by KB Winters
I knew it.
The phone chimed and vibrated on my desk, the final reminder that I should have left to meet Maisie for lunch about fifteen minutes ago. She was so busy and a stickler for punctuality, I knew she’d give me shit so I grabbed a few singles for luck and made my way to the elevator and down to the lobby floor. Since our family owned the casinos, I couldn’t keep any of the winnings if the slots gave any up, but ever since I was a kid, I got a kick out of pulling the lever.
“Breaking the rules again?” Maisie asked from behind me, a smile in her voice. “Such a hardcore little badass you are.”
“And don’t you forget it.” I spun and wrapped her in a hug because even, though we worked in the same building, it felt like it had been weeks since I’d last seen her, never mind spent any time together. “Ready to grub?”
Maisie glared. “Been ready for twenty minutes. Everything all right?”
“Not really, no. But I’m working on it. You?”
Maisie shrugged but the brightness of her smile said it all. “Great. Exhausted but I can’t complain. Not at all.”
“I’m happy for you, Maze.” I really was happy for her and delighted to have her as part of the family. She was exactly the kind of spitfire that could keep my brother Virgil in check. “Let’s eat.”
Maisie led the way with a satisfied grin. “One of my high rollers flew in this morning from Chicago, brought deep dish pizza and dipped Italian beef sandwiches so I hope you brought your appetite.”
My stomach growled at the sound of all those delicious words strung together in a sentence that meant I’d be eating sooner rather than later.
“I brought my appetite and someone else’s.”
She laughed and flashed a smile over her shoulder. “You sure Bonnie is the only one pregnant around here?”
“Bite your damn tongue, woman! Besides, I’d have to have sex in order to get pregnant. that hasn’t happened in a long time, so, no babies here. That’s for sure. Far too fucking long.”
“I can hook you up with a rental. You know, one night, no strings attached.” Maisie let out a loud bark of a laugh at her joke and scanned her card to one of the auxiliary rooms used for special occasions like private games and secret rendezvous.
“Not a bad idea. I’ll let you know. Oh, damn that smells heavenly. Literally, this is what I imagine heaven would smell like.”
“Greasy pizza?”
I flashed a cheeky grin. “Exactly.”
“My assistant set everything up, and he went a little overboard,” she admitted with a blush staining her cheeks.
I shook my head and took a seat, groaning when my ass hit the plush chairs that made high rollers and penny slot enthusiasts alike sit for hours on end, forking over hard earned cash to the casino.
“Good employees are hard to find, hang on to that one. If Virgil doesn’t get outrageously jealous.”
Maisie’s smile softened at the mention of my brother’s name. “He’s already outrageously jealous that a hot young man jumps to do my bidding. I told him he has nothing to worry about unless he continues to question me.” Her serious expression morphed into a laugh that sent us both into a fit of giggles.
“You’re a bigger badass,” I said, reaching for a slice. “Virgil can be intimidating when he wants to be.” He’d been doing it since we were kids and after all the shit went down with those priests, he’d stepped it up a notch. Or twenty.
“So can I,” she said after swallowing a mouthful. “Besides, I know something he doesn’t. Jared aspires to learn everything he can from me and then move on to become me. So his interest is about pleasing me, professionally. And then he leaves. Don’t tell Virgil.”
I mimicked locking my lips and then unlocked it to shove a slice of pepperoni deep dish inside. “Your secret is safe with me,” I assured her with a tomato-y grin.
Another bark of laughter escaped, and Maisie shook her head. “You really do need some more women in your life Kat, you’re an animal.”
“Thank you,” I growled and took another, bigger bite. We fell into a short silence while Maisie ate her pizza like a lady, and I scarfed mine like a teenage boy. But girl talk wasn’t the only reason I scheduled this lunch with my soon-to-be sister. “I heard Trevor Stone just checked in.”
Maisie froze, Italian beef sandwich about a breath away from her mouth, blue eyes wide with shock. “Travis Stone? The rich techy dude who creates the spy software?”
