Havoc E-Book

J. L. Drake

• Herausgeber: J.L. DRAKE
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

From the author who brought you theDevil’s Reach MC and the Quiet Mafia series comes the next installment of the gritty, dark, billionaire romantic suspense series, Havoc of Sins.
Our empire has been infiltrated, turning it upside down.
Enemies are everywhere. No one can be trusted.
We’ve entered a dangerous game of traitors and pawns, attacked from all sides.
When Kenna arrives battered and bruised, my fury turns into an obsessive need to protect her.
A need that only enrages me since I seldom feel this way, not even for my own family.
They say keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.
So what do you do when your carefully crafted world unravels at the sight of her?
An alliance is forced despite our mutual disdain, since the information she could garner could change the outcome of this brutal takeover.
If only I wasn’t blinded by her. Maybe then, I could’ve predicted the major loss that will leave us all reeling.
There will be blood—together with the Devil's Reach MC,
The Strip will turn crimson until all those involved pay.
This is intended for 18+, violent, may contain trigger warnings (found on website), and of course…ends with a cliffhanger.

Leseprobe

Contents

Character Guide

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Suggested Reading Order

HAVOC

HAVOC OF SINS

Copyright 2024 © J.L. Drake

All rights reserved

The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is a crime punishable by law. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded to, or downloaded from file sharing sites or distributed in any other way via the internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to locales, events, business establishments, or actual persons— living or dead—is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in, or introduced into a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior permission of J.L. Drake.

Cover Design by TRC Designs

Editing by Lori Whitwam

Formatting by RedDoor Author Services

Dedication

To anyone who needs a little pep talk. This moment in time is not forever. Things will change if you just wait.

Character Guide

Gates Family

Jim Gates: Grim’s father and owner of Indulge Hotel

Laurel Gates: Grim’s mother

Grim Gates: Owner of Secrets and oldest of the brothers

Leo Gates: Middle of the three brothers

Knox Gates: Youngest of the three brothers

Leal and Zhar: Grim’s Doberman Pinschers

Darcy: Dog walker

Extras to the Gates Family

Jesse: Grim’s right-hand man

Cartwright: Grim’s main driver

Louis: Grim trusts him to ride his bike

Jenelle: In love with Grim

Deborah: Real estate advisor

Talya Cano: Cartel daughter (Dark Water Series)

Jerry and Elva Cano: Talya’s parents (Grim lived with them for ten years when in Mexico)

Tame Family

Cameron Tame: Kenna’s father, Jim Gates’ lawyer

Claudine Tame: Kenna’s mother, travels the world for work

Kenna Tame: Goes by the name of Lodge to keep her job separate from her family

Calli Tame: Kenna’s younger sister, doesn’t get along with Kenna

Extras to the Tame Family

Simon Gable: Private Investigator, works for Cameron

Zara: Cameron’s secretary

Extras

Jayden Wallace: Manager of the super hosts

Mr. Salazar: Client of Kenna’s

Yen Hong: Client of Kenna’s

Elio Capri: Head of the Capri mafia family in Italy (Quiet Wealth Series) and friend of Grim

Vinni and Niccola Capri: Elio’s cousins

Martin Castillo: Head of Cartel (Dark Water Series)

Hanna: Old friend of Kenna’s

Gavin: Elevator operator at Indulge Hotel

Shore: Kenna’s favorite driver at Indulge Hotel

Kurt: Works with Simon

Sonny Conti: Client of Indulge

Sasha Landry: Works with Cameron

Dale: Chef at Indulge

Benny: Kenna’s friend from high school

Paige: Leo’s friend

Jason: Security guard

Tony Farrell: Enemy to Grim

Agent Colin: FBI agent

Devil’s Reach Motorcycle Club

Location of official clubhouse: Santa Monica, California

Trigger: President, married to Tess

Brick: Vice President, Minnie’s longtime boyfriend

Tess: Married to Trigger, best friend to Brick and Minnie and owner of Dirty Deeds Club

Minnie: Kenna’s best friend and owner of a sex house and Dirty Demons strip club.

Rail: Good friend of Kenna’s and dates whoever he can

Morgan: Good friend of Kenna’s. Holds the rank of Sergeant of Arms within the club

Stripe Backs Motorcycle Club

Rival club to Devil’s Reach

Location of official clubhouse: Venice, California.

