“So far I haven’t been able to find anything that connects Alexi to Trevor’s murder,” Felix said calmly as he straightened the cuff of his shirt from behind his desk.
Charles frowned. The spacious office was quiet, though a bit barren but for the desk and chairs and a single piece of art on the wall. Felix was obviously still moving in.
“She could have hired Mojo,” Charles said.
The agency of covert mercenaries was known for doing this kind of thing. He’d never been caught in their crosshairs, but he didn’t think that would stop them from killing his son.
“They could have been hired by the girl’s sister, and there are some indications her sister did go to Mojo,” Felix told him. “One of their agents was at the hospital the day the girl was killed.”
He hadn’t thought of that. The girl had refused to back down, and her sister had made it clear they weren’t taking any money. Only his son doing time would satisfy them.
“And if that’s the case, case closed,” Felix told him. “I don’t have any real beef with them at the moment. They’re professionals. They were hired to do a job.”
“You’re telling me to just let this go?”
“No. I’m ordering you to,” Felix told him patiently. “Your grandson was going to be a liability to my organization, and one day I was going to have you put a bullet in his brain.”
Charles stared at him, incredulous. “They were whores.”
“They were women who had a job to do just like the rest of us,” Felix said coolly. “I wouldn’t marry one, but I have nothing against them doing what they have to to put food on their table and keep a roof over their head.”
“F—”
“If Alexi had the proof I now have that your grandson killed this girl in cold blood just because he thought he could, then she might have killed him herself,” Felix said. “She used to be an assassin before she became a madam.”
“What?” Charles scoffed in disbelief.
“Alexi is a strong force in the underworld of this city, and she backs down for no one.”
“So, I’m to just let it all go?”
“Hell, yes. I don’t have time for a war with her. She’s no lightweight, no matter what you might think.”
“You’re backing down from a whore?” He didn’t believe for one second Alexi had ever been an assassin.
The story had to be a well-crafted lie circulated by Alexi to make her look more formidable than she was.
Felix slammed his fist on his desk. “Are you listening? Alexi isn’t a whore. She’s a businesswoman with ties to Mojo, one of the most dangerous agencies in the trade. I don’t have time to fend them off and run my business.”
The look in Felix’s eyes told him he wouldn’t back down.
“Knowing what I know about the boy, I’m glad he’s not going to be my problem in a year,” Felix told him. “If you can’t deal with that, then we’ll go back to our original deal. You can clean my money, do a little dealing and call it a day.”
Charles pushed out a rough sigh. Trevor had been getting out of hand, but he would get his killer.
“I want you to focus on getting Beals where he needs to be. His services as a lawyer are invaluable. Teach him how to be even more invaluable as a member of your team.”
“I’ve already started.” And he wanted to ensure Ewan didn’t cross him by tying their families together. It just might not happen since that strong-willed bitch Melissa was pissed at him.
He’d always liked her because she was an asset to his son and the family. She’d raised her daughters to be that way. Course, April might be a far better choice for Ewan anyway. She was like her mother.
She was loyal and strong, and trustworthy. Ewan liked her and had even hinted he’d prefer her to Tatiana.
April wouldn’t betray him or disappoint him even as she made Ewan happy.
“Have the men stay away from all schools,” Felix told him. “Anyone caught dealing to school kids will be executed.”
“Why?”
“Because I said so,” Felix told him. “And make sure Ewan doesn’t travel down the same path Trevor was taking. I need people who can do their jobs, not become so drunk on power they risk all of our lives.”
“Understood.” Felix wasn’t going to be any help, but that didn’t mean Charles would merely let Trevor’s murderer get away with an assault against his family.
Chapter Twenty-One
After four days in Houston, Tatiana hurried into the airport eager to get home to the comforts of her life. Truth be told, she’d missed Alexi and had picked up the phone more than once to call her as she considered how judgmental she’d been.
Alexi had survived the best way she’d known how while she’d grown up a child of privilege. When things went wrong, Tatiana had always known she’d had her family to see her through.
Who had Alexi had?
That didn’t excuse her becoming the thing she’d escaped.
Tatiana had decided she would take a hiatus from dating since most of her sex life had taken her to No Dice in the last few months. She didn’t want to risk running into Alexi. On the other hand, that’s all she wanted to do.
To see her, to be with her.
There was just so much wrong with this and at the same time way so much that was right. She needed to think. No, she needed to not think so her every thought in her free time took her down the avenue that was Alexi.
The trip home was uneventful, and as she headed to her apartment her stomach growled. She hadn’t eaten much while she was in Houston. Tatiana supposed she was a little depressed.
She pulled to a red light as her cell phone rang, and she grabbed it from the seat next to her.
“Hello?”
“Hi, honey,” Melissa said cheerfully. “I have great news.”
“What?”
“April and Ewan are going out,” she said. “Your grandfather agreed to leave you alone.”
“Great. Mom, can I call you back? I’m in traffic.”
“Are you back home?”
“Yeah.” She pressed her foot on the gas as the light changed. “I’ll talk to you later.”
“Come to dinner,” Melissa said.
“I can’t. I’m really tired. Bye, Mom.” She ended the call and set her phone aside.
