Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 25614 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 128(@200wpm)___ 102(@250wpm)___ 85(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 25614 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 128(@200wpm)___ 102(@250wpm)___ 85(@300wpm)
We hit the code for the private entrance to the lower level. As I opened the door, my eyes landed on the piece of shit who tried to drug my woman.
“Oh God,” he uttered, eyes wide and jaw slack.
“Please. I’m important, but not that important. However, if you don’t answer my questions, you might be meeting the Lord much sooner than you’d like.”
His chest heaved. The tailored outfit was gone, and he was in just his undershirt, sweating. “Um…I can…try.”
“Try? You will, or you’re going to have a big problem.” I stalked toward the man and watched as his body shook in the chair. Although he was afraid, he had someone on the outside that he feared as well. Tomasi would probably kill him if he gave me anything.
“Are you procuring women for Tomasi?” I asked. His eyes widened like I’d guessed correctly, but that was the only response I got. “A simple nod of your head will do.” He nodded. “That’s all I fucking needed.”
“Vasco, let him go now. I’m going to have a word with Tomasi right now.”
“Oh my God. He’s going to kill me.”
“He’s not going to do shit because you’re going to jail, and I’m going to put it out there that you work for Tomasi. Unless he wants everyone to look in his direction, then he’ll leave you be.” I looked at Vasco and added, “Clean him up and take him to the police station.”
“Yes, Diego.”
I went up to the suite and prepared to meet with Tomasi. As I returned to the lobby, the bastard was waiting for me. “Well, Tomasi, I hadn’t expected to see you here. You saved me a trip.”
“Well, you took one of my favorite bartenders, and I’m short on staff for tonight.”
“Funny, you’re going to be short-staffed for a bit.”
“You didn’t kill the bastard, did you?” he whispered through clenched teeth. I led him into the manager’s office off the lobby.
“Calm down. No, I just had your little shit taken to the police station. Maybe you should have been more careful bringing that trash into my hotel. He violated my property, and if I hadn’t been paying attention would have added another little asset to your new business.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
“Don’t play dumb with me, Tomasi. He put a sedative in one of the drinks last night, and he’s lucky I didn’t snap his neck.” His mouth fell open.
“Excuse me. I need to leave.” He left without another word. I had questions, but none of that mattered as long as they stayed out of my property and they kept their noses out of my business. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to kill Maurice, but I had to bide my time until there was enough time and distance between us.
My bigger priority was finding my nothing-but-a-dream woman. My first goal was to review the video from last night.
Chapter Seven
Elizabeth
I stepped into the office after my long weekend, hoping that my boss didn’t notice the special security usage at the hotel. He asked me a question the following day about a different contract than the Seneca, so I kept my fingers crossed that he’d been unaware of the code use. I took off my coat and outerwear, and sat at my desk. There was a large stack of files for me to go through that Mr. Keaton must have worked over the entire weekend.
As soon as I opened my email, he sent me a message through our inter-office messenger. I know you had a long weekend, but don’t forget our daily roundup.
I won’t.
I dreaded it this morning. In the two years I worked for Mr. Keaton, I never dreaded this moment as much as I do now. When I first started, these meetings were a little scary, but after two weeks I’d come in and out of his office like it was nothing. Today was a different story. My nerves were shot.
I stepped into his office, and stood a little too long. “Um, you can take a seat, Elizabeth. A few days off and you forget how?” he teased.
“It seems so,” I laughed. Maybe Mr. Keaton didn’t know about the hotel lock situation.
“So how was your New Year's?” Damn it, did he have to ask?
“It was different,” I answered. My eyes shifted toward the window and then down to the edge of the wooden desk. “Yours?”
“Just like a regular night. A few hiccups, but nothing I couldn’t handle. So did you actually go to the party?” he asked. My heart thumped in my chest so hard I wondered if he heard it.
“For a little bit,” I answered with my voice trailing off.
His brow raised and my chest tightened fast and hard. He was onto me. “That's a cagey response. Is there anything you need to tell me? Do I need to fuck somebody up or call in some favors?”