Club weak and scattered as many members were killed over the years. Power struggle within the membership as they try to rebuild.

Grim

“Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!” fans chanted as New Jersey’s Dominque Wiser came down the ramp with his hands high in the air. I rolled my eyes at the TV screen that showed him playing up to the cameras as I jumped back and forth on the balls of my feet.

“Speed is everything,” Ricky yelled in my ear. He got in my face as we saw the cameras zoom in on a guy who shouted for Dominque to crush my skull. “When that bell rings, nothing matters but that first move. Bring him down, break what you need to, so he won’t get up.” He grinned his stained, yellow teeth at me. “Do what you do best.” He slapped the side of my head. “Ready?” I nodded. “Good.” I knew Ricky was the best, and the crowd sounds diminished as I homed in on what he said.

A few seconds later, Ricky pulled back the curtain and I stepped into the brightly lit arena. The place was packed to the rim with crazy-ass fans who paid good money for Dominque to kick my ass.

“Hey, Grim.” I turned back to look at Ricky. “Live up to your name.” He pointed to the screen that wrapped around the place, and I saw my stage name flash in black. It had a scythe ripping between the two words, Vegas Reaper.

I grinned at the cameras and jogged down the ramp with Ricky behind me. The banner above the ring read Lost Lives Fight Club. This was my first fight here, and we all fought for the last open place in the official Lost Lives annual tournament. I was a nobody in the underground fighting ring in the US, but I was determined to become a name they’d fear. I’d been fighting since I tossed my first punch in second grade, and I hadn’t stopped since.

I trained in Singapore through my high school years then skipped the Ivy League dream to feed my fighting addiction. I was lucky my family had the money and supported my need to fight. As long as I attended my classes and got the marks necessary to pass, they were behind me. I continued to train while I worked for my family’s business after I graduated. I didn’t need a degree to tell me what I could do. My parents knew I was quick, and I proved my worth to them early. Besides, at nineteen, I could land a hit no one saw coming, and I was determined to make a name for myself.

I had to hand it to Ricky. He had been my coach from the start and got me a slot for this night’s fight. Apparently, Kevin Hawthorne, the owner of the property where the tournament was being held, saw me fight the previous year and extended an invitation for me to fight sometime. Ricky made sure Hawthorne knew I was ready, and here I was.

I dipped under the ropes and breathed in the excitement that poured off the crowd.

“Bust his spleen, Dom!” someone shouted, and I grinned inside. These people were about to know my name.

“Hey, rich boy,” Dominque yelled, “Daddy pay your way so I can kick your face in?” Laughter from the crowd joined the hoots and hollers, and I nodded at Ricky to give the green light to hit the bell.

We slapped hands, stepped back, and the crowd became deafening as the bell rang twice. It was almost like things went quiet for me as I marked my moves before I even made them.

Just as the second ring faded out, I reached forward and snapped his wrist backward. I felt the bone break. He screamed, and with his defenses down, I dipped, loaded my weight on my back leg, and jolted forward. My back knee went to the mat, I grabbed both of his legs, and slammed my shoulder into his pelvic bone. My front knee went down, I connected my hands behind his knees, stepped up on my foot, and drove him down to the floor. Within a second, he was on his back, I chopped his windpipe when he gasped for a breath, then punched his lung and cracked his temple, and he was unconscious. I popped to my feet as the bell rang and glanced at the clock as the crowd went quiet.

Five seconds, that was all it took. I paced the ring as everyone around me caught up to what I’d just done. The cheers for Dominque instantly switched to cheers for me.

“Reaper! Reaper! Reaper!” Ricky clapped with the crowd and winked at me. I was fast, smart, and hit like a cannon. That was what I was known for.

“Another!” Ricky shouted, and I waited for the next opponent to enter the ring as Dominque was carried away. I rolled my neck and shook my arms, prepared for the next round. A sheen of sweat had broken out over my body and made my tattoos more vibrant. My father introduced me to the world of ink at sixteen, and I’d been adding to them ever since. Every tattoo meant something, and when I needed to focus, I focused on them. The crowd cheered, and I saw a man hold up a Halloween prop. I rolled my eyes. This wasn’t the WWE.

