my father is done, I’ll have to seriously think about how to handle Murphy long-term. He’s not going to be put off for long.
“Why did you come here?” I ask him. “It’s only been a week.”
“I’m just checking in. Believe it or not, it’s possible for a man to actually give a damn about how you’re doing. Sorry no one’s shown you that sooner. Besides, I figured a proper thank you was in order. If you hadn’t paid that guard off for me, who knows how long it would have been before I found another option to get out.”
“Probably not long. You and I both know you weren’t going to serve the full sentence for a white collar crime. It wasn’t like they sent you to max.” If anything, it was laughable Murphy ended up in even a minimum security facility.
If my father hadn’t paid off the judge, my uncle would never have seen the inside of a cell.
Money talks.
“Still, your work so far has been much appreciated.” He pats my shoulder in his first sign of appropriate affection. “Now, I’m sorry I can’t spend the whole day here, but I have another matter that has to be taken care of today.”
He nods at the glass and I take that as my cue to escape the steam, him following closely behind.
Murphy grabs a towel from the shelf just outside the door as I pace several steps away. He wipes himself down while I shake the hem of my shirt to try to get some airflow.
I suck in a lungful of cool air now that we’re out of the heat of the sauna. I can feel the sweat still trickling down my back. I wince at the gross feeling, which Murph somehow seems to take as a cry for help.
“Here, let me.” He grins wide enough for my guard to instantly go up.
He slips his hand with the towel under my shirt, gently swiping up my back. He holds just the corner of the towel so the back of his hand also slides against my bare skin. I jerk away from him, his hand stretching my shirt for just a moment before he withdraws.
“Jumpy little thing, aren’t you?”
I glare at him. Between his general air of inappropriateness and what happened last night… yeah, I’m sure as hell feeling jumpy.
He steps away again so he can pick up a stack of clothes from the shelf under the towels. Somehow, I didn’t notice those on my way in, or I would have gotten some warning about his state of undress.
I can feel his eyes on me as he redresses, but I make a point of averting my gaze. I feel like he’s making me uncomfortable on purpose, just to keep me on edge, but I still don’t want to encourage it. I only look at him again once I’m certain he’s clothed.
His long-sleeved shirt and loose, dark jeans almost entirely cover his tattoos. For a second, I think he’s purposely hiding the identifying marks, but he proves me wrong by rolling his sleeves up to show off the ink that wraps around his forearms.
Duh. Siobhan had mentioned his tattoos. Of course he wasn’t hiding them. Whatever Murphy has going on, he’s clearly not too concerned about my father finding out he was here. It makes me wonder again what he’s done to manage to keep the other man busy.
Murphy gestures me toward the hall.
“Ladies first,” he says as if he actually has any manners.
I roll my eyes as I step out ahead of him. I keep my eyes carefully ahead of me too, partially afraid he’s using this as an excuse to check out my ass. Clearly, his time in prison has fucked with his head. Hopefully he’ll leave here and go get laid by women appropriate for him. As in, ones he doesn’t share a blood relation with.
I nearly vomit in my mouth at the thought.
We’re nearly to the lobby when Murphy clears his throat and slows his steps, mine automatically slowing to match his.
“Natalie?”
“What now?”
There’s a spark of humor in his eyes. “You can keep
fucking the rockstar for now, but stay away from the judge’s kid. He’s a leak.”
“A leak?” Why the hell would Logan ever leak information out of rehab? He’s got a trust fund, it’s not like he needs the money from selling stories to the tabloids.
Murphy nods solemnly enough that I know he’s either right or at least truly believes he is. If he thinks Logan is a liability, I need to start treating him like one. Murphy might be ten kinds of fucked up, but he hasn’t steered me wrong yet.
We step out into the lobby. Speak of the devil. Logan is posted up near the stairs, his eyes sharp on us the second we appear from the hallway. He doesn’t even try to hide the fact that he’s obviously standing here waiting for us.
