“You’re not welcome here,” he snapped, pressing his meaty hands into the bar as though he was ready to vault over it. I was ready for him to do just that. Instead, he watched us as we wound around the bar and tables that were inhabited by a handful of people.
“I work here, and I need Kross with me,” Ruby spat out in a voice that sounded as though a man occupied her body.
Pete cocked his head as he regarded Ruby. I couldn’t quite grasp if I was turned on or freaked out by her sudden transformation. The woman I loved was deathly determined to chop off heads, and for that, I was more turned on.
Pete took long strides until he was blocking the hall entrance. “Where do you think you’re going?” He crossed large arms over his chest.
“Let us through, Pete.” Ruby’s voice was saturated with sugar and all female this time. “We’re not here to cause trouble. We just need to speak to Tommy.”
Pete glared at me. “He’s not here.”
I almost threw him the finger, but fighting with the asshole would only delay our mission, and time was of the essence. I had four hours until my fight and less than thirty minutes to get my ass to the gym for my pre-fight warm-up and strategy meeting with Jay.
“I’m allowed back,” Ruby said, using her sweet tone again.
Pete frowned. “Not anymore. Tommy wanted me to tell you you’re fired.”
Out of nowhere, Ruby throat-punched Pete. His face darkened to a deep red as he choked, holding his neck.
That dire need to kiss her coursed through me.
“My child’s life is on the line. So go fuck yourself.” Ruby ducked under his arm and ran down to Tommy’s office. I hesitated for a split second to make sure he didn’t get any crazy notions to hurt her.
His eyes bulged out of his bald head. “I didn’t know. Still, you got ten minutes before I call the cops.” His voice was strangled as though someone was squeezing the life out of him.
He could call in the cavalry. I wasn’t leaving until I got answers. I rushed into the office.
“I don’t know where Trent is.” Tommy leaned back in his desk chair as though he didn’t have a care in the world, while Ruby loomed in front of his desk, ready to pounce.
“Liar,” I said as I stormed in, kicking the piles of boxes out of my way until I was standing next to him. “You tell us where he is”—I plucked him out of his chair, grabbed his ostrich-like throat, and clamped down on it—“or else there’s a hospital room with your name on it waiting for you.”
Ruby darted around to Tommy’s other side.
Tommy shifted his dark gaze between Ruby and me.
“Tell us where Trent is,” Ruby commanded in that low voice that I was beginning to find sexy.
He opened his mouth, so I eased up on the stronghold. He gulped down air.
“Tommy, we’re talking about a little girl, my little girl,” Ruby said. “If she gets hurt, you could go to jail for kidnapping.”
His eyes became as big as basketballs.
I removed my hand. “Talk.”
“Maybe I should call Kross’s friend, Dillon. Oh, what did you tell me one time about Dillon.” Ruby pressed her forefinger to her mouth. “Yeah. ‘He’ll fuck me up. Well, it’s not just Dillon, but his crazy brothers.’ That’s what you told me. Not that Kross can’t put you in the hospital.”
Fear slashed Tommy’s ugly features at Ruby’s threat.
I couldn’t help but smirk at Ruby. “Good one.” I’d forgotten that Tommy shit his pants every time he saw Dillon.
“You need to talk to Alex.” Tommy raised his hands. “Honestly, I don’t get involved with Trent except for the fights here.”
Ruby and I backed up as Tommy held onto his cluttered desk.
“Do you know anything about Trent kidnapping my little girl?” Ruby asked.
“I haven’t spoken to Trent in two days,” Tommy said. The serious expression on his face led me to believe he was telling the truth.
Splotchy red marks dotted Ruby’s face and neck. “Were you lying when you and Trent told me that you lost ten thousand dollars because I was late for the fight?”
I noticed when she got nervous, her fair, creamy skin showed the signs.
Tommy scratched his dark head. “No. When you didn’t show that night, Trent and I were furious. But he stood to lose more than me. He’s a greedy bastard. He said you would pay us back no matter if you won or lost.”