Next came The Slammer, as they called him. He was twice my size and clearly could use his weight as a weapon. I knew to stay away from any kind of hold. I was six-two and solid, but he could crush me with one blow. Maybe he could, but I wasn’t going to chance it.

I calculated my moves, and when the bell rang, I jammed my fingers in his eyes to blind him. On instinct, he covered his eyes, and that was when I used his own weight against him. I kicked the outside of his knee, and as he fell, I twisted his elbow, breaking the bone with a snap. The sound and vibration sent a thrill through me and woke that part of me I lived for. He screamed into the mat as saliva spewed. I wrapped my arms around his neck and squeezed hard, cutting the blood flow to the brain. His face turned red, and he tried to swing at me, but I bent him backward, bowing his spine, and his hands flailed in the air. His body relaxed, and he passed out. I jumped to my feet and saw it was just over five seconds. I wasn’t pleased with that, but it had to do.

“Wow, Vegas Reaper for the win again!” the announcer yelled over the speaker. “Let’s see what else you got.”

One by one, they’d enter the ring. I’d break a bone or two at lightning speed, disabling them, then knock them out within five seconds. I walked the ring each time and let the adrenaline rush feed my body. Then I’d get my head on straight and prepare for the next one. I wasn’t cocky; I barely registered the crowd. I broke bones for me. It wasn’t a cry from a bad childhood. It was a need from deep within, something that gave me the release I needed. I didn’t question it; it was who I was. I slammed my fist into the man’s head, and he went down.

“We have our winner!” I barely heard the words as I tried to clear my head and focus on the cheering crowd.

Ricky was screaming and grinning and jumped into the ring and slapped me on the back. He grabbed a towel and tossed it at me.

“You sure got people’s attention!” he yelled. “The Vegas Reaper is here!”

I walked the ring and nodded at the crowd. Then my attention was caught as a man approached Ricky and they talked. I focused on the man; he wore a leather cut. Then I realized there were other guys behind him who wore the same cut.

The Devil’s Reach MC.

I’d seen bikers roll through town before who had worn that cut. It had a reaper holding a skull on it, I’d never paid much attention to them except to admire their bikes.

I left the ring and started up the ramp. I lost sight of the guy as he disappeared into the crowd. Ricky caught up with me.

“Who were you talking to?”

“Some biker dude wanting to know where you trained.”

“Did you tell him?”

“Of course. Gave him my card, too.”

“Mm.” I pushed open the door to the dressing room and downed a bottle of water.

“You got the spot, Grim. How’s it feel?” He grinned and leaned his hip into the doorway as I stripped down and grabbed the soap.

“Makes all the training worth it.” I turned on the shower and stepped into the cold spray. “Do we have the schedule yet?”

“I’m gonna zip out and get it.”

When he left, I cooled my body down with icy water, washed up, and got changed. Just as I fastened my watch around my wrist, the door swung open.

“Grim Gates?” a man asked.

“Who’s asking?” I eyed my security guys who stood behind him. One had his hand on his gun. He mouthed the word “sponsor,” and I made a note to kill Ricky for not locking the door behind him. I’d deal with Trevor, my head of security, later for allowing this guy to get in. Ricky may have left the door unlocked, but it was Trevor’s responsibility to watch my back. Since our arrival back in the States, I noticed he’d slipped more than once when it came to my protection.

“Congratulations on your win. That fills the last spot for contenders.”

“Thanks.”

“One of the sponsors of the tournament would like to have a word with you if you have a sec.”

“I suppose I could do that. Just give me a moment.” I quickly sent a text to Ricky to let him know what was going on, then told one of my guys to follow us and make sure Ricky would know where we’d gone. I followed the man down a hallway and into a large room.

A well-dressed man sat in a chair and studied me as I came into the room. He had maybe ten years on me, and from the look of him, I guessed he was European.

“Mr. Gates?” His Italian accent confirmed my suspicions.

“I am.”

“Please have a seat.”

“All right.” I glanced at a couple other men in the room then looked over my shoulder to see Ricky pleading with one of the men to let him through the door.

“He’s with me.” I lifted a brow, unimpressed that once again Trevor hadn’t stepped in and made sure Ricky was able to join me. At a look from me, the Italian gave a nod to let him through.

“Thanks a lot.” Ricky looked pissed.