His dark eyes look black from here as his gaze bounces between Murphy and me. His whole body is tense, and it only seems to get worse as Murphy swings an arm around my shoulder to guide us closer to the door.
There are a few other people lingering in the lobby, but no one else spares us more than a quick glance. I notice the ones who do also peek over at Logan. So it’s not just me who realizes his presence is not a coincidence.
I shrug out from under Murphy’s arm the second we stop walking.
“What? Worried your little friend might get jealous?”
“More like grossed out from you laying your sweat all over me.” And also not interested in goading Logan anymore than necessary.
Murphy scowls openly at Logan, and I turn away before I see how Logan reacts. There’s really no need for a pissing contest out here in the open. Especially not between my barely-out-of-prison uncle and a man who hates my guts.
“Forget him,” I snap.
“You first,” he growls back.
“Trust me, I don’t give a shit about Logan Wilder. He’s a non-factor. Whatever your little mole told you, I can promise you he’s missing some crucial details.”
“Is he giving you problems?” Murphy’s jaw tightens. “I’d be more than happy to take care of it.”
“No. You need to stay out of it,” I answer firmly.
I’m not sure I even want to know what Murphy’s idea of taking care of it would be. Logan’s an asshole, but it’s nothing I can’t handle. It’s not like this is the first time I’ve used sex as a survival skill.
If anything, it’s Killian I keep looking over my shoulder for.
I don’t dare tell Murphy that. I have a feeling Killian would be dead within the hour if my uncle had any idea what had happened last night. And despite how fucked up what Killian did was, there’s always going to be a part of me that rushes to protect him. Someone fucking has to—and obviously Logan is doing a shit job of it.
“Well, if you change your mind, give me a call.”
I open my mouth to tell him I don’t have a number for him, but he gives me a devious grin as he reaches into his pocket and then holds up a phone. Not just any phone. My phone. I don’t even want to know how the hell he got that.
“Don’t worry, I’m not judging you for all the late night booty calls that keep coming through. Though I’ll admit I might be judging a few of them for their dick pics. I swear men just have no creativity anymore.” He raises an eyebrow with a chuckle.
“We’re really going to have to talk about your lack of boundaries,” I tell him.
“Maybe next visitation.” He pockets my phone again.
I do a mental run-through of everything in my phone. There’s nothing particularly scandalous on there. I never do anything on my phone that would be a liability if it got out. Having the cloud hacked is a regular side-effect of my ridiculous celebrity status.
Plus, probably better to have Murphy holding onto my phone than having it here where I don’t know where it is or who has access to it.
“I will call if I need anything,” I reassure him instead of fighting him on it. “Now you need to go before you start inviting questions. You know people in these places are nosey as fuck. I can’t snoop properly if I’ve got too many eyes on me.”
“Alright, I’m going. It was good to see you without the glass between us, for once.” He gives me a crooked smile as he opens his arms to me. I begrudgingly step into his embrace, knowing he’s liable to cause a worse scene if I don’t.
He gives me a tight hug before loosening his grip. His hands slide down my back faster than I can react, palms grazing the top of my ass with a quick squeeze. He pulls away so fast afterward that I could almost pretend I’d imagined it if it was anyone else.
“Did you just grab my ass?” I scowl at him.
“Of course not.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “You’re being a creep, Murph. Maybe try a little harder to remember I’m your niece, not your fucking girlfriend.”
He laughs, the sound ricocheting through the lobby. He doesn’t seem the least bit bothered by my accusation. To him, this is all part of the game he wants to play with me.
“I got to send my guy out on another job this week. You okay in here with no back-up?” Murphy asks, his eyes glancing over my head to where I’m sure Logan is still standing.
“I’ve got my own back-up.”
“The Romas girl?” He runs his hand over his chin like he’s thinking that over. “She’s been asking around about you. Seems harmless enough, but keep your guard up.”
“I always do,” I mutter.
Now that I know how quick Murphy is to plant someone in my path, I’ll have to be doubly on-guard. I don’t want a babysitter or an informant or whatever the hell it is Murphy’s got his guy doing here. One thing I know is that I sure as hell won’t rely on any of Murphy’s guys to be my back-up. I know the score. They’ll answer to him, not to me.