Greedy or not, ten thousand dollars was nothing to a man like Trent, who was richer than Donald Trump. Maybe Trent lured Ruby into his deal to have sex with her. Part of me believed that was one of the reasons. I did agree with Tommy, though. Trent gave me the vibe of being quite greedy. What didn’t register in my brain, though, was kidnapping someone for the measly money. People do things all the time that don’t make sense. Greed and power are usually at the crux of people’s actions. Again, I shouldn’t have been questioning any of this since Lacey’s grandfather had kidnapped her until her old man could produce a book that was a map to buried money. Not only that, Trent stood to make more than the ten Gs if I threw my fight.
Ruby let out an exasperated breath.
“Look,” Tommy said, “I’m into petty shit, but not kidnapping. No fucking way.” His tone was serious and firm. “Trent, aside from his greed, he’s got one big fucking ego. His actions are driven by power. He’ll stomp on you until you’re nothing, and he gets what he wants.”
I believed him. Penelope’s old man, Mr. Harris, had been through the wringer when Trent tried to buy his company. I wasn’t certain of all the details, but Mr. Harris’s company went bankrupt because of Trent Baker.
“What’s he making you do?” Tommy asked.
Ruby raised an eyebrow. “You don’t know? You’re his business partner.”
Tommy pressed his lips into a thin line. “Again, I haven’t talked to him.”
“He wants me to throw my fight tonight.” I had come in there with the intent to beat answers out of Tommy. But his meaningful tone and expression led me to believe he wanted to help.
“So he can get his ten Gs and then some,” Tommy said.
“I know Alex works for Trent, but why would she know where Trent was?” Ruby asked.
That revelation was news to me. I was beginning to wonder if all waitresses at Firefly worked for Trent.
Tommy sucked on his cheek. “Mm. If you knew she worked for Trent, then I thought you would know the rest of the story. Alex is in charge of all his girls. She’s responsible for getting them outfitted, giving them pointers, the whole nine yards before they meet with clients.”
My jaw hit the floor.
On the other hand, Ruby didn’t seem too surprised.
“Why does she work here?” I asked. I was missing something. If she worked for Trent, he had to be paying her a decent wage or better money than she was making waitressing at Firefly. Maybe Trent was so power-hungry that he wouldn’t pay Alex enough to support herself. Or maybe he was holding something over her head like he was with Ruby.
“Or live in that dump above the bakery?” Ruby asked.
“I can’t answer that. What I do know is Alex hasn’t shown up for work in two days. I’ve tried her cell phone. All I get is her voicemail. You live with her,” Tommy said to Ruby. “Don’t you know where she is?”
Ruby released a frustrated sigh. “I’ve been staying at Kross’s a lot.”
“I’ll need her cell number,” I said.
Ruby started for the door. “I’m going to check her apartment.”
“Ruby,” Tommy called. “You may not believe this, but I am sorry. I was serious when I told you that you would be good at fighting.” Sincerity weaved through his tone.
She gave Tommy a cursory glance before she rushed out.
I bobbed my head. “Cell number.”
He wrote it down on scrap paper.
I snatched the crumbled paper. “I’m not sure you helped us, but thanks for apologizing to her.” Then I ran out, down the hall, past Pete, who had a satisfied grin
on his face, out the main entrance, and right into the hands of Detective Rayburn, who was holding Ruby’s arm as she hung her head.
I stopped cold, confusion clouding my brain for a brief second until I remembered Pete’s threat with the cops, hence the satisfaction written all over his ugly mug. “Mark, what are you doing here?” Detective Mark Rayburn wasn’t a beat-cop. He didn’t respond to disturbance calls.
Mark was decked out in his normal plain-clothes uniform of jeans and a shirt. His gun was strapped to his holster, which peeked out from underneath his leather jacket. “I heard your name on the radio. I figured I would respond. What’s going on?”
Ruby flicked her disheveled head toward the bakery with a pained expression on her face.
“I never formally introduced you to my girl, Ruby,” I said as I nodded at her.
Mark released her. “I remember her from the gym that night.”
She sprinted down to the bakery then vanished into the entry beside the store.
Mark motioned to chase her.
I blocked his way. “She’s not going far.”
“I know we’re friends, dude, but I’m a cop first. So get out of my way.”