“You were impressive between the ropes.” The Italian smiled, but there was a hint of something much darker there, something I could identify with.

“Thank you.”

“Do you think you can win this tournament?”

“I know I can.” I held his gaze.

“I see.” He tilted his head slightly. “You didn’t come across as cocky⁠—”

“I’m not,” I assured him. “I’ve just trained with the best, and trained hard. I take my time to make my moves.”

“But you win in five seconds or less,” one of the men chimed in. “Where’s the time to plan your moves?”

“I’m quick.” I pointed to my head.

“I would like you to throw the next fight.” The Italian man in the chair brought my attention immediately back to him. He rubbed a finger over his lips as I gathered myself. I couldn’t help but notice the large black ring he wore.

“Excuse me?” I needed him to repeat that.

“When you signed up for this tournament, you gave a stage name, nothing more. So, no one knows you. You came into the ring and beat every opponent. You turned the crowd in your favor. Rumors will spread and bets will be made.” He adjusted a cufflink and looked directly into my eyes. “So, I want you to throw the next fight then come back swinging in the next and take it. Let’s give people something to talk about, a reason to come, to bet even more on you in the next round.”

“Grim.” Ricky handed me the official invitation to fight. It was outlined in gold. I’d wanted that. It was something I’d worked hard for and something I could be incredibly proud of.

“I’ll make it worth your while, of course. I’ll double whatever you’d make if you had won.”

“Why?” I’d dealt with plenty of shady people before, but this somehow really bothered me.

“It’s just business.” He shrugged and watched me carefully. “I’ll have your name put on the door, and ‘Vegas Reaper’ will be on everyone’s lips.”

I eyed the card as the light caught the gold on its edges. I stood and handed it to him.

“Not interested.”

“For what it’s worth,” Ricky folded his arms, “I agree with Grim. I’m his trainer, and he’s worked hard for this. If you loved this sport like he does, you’d never ask him to throw a fight.”

“Sorry, Mr.…?” I waited for his name.

“Capri.”

“Sorry, Mr. Capri, but I fight to win, every time. I’m not the guy for you.” He studied the card then looked at the man who had spoken earlier, and something passed between them. Then he returned his gaze to me. “If that costs me my spot in the tournament, then so be it.” I stared him down.

He nodded then held the card out to me.

“It will cost you nothing.” He waited for me to take it back, then he called to his men, and they walked out. Confused, I watched them leave as I wondered if I’d made the right choice coming here.

“Gentlemen.” I turned to address my security detail.

“Yes, Mr. Gates?” Trevor replied.

“You’re all fired.”

“Grim.” A voice said from far away. “Hellooo, Grim.” I blinked and saw my brother’s confused expression. “Where the hell were you?”

That was odd. I’d let my mind slip far back. Those days were long gone.

I shook my head and glanced at my phone. It showed I had a missed message and two calls from Morgan.

“Sorry. Give me a sec, Leo.”

I tapped Morgan’s number and waited for the call to connect.

“I hope I didn’t wake you,” Morgan yawned.

“No, I was just dealing with something,” I lied. “Well?”

“I followed her to her house, she slept, and now looks to be awake.” I heard him grunt as he moved around. “No company so far.”

“Good.”

“I’m not spending another night in the truck. I’m going inside and see what’s up.”

“Stay in touch.”

“Yeah.” I hung up, and Leo eased into the chair.

“She, okay?”

“Yeah. Morgan’s going in to check on her.”

“Good.” He rubbed his tired face. It had been a long last few hours. “I still can’t believe she wouldn’t stay. The doctor should have looked her over.”

“I know. She has a bad habit of not listening to me.” I moved over to the window as he laughed, and I let my mind drift back to when we found her in the elevator.

“Leo! Shut down the floor!” I boomed. “Steven, find out exactly where she came from,” I ordered the security guard who already had his radio in his hand. “You,” I pointed to Freddy the second guard on duty, “find me a fucking head!” His eyes went wide, then he whirled and ran.

Kenna’s gaze latched on to mine, and I saw the moment she let go. I jolted forward and caught her, then lowered her to the floor.

Someone was going to fucking die before the night was done, or blood would spray across the city of Vegas until the truth showed its ugly face.

“Grim,” she whispered, and I looked down at her, “I’m so sorry.”

“Shit.” Leo turned around as he lowered his phone.