“Good luck, Nat.” He bends to kiss my cheek, the feel of his lips making my skin crawl. He turns his head just slightly to speak directly into my ear. “Find us something good. I know it’s here somewhere.”
I turn my head to study him, our faces uncomfortably close. This is the first confirmation I’ve got that he hasn’t sent me here for nothing.
He might know what I’m here to find, but he somehow hasn’t found it for himself first.
“Murphy.” I grab his sleeve to keep him from leaving just yet. “If you think someday we’ll be partners, then my trust is worthy of being earned too. Get your guys out of here. I don’t appreciate being treated as a child.”
His eyes dip to my chest and then up again. “You’re definitely no child.” He thinks about it for a moment before nodding. “I’ll have them out by tonight.”
Them. I knew there was no way he only had one guy in here.
“Stay out of trouble,” I tell him as I release his sleeve.
He gives me a wry grin as he goes. The man is incapable of staying out of trouble, I’m sure of it. What really matters is that he doesn’t get caught.
I watch Murphy go with a melancholy feeling in my chest. He’s fucked up, there’s no denying that. But he’s also the only family I’ve really got anymore. My mother is long gone to who the hell knows where, and there’s nothing in this world that would make me want to claim my father. He made that bed himself.
I tuck my hands into the back pockets of my jeans, trying to make up my mind over whether or not to go find Sadie and her friends like she wanted.
My fingers slide against an edge of paper. When I pull it out, it takes me a minute to realize what it is.
A combination lock. 62-8-25-43.
Murphy could easily have handed this to me without trying to cop a feel. Maybe then I could have asked for an explanation. I’ve never seen anything with a combination lock here, and I’ve been inside every room in this place. It must be something new that’s been put in, but that means I have no fucking clue where to look.
And here I thought I was done with Murphy’s riddles and games.
I descended from evil. I was raised by it, nurtured by it even. You would think at some point I’d stop being surprised by it.
I tuck the combination back in my pocket, silently reciting the numbers
to myself. 62-8-25-43.
I try to ignore Logan as I move past him toward the back doors to find Sadie. He grabs me by the waist to stop me.
“Who was that?” he demands.
I jerk out of his grip and keep walking. I don’t have to answer to Logan. I don’t want to answer to anyone.
8
My hands are still shaking slightly as I step into the cafeteria. I cross my arms over my chest to hide them as my eyes scan the room. There are only a few clusters of people visiting in here, so it isn’t all that hard to spot Siobhan and Sadie in the corner.
They’re standing huddled in a circle near the windows that look out at the entrance of Banner-Hill. As if sensing my presence, Siobhan turns her head slightly and spots me, saying something to Sadie that makes her turn as well.
Their whole little group turns to stare at me as I approach reluctantly.
I probably would have been better off hiding out the rest of today in my room. I’m not exactly feeling my best after all the bombshells this day has already dropped.
“There you are!” Sadie’s voice comes out as a high-pitched squeal that makes me wince a little.
I force a smile on my face as I join her, Siobhan, and the people I’m assuming are Sadie’s friends. I’m surprised to see so many of them here to visit, but I don’t comment on it. Just because I’m shit at having friends doesn’t mean other people shouldn’t get to enjoy the fruits of their overly active social lives.
“This is Juliet.” Sadie gestures to the dark blonde woman standing at the center of the group.
She looks like she drips money in clothes that I have to imagine Sadie helped her pick out. That impeccable style is impossible to miss. Sadie has a promising career in fashion someday if she wants it.
“Hey,” Juliet says, her soft voice at odds with the sharp, expensive pantsuit she’s wearing.
“And this is Juliet’s harem,” Sadie adds, gesturing to the men forming a semi-circle around her. Everyone seems to be watching for my reaction as she introduces each of them. “My brother Smith, Jax, Ace, Patrick, and Jake.”
My mouth falls open with a distinct lack of response.