I held up my hands. “Hear me out.” I plastered on a pleading look, at least I hoped I did.
“You got one minute,” he said.
As we walked to Alex’s apartment, I filled him in on the entire situation, leaving nothing out.
“I’m sorry, man,” Mark said as we climbed the stairs. “Let’s see what’s going on in the apartment. Then I’ll make a few phone calls.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Ruby
I was out of breath after climbing the steps two at a time, my lungs and thighs burning. I knew Alex worked for Trent, but as a madam? The hairs rose on the back of my neck. She’d lured Norma and me into her den. The pieces were falling together. Alex was quick to give us the key to her apartment. She had different styles and sizes of clothes in her closet. She outfits the women. Tommy’s words skipped through me. She probably had called Trent after she’d given us the key to her apartment. That was why he’d been sitting in Tommy’s office that day. He’d wanted to survey the next two pieces of meat.
What didn’t make sense was the way Alex hadn’t wanted Norma and me to work for Trent. Maybe that had all been an act on her part so Norma and I would believe her.
I banged on the door. “Alex. Alex, are you in there?” Norma had given me her key before I left for the Berkshires. Unfortunately, the key was in my bag at Kross’s apartment.
I turned the doorknob. A click sounded, then I gently pushed. Whoa! My pulse raced as I entered. “Alex?”
The living room and kitchen were empty. I slinked into the bedroom. The bed was made, and the air smelled stale. If Alex had been there recently, the air would’ve been laced with her flowery perfume. I checked the bathroom. All her toiletries and makeup were gone. I ran into the bedroom and slid open the closet door. That too was empty.
I sat down on the bed. Norma and I had been played big time. Or at least, I had. I was the one who had fallen into Tommy’s trap then Trent’s. Norma had kept trying to convince me not to fight. I screamed, but it came out as more of a long, low growl.
I didn’t hear Kross or Detective Rayburn come in.
Kross tugged me into his arms. “We’ll find Raven.”
His tone wasn’t all that convincing. I knew he was trying to ease my nerves as much as he was trying to quell his own. He’d been redder than a tomato when Ms. Waters was reading me the riot act back at the Santos’s house. I couldn’t blame her. I expected her to have the cops handcuff me and throw me in jail. It was my fault Raven was missing, but I couldn’t let my own self-pity get in the way of finding her.
I pushed Kross away. “Where? When? Before or after her kidnapper hurts her?” Oh God. The thought of anyone’s hands on her sent a bolt of lightning through me. I launched several punches to his chest as I cried. I was such a mess. One minute, I wanted to kill someone. The next minute, I couldn’t handle my baby being scared, lost, and hurt.
“Shhh,” Kross whispered. He sucked me into his strong, strong arms while Detective Rayburn stuck his head into the bathroom.
Shuddering, I buried my nose into Kross’s scented T-shirt and hugged him so tightly, I was afraid to let go. Afraid if I did, I would jump out of the window behind me. I would never forgive myself if Raven was harmed.
“Have a seat,” Kross said, ushering me to the bed. “I’ll try Alex’s phone.”
The bed creaked as I wiped the flood of tears from my face. All kinds of scenarios were filtering through my brain. Maybe Trent had kidnapped Alex. Maybe he was holding something over her head. Or maybe she’d taken off with Trent to avoid any trouble.
Raking a hand through his blond locks, Detective Rayburn settled against the closet door across from Kross and me, reading something on his phone.
Kross held his phone to his ear. “Alex.”
I took the phone from him. “Alex?”
“It’s her voice mail,” Kross said.
“Alex, this is Ruby. I know you work for Trent. I don’t know if you had anything to do with kidnapping my daughter, but I’m begging you to call me back. Pleading with you that you understand what I’m going through.” I hiccupped. “You said your sister died on the streets. So you know what it feels like to have someone you love taken from you.” Oh, God. I prayed Raven wasn’t dead. “Please, please call me back.” I handed the phone to Kross. “Can you tell her your number?”
He rattled it off then added, “Ruby and I will be at Crandall’s Gym tonight. If you are involved in all this, then I highly suggest you cooperate. Kidnapping charges are severe. Oh, and tell your scumbag boss, Trent, that I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure he’s put away for a long time.” Then he hung up.