I nodded. “That’s the one.”
She laughed and shook her head, and then she laughed some more. It was almost insulting. “You are totally barking up the wrong tree, girl, but if you need to find out for yourself, I’ll introduce you.”
“You will?” I let Maisie think I wanted to hook up with the handsome techie because it would make both of our lives a little simpler for just a little bit longer.
“Of course I will. He’s great. Funny and nice. Smart as hell too.”
I had to stifle the urge to roll my eyes at her matchmaking attempt. Instead, I smiled.
“Well you can’t blame a girl for trying, especially when even her loser brothers are falling…like flies.”
“You mean falling in love,” she corrected with a smile.
“Yeah, yeah,” I said and waved off her words, swallowing a bite around the lump of guilt at lying to my friend. It was a necessary evil. Since Maisie was already in the dark about the fight fixing because Ma didn’t want her to know, one more little lie wasn’t so bad. Right? Like they say, the second lie comes easier than the first. “You’re so in love you haven’t even set a wedding date yet.”
“Not you too, Kat. Sadie drops the most heavy-handed hints. She’s worse than Peaches who keeps sending me color schemes and centerpieces.” Maisie wiped her mouth and sat back, suddenly looking exhausted as hell. “Virgil and I are so damn busy that I’m tempted to just run down to the courthouse to get it over with. But I don’t. I know both moms would have the biggest shit fit the world has ever seen.”
“You’re not wrong about that. Luckily, there are these people called wedding planners who will do just about everything for you. All you have to do is pick what you want.”
It was the biggest perk of having money; you could always throw cash at people to take care of the tasks you didn’t want to or didn’t have time to deal with. “Just an idea.”
“Isn’t that a little too high class for a girl who grew up on a ranch in Texas?” she asked demurely.
“Maybe. If you were still that girl. You now work with the obscenely rich, the famous, and even the infamous, Maze. You are that kind of people. Get used to it. Besides, I’d hardly call that sprawling ranch and the other holdings, a farm.”
“You know what I mean,” she said just as her phone buzzed on the table. “Duty calls. If you come now, I’ll introduce you to Travis.”
At those words, I was on my feet, not concerned at all that from Maisie’s point of view I looked a little thirsty for male companionship. I let her believe it because it served my purpose, but the moment the intro was made, we both dropped the act.
Travis raised an eyebrow and said, “You don’t know much about me, do you Ms. Ashby?”
“Call me Kat. I know you create a suite of surveillance apps and that the media calls you the Spy King.”
Travis smiled and motioned for me to take a seat in the living room of his penthouse suite. “You an investor or looking to catch a cheating boyfriend?”
“Is investing still an option?” I shook my head and held a hand out. “Wait, no. Not at the moment, but I’m definitely interested in that.”
“But not me, right?” He looked amused as he waited for me to answer.
“You’re gorgeous as fuck, but that’s not why I’m here.” I explained in as vague terms as I could my purpose in meeting him. More to the point, what I wanted from him.
“I need to find out if some people are who they say they are, and I need to dig into them in a way that can’t be traced. Period.”
&
nbsp; Travis sat up on the edge of his seat, elbows resting on his knees with a wide, charming smile. “Well now I’m bummed neither of us are interested, Kat. But yes, I can help. How long do you have?”
“As long as you can spare to explain it all. I’ll even throw in extra ringside seats for the fight, to say thank you.”
“Even better.” He stood and rubbed his hands together, suddenly looking more like the tech geek he was rather than the jet setting billionaire. “First a quick intro and then we can get to the fun stuff. The software. And the hardware.”
Those three hours flew by quickly and by the end I felt like I was more than capable to find the information I was after, without Cal’s help. And just to prove it, I spent the rest of the day in my office, digging into Madison’s sister, Molly. And the McLaughlins.
It was a damn productive day.
Chapter Eight
Terry
“Sorry I’m late!” Kat rushed into the dining room about seventy seconds after we’d sat down for Sunday dinner, which earned her a death glare from Sadie for her tardiness. “I got lost in a project I’m working on.” She flashed an ominous smile that made me curious what she was up to.