Tatiana decided to stop for dinner, but she wasn’t sure what she wanted. So, she went straight home. When she got there, she climbed out and grabbed her bags from the trunk.
She turned as a car pulled up behind her. A man jumped out and was on her before she could think. He shoved her against her car and hit her in the stomach. Tatiana let out a cry as pain reverberated through her.
He jerked her off the car and hit her again. Her magic rose on her fingertips and snaked out, slamming into him knocking him backward. Tatiana was hit from behind and sank to her knees.
The man grabbed her by her hair and jerked her head back. He spit on her and kicked her. She held up a hand as he brought his down again to strike her across the face. Magic flared creating a shield.
She twisted in his grip and kicked him in the shin.
“Bitch.”
“We’re not done with you,” the first man said from the side and back of her. “We’re going to show you how good it can be to be with a man.”
Tatiana pressed her hands to the ground and energy ran along it and curled around his ankle and sent him toppling to the ground. She got to her feet, grabbing her purse only because her keys and mace were in it.
She jerked it open and pulled her keys out just as the second attacker lunged for her. Tatiana screamed as she drove her hand forward, keys between her fingers.
He let out a grunt and hit her. She reeled backward into her car but didn’t fall.
“Hey.” A man came running towards them from the sidewalk in a gray jogging suit.
“Help!” she yelled, heart thudding wildly. “Call the police.”
“This isn’t over, cutie.” One of the men gave her a wicked l
ook and blew a kiss at her before they both retreated laughing like hyenas.
Tatiana grabbed her bags with shaking hands, as fear doused her in coldness.
“Here, I got them,” the man who’d stopped the assault said. “Police are on the way.”
He walked her to her apartment and waited with her until the cops got there. Tatiana was still shaking when they left. Her mind was a jumble of thoughts, each one vying for its chance to turn into an accusation or a definitive statement of why.
She knew people did stupid things, but just to target and attack her?
That didn’t ring true in any sense. No one would have just done that, but this reminded her of the night she’d ran out of gas. She knew she’d had enough to make it home, so why had she run out? And what or who had been in those woods stalking her?
Could it have been someone to do with her grandfather’s business?
“Goddess Divine,” she said and exhaled a shaky breath. She couldn’t stay here, and she didn’t want to go to her parents.
There would be so many questions she didn’t want to deal with right now. Her mother would insist on her moving home, too. Her father would agree, and before she knew it, she’d be staying with them, with them fussing over and taking control of her life.
“Veda.” She got her cell phone from her purse and input the number. She could just stay with her a few days until she figured out where to go from there.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Veda.” Tatiana was surprised she’d managed to sound calm despite the storm of emotion raging inside her.
“Hey, girlfriend,” she said cheerfully. “How’s Houston?”
“I’m at home. I—Veda, would it be okay if I came over?”
“I’m not at home. Sabrina took me out to dinner. Is everything okay?”
“Yeah. Umm, I just want to—I’ll call you tomorrow.” She ended the call and closed her eyes briefly. She’d go to a hotel. First, she’d get clean clothes.
She hadn’t washed while she was away because there seemed no point when she was only there for a few days.
A noise outside made her jump, and she let out a startled cry.
She listened, shaking all over and waited but heard nothing else. Tatiana had a feeling if she stayed here, she’d end up in the hospital by morning. So, she grabbed her purse and headed for the door, hoping she made it to her car okay.
She’d worry about clean clothes tomorrow when it was nice and light outside.
Once on the road, she forced herself to focus as she headed for a nearby hotel. When she pulled up to a light, a car pulled up next to her and she glanced over. One of the men was grinning at her.
He let down his window. “I’ve got a dick with your name on it,” he called and kissed at her.
Tatiana took off as soon as the light changed. She noticed they were following her and feared what would happen when she reached the hotel, so she changed course and headed for the only place she knew they couldn’t get to her when she was in the lot.
****
Alexi set her cell phone on her desk, and an urgent knock drew her attention from the quiet. She sighed. She’d been in New Orleans the last four days dealing with an issue with one of her clubs. She had gotten home this morning and hoped the night would be a peaceful one.
She wished for anything but—she wished she’d be going out with Tatiana, but there was no way Tia would see through her own beliefs to the world beyond. She’d expected too much from her, which wasn’t like her.
Alexi normally didn’t give a rat’s ass what the women she dated thought of her. She was a survivor, and she wasn’t ashamed of that.
“Come in,” she said blandly.
“Alexi, there’s a small problem,” Zoe said.
“What?”
“A couple of guys, and I’ve already put someone on it, they followed your girl and tried to attack her in the parking lot.”
“Are you kidding!” she exclaimed, leaping to her feet.
“Someone’s already roughed her up,” Zoe told her. “She’s moving like they hit her in the stomach and maybe the shoulder.”
“Get Mellie,” she ordered. “Where is she?”
“I had her taken up to your room. She’s a little hysterical.”
“Let me know the minute something comes in on those assholes,” she said. “I want to know everything about them from where they work to the last time they shitted.”
Zoe nodded, and Alexi breezed past her.
