by Sam Crescent
The way he worked, he was the one with all the power.
“Please,” Danny said. “I’ve got kids.”
One of his men snorted.
This wasn’t the first time West had dealt with men who wanted to use their kids to make some kind of power play.
“You have?” West asked.
Danny nodded.
“Well that just makes all the difference in the world, doesn’t it? I mean, I should just let you go and live your life. Completely forget about the betrayal to me? You were there to keep an eye on him, and because he gave you some money and dope, you thought you could do whatever the hell you want.”
“She’s not worth it.”
West grabbed the fucker around the neck.
No one told him who was or wasn’t worth his time.
“Where is he?” West asked.
“Fuck you!”
Danny spat in his face, and West released his neck, took out a handkerchief and wiped the spittle away. There was blood mixed in with the spit.
He’d decided on the hard way.
That was fine.
West could work with that.
“It looks like Danny will be with us for some time. Rome, let’s make him a bit more comfortable, shall we?”
He watched as Rome and Cage picked Danny up. They moved him toward the cuffs that were hanging from a beam in the warehouse. With Danny’s feet broken, he couldn’t hold himself up.
This wouldn’t have happened if he’d just told him the fucking truth.
“What next?” Rome asked.
“Keep him there. One of you good to keep watch?”
Cage lifted up his phone. “I’ve got a good book I just started.”
Rome shook his head. “He’s a badass, remember.”
“I got no problem. Make sure he doesn’t get away,” West said.
Leaving the warehouse, he breathed in the scent of fresh air, closing the door on Danny’s screams.
“I want all eyes out looking for Lawrence. Contact the tech guys, the ones at street level. Also put the word out. Anyone protecting him will be met with swift punishment.”
“Will do,” Rome said. “You want us to grab him the moment there’s a sighting or wait for you?”
“I want to know the moment he’s been sighted. Get him, take him to the warehouse. You know what to do, but don’t kill. That fucker will not get out of here alive. I want to play with him a little.”
“Okay.”
West moved toward his car.
He didn’t have guards riding with him unless he was making certain visits and needed the extra muscle.
“West?” Rome asked.
“What is it?”
Rome had been with him for nearly ten years now. He’d found him at the bottom of a trashcan. Doped up, raped, and beaten. Instead of leaving him to rot, West had taken him home, nursed him back to health, and learned his story. When Rome had gotten over his addictions, together they’d gone out and made every single fucker pay for what they did to him. Rome had been born into a world that only hoped to use him. They’d taken him, abused him, and left him broken.
West had made him whole.
“What is it?”
“I was wondering if I could have next weekend off?” Rome asked.
Next weekend was the anniversary of when West discovered him. The day that Rome considered his birthday.
“Of course. Every year you ask and every year I give you the same answer.”
“With Lawrence on the loose, I wanted to make sure I can still take that time.” Rome admitted himself into a rehab clinic for two days every year to keep himself on the straight and narrow.
“Even if we don’t have Lawrence by next weekend, you can take the time, Rome. You’ve more than earned it.”
With that, he climbed into his car and drove back into the city toward his penthouse suite.
He parked in the secure underground facility and pressed in his code for the top floor. No other apartments were there and he owned the entire building, so he knew what went on at every single level.
Closing the door, he switched on the lights, poured himself a scotch, and stood at the windows overlooking his empire.
Right this second, he was making hundreds of thousands of dollars, and he wasn’t even having to lift a finger. This was what he liked more than anything. The hard work he’d put in gave him this life.
Finishing off his scotch, he made his way toward his computer room that one of his tech guys had installed for him.
Firing up the computer, he brought up the evening’s events. There she was, sitting behind her desk at six in the evening. She had started at six as well. A twelve-hour day and she looked so fucking tired. Her hair was no longer neatly pulled into a bun but had strands of hair escaping. The suit she wore, so conservative to hide her full figure, was wrinkled.
She looked weary, even to him.
When Lawrence appeared on the screen, West saw her nerves. She bit her lip and looked toward the zone where he knew the elevators were. She didn’t want to do whatever Lawrence had said. She wanted to escape.
With gritted teeth, he waited and watched as Lawrence started to attack her in his office.
West had an entire network of security cameras and documents, along with the men and women who knew how to run everything. Nothing got past any of his people. He knew everything that was going down, and with a few codes in his computers he was able to bring up all of his businesses.
Loyalty was something that always had a limit.
Money and greed tended to bring people down. Those were the two things in life that seemed to lure people away. West liked to keep on top of it, constantly prepared for the worst.
Nothing had ever gotten in his way before. He’d always been like this, constantly checking, keeping an eye on everything in his spare time. The women that had been in his life before she entered had only been mere distractions. Women were to be played with, not kept. Being wealthy meant he had a lot of women who wanted to try to win him as a prize. He couldn’t blame them. Look at his kingdom.