“Okay,” Detective Rayburn said. “I just got word that our team has done a complete sweep of the Boston Public Garden and questioned some folks. But they struck out. You said earlier that Mrs. Santos said Raven had been waving at someone. Maybe Raven knew that person. Kids tend to go willingly with people they know.”
I slumped where I sat. Raven had only talked about a little girl she’d met. Then again, while she’d been in foster care, she could’ve met a lot of people, like Mr. and Mrs. Santos’s friends.
“As far as I know,” Kross said, “Trent hasn’t met my little girl.”
“But Alex has,” I blurted out.
Kross knitted his eyebrows. “When?”
“My last visit with Raven at the Boston Public Garden.” Holy crap. “She was jogging.” Alex worked for Trent, and she’d met Raven, albeit briefly. Still, Raven had a great memory for faces and names.
Kross’s phone rang. I bolted upright, taking his phone from him before he could answer. “Alex?”
“Um. No. This is Liam. I thought I dialed Kross Maxwell’s number.”
I frowned, handing the phone to Kross. Then I went over to Detective Rayburn. “Please tell me Raven will be okay.” I needed some reassurance from him even though I knew he couldn’t answer my question. No one could. But I had to have something positive to keep me from losing my mind.
He gave me a doleful look. “I’m sure you know I can’t tell you that. But we are doing everything we can to find Raven.” Then his phone buzzed. “I’ve got to take this.” He stepped out into the living room.
I grabbed the back of my neck, massaging the knots of tension that were causing my head to pound.
“I know I’m late,” Kross snapped at Liam. “Tell Jay I’ll get there as soon as I can.” When he hung up, he punched his fist through the wall.
Detective Rayburn ran in with his phone to his ear as he surveyed the situation. “Thanks, man. I’ve got to go.” He lowered his arm. “What the fuck, Kross?”
“I can’t fight tonight,” Kross bit out. “I’ll kill my opponent when I’m supposed to lose.”
I went over to Kross then grabbed the hand covered in white flecks from the
Sheetrock. His knuckles were red, but no sign of cuts or blood.
“You have to,” Detective Rayburn said. “I just found out that we’ve questioned Trent Baker. His alibi pans out. He was in a board meeting with his company. So, the best thing you can do is stay on course. Go to the gym, get warmed up, try to calm down. In the meantime, let us do our job. We still have a few hours before the fight. Maybe we can put this to bed before then or before you throw the fight. Ruby, I’ll need a description of Alex.”
“Sure, but did they search Trent’s penthouse or home or businesses?” I asked.
Silence dangled as Detective Rayburn scratched his head. “Not yet. Look, I don’t want to get your hopes up. We’ve been watching Trent Baker for quite some time. All I can say is we’re working on something with the Feds, and now coupled with a possible kidnapping, we might be able to convince a judge to give us a warrant before the fight to search his premises.”
I stifled a laugh. “A judge, huh? Trent knows judges.”
“We’re well aware of that too,” Detective Rayburn said. “Whatever we do with Trent Baker has to be done by the book so we don’t miss our chance again. Now, that description of Alex.”
I didn’t know whether to be relieved or not. Nonetheless, I spewed the essential details of what Alex looked like.
Detective Rayburn took notes on his phone. Once we were done, he said, “I’ve got to get moving.” He pinned a look on Kross. “Stick to throwing the fight. If I get wind or find anything out, I’ll call you. Keep your phone handy.”
Kross and I let out an audible sigh together. I couldn’t sit around and wait. I had to do something. That something was finding Raven. I didn’t need a warrant to search Trent’s penthouse or anywhere else for that matter.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Kross
I straddled the bench in the men’s locker room while Ruby bounced her knee. Since the gym was closed, no other men would be coming in to use the facility.
“I should go to Trent’s penthouse. The doorman might let me in.” Ruby gave me a sidelong glance. “I can at least rule out that place. It’s going to take the cops forever to get a warrant.”
The Maxwell Series Boxed Set - Books 4-6 Page 25