Alexi raced up to her playroom, murder in her mind. The jokers who’d gone after Tatiana might have been sending a message to Rayne, but she’d have something to say about how they died before he even put a finger on them.
Alexi reached her room to find Corri standing outside. She silently thanked Zoe. Security was tight enough here, but someone sent by one of Rayne’s enemies might get to Tatiana if she were a woman.
“Corri, I want you with her at all times,” Alexi said. “Even if you have to tail her.”
“What about you?”
“I’ll get Galli’s ass over here,” she said. Gallow was head of security at Frolic. She could replace her with Galli’s second. The man was pretty good at his job and would love the promotion.
“Right.”
She stepped into the room to find Tatiana sitting on the bed, arms wrapped around herself, trembling like a leaf in a storm wind. Her eyes were pale blue and wide with fear. The jaguar growled in her mind, the sound a promise of retribution.
“Tia?” she said gently.
Tatiana looked at her and got to her feet and rushed to her. “Alexi.”
Alexi hugged her. Tatiana winced, and Alexi quickly released her. “Baby. Who did this to you?”
“I don’t know.” She made a face, tears forming in her eyes. “They pulled up after I got to my apartment and attacked me. They said they weren’t done.”
The knock on the door stopped Alexi’s response. “It’s the doctor.”
Tatiana nodded. Alexi went to open the door and Melanie, Mellie, a petite black woman came in.
“Alexi, can you wait outside?” Mellie asked.
“Tia?”
“It’s fine.”
“Just call if you need me,” Alexi told her. “I’ll be right outside.”
“Thanks,” Tatiana said.
Alexi stepped out of the room and punched a wall. “Fucking bastards,” she growled.
“I’ll send down for some food,” Corri told her. “And I already texted Galli. She’s on her way.”
“Thanks,” she said and paced.
“Are you going to call Rayne? His shit probably splattered onto her,” Corri said. “His first week at the helm he hit Five by Five’s small team left in the city. He took their dope, street value, a million five, and he got the travelers arrested.”
“Damn him,” Alexi retorted. “What the hell was he thinking, not putting protection in place for her?”
“Probably didn’t even think about it,” Corri said. “He’s got experience in small time shit and protecting his own ass.”
Alexi growled, her anger with Rayne only increasing.
“Ross said the underboss left behind was among those killed,” Corri told her. “This happened two nights ago. I heard he was planning to go after them, but not that he had actually done it since the shipment dates had been changed.”
Alexi shook her head. “You should have told me.”
“We didn’t know you and the girl were still seeing each other,” Zoe said as she joined them. “I was monitoring things in case you needed to know about any problems. This might cause a bit of a fight. Also, Beals is dead. They found him three nights ago.”
“How long have you known that?” she snarled. “Whoever killed Beals, if Rayne didn’t, could be taking out Felix’s people here one at a time.”
“Yes.” Zoe shrugged. “One to the head, execution style.”
“Keep me in the loop from now on,” Alexi said, giving her a hard look. “And don’t make excu
ses. I haven’t survived all this time by being lax.”
Zoe gave her a careful nod. “I have the license plate of the guys that followed her in, and Cruse is running it.”
“Keep me informed,” she said as Mellie stepped out of the room.
“She’s bruised, but she’s fine. The salve I applied will help with the soreness and pain, and I gave her something to help her sleep if she wants it.”
“Thanks, Mellie.”
“She’s a powerful witch, Alexi,” Mellie told her. “Be careful with that one. She could really hurt you.” She headed for the elevator.
“No fucking kidding,” Alexi muttered.
“You should get rid of her,” Zoe suggested. “She’s not Veda. I mean she’s sweet, but she’s attached to a shitload of headache you don’t need.”
Alexi, hissed at her, the jaguar taking exception to the suggestion.
Corri shook her head and pulled her ringing phone from her pocket. She took the call and headed down the hall. “Be right back,” she called.
“Stay out of my personal life, Zoe,” Alexi told her evenly.
She didn’t think for one second that Zoe wanted back in her bed, so she suspected the warning was merely for Alexi’s peace of mind later down the line.
“Whatever you say,” Zoe said with a cool stare.
“Stay posted until Corri returns. I’ll be here with her tonight, but I want security tightened,” Alexi told her. “No one gets to her in my club.” Alexi went inside knowing Zoe would follow orders.
“I need a shower,” Tatiana said, giving her a weak smile.
“Are you hungry?”
She nodded, her eyes those of a lost little girl.
“I’m going to take care of you, baby,” Alexi told her. “Whoever is behind this will be dealt with.”
“I wouldn’t have come here except I knew you had security,” Tatiana told her. “I knew they wouldn’t be able to get to me.”
Alexi went to her, her jaguar needing to touch Tatiana to take comfort in the fact she was okay. She caressed her cheek. “I’ll get you fresh clothes.”
“Thanks.”
Alexi wasn’t sure having her here was the best thing. The animal wanted to claim her, to ensure no one touched her. The human half of her was working hard to fight the attraction and the anger. Tia looked so vulnerable right now with hair falling down around her slightly bruised face and her pretty brown eyes ringed with sadness.
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