However, one evening with Hannah Ray and no other woman would do. The days after that first meeting, he’d not given her much thought. He’d gone about his day as if he didn’t have a care in the world. Trying to take another woman out to dinner though, had changed everything. Something had felt off with another woman opposite him as he took her out to dinner. He’d wanted it to end the moment the date began. It was the last date he ever went on.
Grabbing his cell phone, he dialed Emily’s number.
It rang three times before she finally answered.
“Hey,” she said.
“How is she?”
“Just a moment. Anna, I got to take this, okay?”
He heard her respond, and the sound of her voice soothed the beast that wanted to snip at Emily for shortening her name. Her name was Hannah, not Anna or Han or any other combination.
Still, he wasn’t about to berate her while he could be heard.
The sound of a door closing filled the line and then Emily was back. “What’s up?”
“How is she?” He repeated the question.
Emily sighed. “Seriously, West, she’s fine. Last night was a bit rough. She had a nightmare, but after we talked it through she was more than fine. You’ve got to stop worrying. She’s stronger than she looks. Give her the benefit of the doubt.”
“I want you to be by her side for the next week, understood?”
“I’m already there.”
It was what he paid her to do. Not that Emily ever brought up the money or the reason she played Hannah’s best friend. He’d found her in the gutter over five years ago. He’d gotten her clean, given her the job, and she was even getting an education out of it, which he provided along with the fake family.
Yes, he wanted Hannah to have all the experiences of a best friend, a life, before he took it all from her.
****
Hannah took a sip of the overly sweet t
ea that Emily had made her. She wrinkled her nose, hating anything sweet, especially in tea or coffee. She preferred to drink water, but Emily was insistent that a nice brew helped soothe the soul.
Not wanting to upset her best friend, she put up with it, drinking it without gagging.
“Sorry about that,” Emily said, coming back into the room.
“It’s no biggie.” She stared down at the book she’d been reading. Some sappy love story where the hero had been the world’s biggest dick and was trying to make it up to the heroine. They were the best kind of romances, but right now she was pissed.
“How are you feeling?” Emily asked.
“Fine, why?”
“You’re rubbing your shoulder again.”
Hannah glanced at the shoulder that her boss had grabbed. He’d slammed her against the wall and she’d hit the edge of a shelf. The doctors had looked her over and said she’d be fine, more than fine. There was nothing wrong with her. It still hurt though. She hated to think of what would’ve happened if that guard hadn’t come to her screams. She’d been surprised only one person did. Not that it mattered. She hadn’t seen Lawrence since. She already had a resignation letter ready to give to the firm.
She hated the whispers that followed her around and everyone knowing her business.
“I’m sorry. I guess I just can’t stop thinking about it.”
“It’s understandable. The guy was a total douche. Do you know what is going to happen?”
“I filed a sexual assault report, and they alerted HR. I can’t stay there though. It’ll drive me nuts. Everyone will stare at me.”
“It can’t be that bad.”
“It is. It really is. I don’t know what to do, but I can’t stay there. I’m going to have to find another post that will offer workplace experience.” She ran fingers through her hair. Graduating college and getting an experience application with Lawrence Palo had been one of the best things that had ever happened to her. He was a well-known womanizer, but she didn’t for a second think something like this would happen. She’d heard horror stories, but it wasn’t like she was the most beautiful woman in the building. With long, brown hair, brown eyes, and preferring to spend most of her years with her head in a book, she knew there was no way any guy would fall for her. She was the one nominated to be the world’s oldest virgin. Right now, at twenty-three, that was looking like she was right on track.
She’d gone on a few dates in college. They’d been out dancing and having fun. She thought she really connected with a couple of guys only for them to disappear for a couple of minutes and return … different. They wouldn’t look at her and were constantly checking other women out. They’d gone from being attentive to downright jerks.
“I don’t think you should do that. You’ve wanted to be in the financial sector for a long time and I know Lawrence was a jerk, but they’re not going to let him back.”
“What if they do? It’s my word against his, and I’m just a graduate, Emily. What if I have to work with him?”
Emily held her shoulders. “Listen to me closely. Lawrence isn’t coming back. Believe me. I know you’re never going to have to see him again.”
Tears filled Hannah’s eyes. “You’re sure?”
“I’m positive.” Emily released her. “Let me go and make you some more tea.”
She didn’t have the heart to tell her friend even after all this time that she hated tea.
Getting to her feet, she picked up the resignation letter and wasn’t sure what to do with it. If Lawrence wasn’t going to be there then why send it in? She’d give it a couple of weeks and see what happened at work before making a final decision.
Pushing some hair out of her face, she got to her feet. Working in the financial sector wasn’t exactly a dream job. She was good with numbers, always had been. They didn’t lie to her or annoy her. They were there, plain and simple.
She’d been told to try for teaching, but the thought of teaching any kids filled her with a deep pit of depression. Kids were horrible, at least from what she remembered of them, and it wasn’t all that long ago she’d experienced that.