“Something you want to share with us?” Jasper leaned forward, resting on his elbows with one brow arched in a question.
Bonnie sat quietly next to Cal. Too quietly I thought.
“Nope,” Kat said simply and poured two and a half fingers of Irish whiskey, drinking half in one big gulp that, like most things where Kat Ashby was concerned, drew my attention. Something was up with her and she was determined to keep it to herself.
As usual, the conversation around the table centered on the various Ashby interests, from the casinos to the gaming rooms, whore houses, and of course, the fight.
“I’m very impressed with the hard work you all have put in to make sure this fight is a success.” Sadie spoke slowly, almost softly, as her gaze bounced around the table, landing on each person seated there. “One more week to go and then we can all relax.”
“Whatever that means,” Jasper grumbled from his spot to Sadie’s left, and finished off his second glass of whiskey. I knew he was still worried about Ravager, even if he hadn’t said a word about it.
Virgil let out a low growl from his seat to Sadie’s right, Maisie beside him with a serene smile on her face, shot a glare at his brother.
“It means Rachel Cruz will be Emmett’s first female champ, and the House of Ashby’s first. When that happens, the rest of us can go back to focusing on the Rhymers and The Crusaders.”
Leave it to Virgil to put everything in perspective.
“Exactly,” Sadie said with a satisfied smile. “If she can keep that hunger and aggression that got her this far, we’ll have a bona fide star on our hands.”
“Too bad she’s a half second slow moving her head. Her opponent ain’t called Speedy Morales for nothing.”
Emmett glared and flipped me off. “You’re just filled with positive feedback, aren’t you?”
I shrugged and cast another glance at Kat, who was still preoccupied with something.
“Being positive and holding their hands is your job. I just tell you what I see. What you do with that info, baby bro, is up to you. As always.”
“In other news,” Maisie began with wide, excited blue eyes, “Kat spent the afternoon with Travis Stone.”
“The tech billionaire?” My question came out on an outraged growl that had Emmett smirking and Kat frowning.
“Yep,” Maisie answered easily, not at all bothered by my tone. “I was sure Kat wasn’t his type, but he had nothing but good things to say about you. All day.”
Kat groaned and rolled her eyes as I tried to tamp down the angry jealousy that tore through me. I had no right to feel jealous or anything else where Kat was concerned. Stone was exactly the type of guy she ought to be with, rich and smart and worldly.
“It wasn’t like that, as I already told you. I’m interested in his work and what man doesn’t like to talk about himself?” Her words were right but her tone was off, just slightly. I knew Kat well, knew her every expression, and she was lying. She could play it off to everyone else, but I knew she was lying and it only made me want to know why.
“Whatever you say,” she teased. “But Travis isn’t easy to impress, and he was more than impressed by you.”
Kat shrugged. “Well he’s a very smart man, and clearly he has excellent taste.” Her smile was teasing as it always was, but there was mischief in her eyes. “Are we going to have an Ashby wedding soon? Or is that just a way for you two to put off having babies?”
Virgil and Maisie sent a collective groan into the air, while Cal and Jasper laughed. “Thanks for that Kitty Kat.”
She flipped Virgil off for using her hated childhood nickname, drawing laughter from the entire table. “It was just a question,” she said innocently.
“A damn good question,” Sadie said as Thomas came in to clear the plates and serve dessert. “A wedding will be a nice distraction. Whenever it happens,” she said with a pointed look at Virgil and then Maisie.
“All right, Ma. Got it.”
Maisie turned a look towards Kat. “I guess I’ll take that list of wedding planners now,” she said, shoulders relaxed in resignation. “Maybe Travis will be your plus one.”
“Maybe I’ll even bring him to the baby shower,” Kat shot back and stuck her tongue out. They were already like sisters, wedding or not.