“She just passed out.” I lifted Kenna in my arms and hurried into the elevator with Leo right behind me. He pressed the button for her floor, and I wanted to argue that she should come to mine, but I kept my mouth shut. He unlocked her door, and we whisked into her suite.

I carried her past her horrendous white couch and into her bedroom. I noticed her makeup was strewn all over her vanity. I laid her down and studied her for a moment. Blood was on her face from her nose and a swollen lip, but I couldn’t find any other obvious injuries. I just hoped there wasn’t any internal bleeding. Sometimes what didn’t show was worse.

“Here.” Leo handed me an open bottle of tequila and waved it under her nose to draw her awake. Her eyes fluttered open as she moved away from the smell.

“Hey,” I shook her arm gently, “look at me. Do you know where you are?” She looked around and flinched in pain.

“My room.” Her expression registered with me. Fear was there, but also anger.

“Where are you hurt?”

“My side, mostly.” She tried to move, but I stopped her.

“Who did this to you?” I barely recognized my own voice as I took the warm facecloth from Leo and cleaned up her face.

“I don’t know.”

“Don’t lie!” I felt heat flash through me as I fought to control my temper.

“Grim,” Leo warned, and I tried to curb my tone.

“How do you not know?”

“He wore a fucking mask!” She tried to pull away, but I wasn’t allowing it. She took a breath and winced. “Also, his voice was altered.” She evened out her breathing. “Look, Grim.” She put a hand to her head as if it hurt.

“Why are you sorry?” I wanted an answer to that. She squinted at me then seemed to remember, and a look of panic came over her face.

“You need to go. B-both of you need to go.”

“You need to see a doctor first.”

“No.”

“That wasn't a question,” I shot back and chucked the facecloth in the direction of the table.

“Kenna.” Leo came at her softer, and I fought not to roll my eyes in frustration. She was seeing a doctor with or without her consent. “Can I have a look at your side?” He held up his hands and waited for her to nod.

“Let me.” I released her arm and undid one of the panels on her dress. Her skin was already turning a nasty purple. Anger seeped into my bloodstream. “Does this hurt?” I slid my hand along the damage and felt her flinch.

“I don’t think anything’s broken.” I did her dress back up and noticed a rip in the fabric.

“Did he try to⁠—”

“No.” Her voice was firm. “Grim, can you guys go now? I really want to rest.” She pleaded this time.

“For now,” I replied through clenched teeth. I hesitated as I saw her eyes gloss over.

“Grim,” she sniffed, “I can take care of myself.”

Against my better judgement, I gave in.

“I’ll check in on you later.” I turned to go and nearly knocked into Leo. He’d gone to get her some water and a painkiller.

Good, he could fuss over her, while I hunted down the fucker who dared hurt one of our own.

“Holy shit,” Leo’s voice brought me back to the present, and I went to see what he looked at.

“What?”

“Just this,” he pressed play on the screen, and Kenna popped up.

“Is this it?”

“Yeah,” he stood next to me as we both leaned close to the TV, “she gets a call here.” He pointed at the screen. “Then…” His words trailed off as we watched the horror unfold.

“Jesus.”

Kenna

I wiped the mirror free of steam and blinked through the tears that blurred my vision. In a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, I limped to my bedroom. I hadn’t wanted to stay in my suite at the hotel. I needed to be in my own space, my real space. Once everyone stopped hovering, I left. I’d decided to do the fifteen-minute drive to my house. It was pretty late when I got there, but I was glad I did. I slept like the dead, got up and managed to eat, then called in sick.

I had shared everything with Minnie when she came to my suite that morning. Grim had called her and told her. He probably wanted her to report back. Her mouth hung open when I got to the part where I was being blackmailed. I stopped her rant about how I needed to share the truth with everyone, and I told her I would. I convinced her I needed a little time to heal before the wrath of Grim was set upon me. She was horrified at the idea of me leaving the hotel, but she also understood my need to be in my own space to recover. She made me promise I’d check in, and I called her as soon as I arrived.

Feeling only slightly better, I checked the locks on my windows, closed the blinds, then pulled out the metal box from my vanity drawer. I removed the small gun, loaded it, and put the safety on.