Putting the resignation letter back in her bedroom, she found Emily on her cell phone.
“I’ve been so selfish. How has your job been?” Hannah asked.
They hadn’t seen each other in a few weeks.
“Oh, you know. It’s the same. It’s been fun to work for West Gallo. He has many ventures, restaurants, nightclubs, casinos, that kind of thing. I help to organize interviews and make stops in each of his endeavors and report back.”
“I’ve never heard of him or any of his companies.”
“The nightclubs are the best in town. Be warned though, he does have a few strip clubs as well.”
“Oh, well, to each their own. You know my thoughts on that.”
Emily burst out laughing. “I don’t see there being any male strip clubs any time soon.”
This had been a debate in one of their study groups. For some reason strip clubs had been mentioned, and because they’d considered her a goody-two-shoes, they’d made a comment about not offending her delicate sensibilities. That had really pissed her off. She followed the rules because that’s what everyone had to do. It didn’t for a second make her a prude or lack any sexual desire or even crave something dirty. She’d told them simply that she had no desire to see another woman’s tits but she wouldn’t mind going to a strip club where men got down and dirty.
That had shocked the entire table.
Being a virgin wasn’t by choice.
No.
She’d been on a few dates, and none of them wanted her goods.
So instead of screwing her way through college, she’d read books. Not just the sappy romance kind either that she loved. There were a select few books that she hid in her room that were hers to read in private.
Dark books.
Books that pushed all of her limits. Giving absolute control to a man that may be even dangerous at times. That kind of darkness, the fear, the lure of the unknown called to her. A distant memory in the back of her mind that was still a bit fuzzy. One she tried not to think about or talk about as she didn’t know if it was dream or a memory.
“It’s a shame, really. It would teach husbands a thing or two of how it feels when they go off and see another woman’s tits. I should make a note of that,” Hannah said, grabbing her notebook of dreams.
“What note?”
“Being a financial advisor and knowing how to handle money, I’m going to put some aside and look into opening my own male strip club.”
“Really?” Emily asked.
“Yes. I think it would be a huge hit. I mean, not to the prudes in our country but certainly to the women that want to have a bit of fun and not see another woman’s tits.” After making a note, she closed the book and smiled at her friend.
Every now and then she caught Emily staring at her, like she was trying to figure something out. Not for the first time she wondered if Emily was actually her friend or if she was just the easy option in college.
Her previous roommate got expelled for drug use, and before the first semester was out, Emily was in and they were sharing a room. It had been a lot of fun, and she adored her friend. She just wished she knew what she was thinking.
“You know what?” Emily asked, putting a cup in front of her.
“What?”
“I think we should go to one the nightclubs I work for. Get you out on the town and, you know, stop all those bad thoughts about your boss.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Last time we went out to party, you abandoned me and no one would dance with me.” She was so worried that she stank, she’d poured a whole can of deodorant all over herself to help mask any scent that seemed to be keeping the men away.
“I promise not to abandon you. Come on. It’ll be fun. I know you’ve had a bad experience. All men are jerks. Believe me, I’ve had all kinds of per—erm, guys that, you know, have tried a thing or two.
Don’t let them bring you down.” Emily touched her arm and smiled.
“You’re sure?”
“Hell, yeah, I’m sure. I won’t leave your side. We’ll have a few drinks, dance together. It’ll be fun. You know. Just you and me.”
“Count me in.”
“Awesome. Now, I’m going to go out and get us some dinner. You want to come for the walk?”
“Nah, it’s okay. I’ll catch up on a few things here. Clean up a little.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yeah. I don’t want to head out.”
“I’ll get your usual,” Emily said.
She watched her friend leave their apartment. The sound of the lock clicking into place echoed around the room. There were four additional locks on the inside, but she wasn’t about to slide them into place, not with Emily needing to come back inside.
Gripping the back of her neck, she released a breath and glanced around the room. Everywhere was spotless. Since coming home after Lawrence’s attack, she’d done nothing but clean.
Biting her lip, she walked over to the sofa and plumped up the pillows for the hundredth time that day. This apartment had been a steal when they’d graduated. Fully furnished with a decent rental agreement. Actually, more than decent. When she saw the space and knew what the rent was, she’d asked to see the landlord or manager because someone was clearly ripping him off.
Of course, Emily told her not to worry about it. That she shouldn’t go insulting their potential landlord by offering money advice. She couldn’t help it though. She liked to help people, and knowing her parents into their late years hadn’t been able to live with ease, she’d vowed to help anyone who wanted it. Money was a pain in the ass as far as she was concerned. People needed it as it made life a hell of a lot easier, but it didn’t make for a good life.
Pushing those thoughts aside, she moved around the apartment, putting little pieces of paper back in their place and then checking the pictures. Before she completely lost her mind and started rearranging furniture she made her way into her bedroom. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she ran her hands up and down her thighs.