Maisie stood and dropped her napkin. “Dinner was fantastic, Sadie, but I need to call my baby brother before it gets too late. See how things are in Texas.” She cast a regretful smile around the table. “I’ll keep you updated on wedding festivities,” she added as an afterthought.
Sadie nodded, brows arched when Virgil stood and put a hand to his fiancée’s waist. “I’ll be back,” he said with finality before he and Maisie disappeared.
Jasper snorted. “Yeah, he’ll be back. In an hour. Make sure you shower first,” he called after Virgil with a satisfied grin.
Bonnie let out a yawn and Thomas was at her side in an instant, helping her to her feet before he escorted her from the dining room. “Good night everyone.”
“Sleep well Bonnie and baby,” Kat called after her with a genuine but worry-filled smile that had me wondering what that was all about.
Kat, it seemed, was full of secrets lately. I didn’t like it, she was such an open book most days, wore her every thought and feeling on her face.
“What up with her?” She directed the question at a distracted Cal who shrugged.
“She’s pregnant Kat, what do you expect?”
“For you not to bite my head off for asking a simple question.” With a shake of her head, she turned away from Cal, dismissing whatever he’d been about to say in response.
She flashed a sincere smile and said, “Thanks for encouraging the fighters to do promo Em, it’s had the desired effect.” And then some lever deep inside tripped and she went into corporate drone mode, talking about social media numbers, Q score increases, and sales numbers. She finished up with, “We’re all gonna make a lot of money.”
Emmett flashed an embarrassed smile as he stood. “I’m happy to help Kat. Thanks for dinner, Sadie, the roast beef was magnificent, but I have to get back to the gym. Rachel needs some help,” he said with a pointed glare my way.
The room fell silent for a moment until Emmett was gone, leaving the inner circle, so to speak, minus Virgil. “No need to retire to the office since we’re among family,” Sadie said as she stood to grab her silver cigarette case and another decanter of whiskey. I appreciated that Sadie considered me family. She always had and never treated me any differently than the rest of her kids. Good or bad.
“Jasper.”
He nodded at her unspoken command and finished his whiskey before he slid the glass her way. I did the same before Jasper gave his report.
“I spoke with Ravager and he was less than receptive to my request and belligeren
t to my order. He’s not happy that he’s not getting the belt.”
Shit. Emmett was right. I put in my two cents.
“Emmett said Rob’s been acting funny lately. Nothing specific just, jumpy and acting different. Em doesn’t think it’s just nerves.”
“Do you?” Jasper’s green eyes stared at me, detailing my expression to get the answers he was after.
“After hearing what you just said, no I don’t.”
“Who is the new Lance? Get him on the phone now,” Sadie barked, but my phone was already in my hand and dialing.
“Provo, get to House of Ashby right now. Keep eyes on Ravager until I tell you to stop.” I listened and nodded, noting all eyes in the room were on me. Especially Kat’s. “Great. Keep me updated.”
Sadie flashed a smile at me. “I do love your efficiency, Terry.”
“Thanks. Provo will be there in about fifteen minutes.”
“Excellent.” Sadie nodded her approval and pulled out a joint, lighting it slowly. Carefully. She took a deep inhale and smiled, exhaling before she passed it to Jasper, who passed it to me.
“Kat, anything on Mueller?”
Kat nodded at her mother and then shook her head, thick chocolate brown hair falling around her shoulders temptingly. My fingers itched to touch the silky looking waves. Then she shrugged and blew out a breath before finishing off her whiskey and sliding the glass towards Sadie.
“A girl came to see me. A young girl looking for her sister, Molly, who worked for a couple that worked for the Church.”
Jasper and Sadie both groaned at the mention of their second largest enemy. “How’d you find her,” Jasper asked.
“She found me. Actually, she found the couple her sister worked for the last time she’d heard from her, and then she found me because they checked into one of the Mueller Suites.”
Kat let those words sink in and I could see how heavily it all weighed on her delicate shoulders. If only I could massage that tension away.
“Between basic internet research and help from Travis Stone, I managed to confirm much of Madison’s story.”