The floor-length mirror I stood in front of showed no mercy when I pulled up my shirt to reveal a massive, deep blue bruise on my right side and several scattered scrapes and nicks around my back. It was the first time I’d examined the damage. Even my arm was sore from where I was grabbed and hauled into that nightmare.

“So, he was right,” came from the door, and I whirled and wildly pointed the pistol at him.

“What the hell are you doing here, Morgan?” I winced at the pain that went through me with the unexpected movement. I thought about offering myself over to the reaper featured on the leather Devil’s Reach cut he wore. It sure would make things easier at this point. “I could have killed you.” I carefully put the gun down and shifted my shirt back in place to cover the bruises.

“Not with the safety on, you wouldn’t’ve.” He stepped into the room and came close. He lifted my shirt and made a noise of disapproval. “You take anything for that?”

“Yeah.” I pointed to the pain relievers by the bed. “Hopefully, they’ll help. They’re expired.”

“Those won’t touch that, anyway.” He handed me a joint. “Take this for now, and I’ll get you something else in the morning.”

“’K.” I sniffed, and he studied my face.

“Wanna tell me what happened?”

“No.”

“All right.” He leaned against the desk while I lit the joint. “Grim found me that night at the fundraiser, said you left. He wanted me to check in on you.”

“Is that so?” Sweet smoke rose from my lips. “Seems he is telling everyone my business.”

He ignored my words. “I thought maybe you had it out with Jayden again, but I saw him at the bar. He was talking to that bartender Dale slept with last week. Then I thought, what did your dad do now? But he looked happy as a pig in shit entertaining his clients with your mother on his arm.” He took the joint from me, drew in a hit, and passed it back.

“Then Minnie told me you went to her club, so I went lookin’ for you there.” He paused and watched me for a moment. “Guess I just missed you, according to the bouncer. I called Shore, your all-time favorite driver, and he said you got a text just when you stepped out of his car at the hotel. Said your face went pale. Then fifteen minutes later, you show up on the twentieth, with wet hair, red eyes, lookin’ like shit. What happened in that fifteen minutes, Kenna?” He crossed his arms and waited for me to speak. I took another much-needed draw.

“Someone watches too much true crime with Rail.” I coughed and my eyes watered.

“Kenna.” His tone told me he wasn’t having it.

“Fine.” I dropped my arms. “I pissed off some people and had to deal with the consequences.” That wasn’t a lie. I certainly had pissed someone off; I just wasn’t sure who or why.

“Who?”

“I don’t know.” I slowly moved across the room. “Now,” I swiped at my eyes again and pulled back the covers on the bed. “I’ve had a shitty last forty hours, and all I want to do is sleep, so, if you don’t mind.”

“You have a concussion? Because you slept all day.”

“No, and how do you know that?”

“Minnie told me, plus Grim saw you leave. I slept in the van last night. Figured I’d break in once I knew you were up.”

“That’s reassuring,” I muttered.

“I found Grim out on the rooftop after I looked for you.” I glanced away and carefully slid under the covers. “Yeah.” He gave me a look with raised eyebrows. “He thought you left the fundraiser because you were upset about him and that girl he fucks sometimes.” He rolled his eyes, and I gave a sarcastic huff. He waited for an answer, but I didn’t offer one. His gaze flicked to my side. “He watched the video from the parking lot.”

“I figured he would.”

He snagged my phone off the table and held it up. “So, who’d you call when you were getting’ in your car to come here?” I went still, and I knew he saw me swallow. “Whoever it was,” he unlocked my phone, “made you look over your shoulder while you talked.”

“Natural reaction for what I’d just been through.”

“Maybe,” he looked at the number without a name attached to it, “but what did you mean by ‘I’ll do it?’”

I wished the drug would hit me now. I hated the attention this whole terrible situation had brought me. I didn’t like to feel so vulnerable.

“Grim knows you made a phone call,” he repeated. “He’s gonna ask you about it. Who was it, Kenna? Who upset you like that?” I rolled on my back and hoped the weed would hurry and take the throb out of my side and help to numb my thoughts. “Kenna⁠—”

“Morgan,” I fought hard not to tell my friend, “please, don’t ask.” I sniffed then dabbed out the joint. “This entire thing is so much.” I rubbed my chest. “It’s like dominos, you know? I’m just trying to keep them from all crashing down.” I paused to catch my breath. “I’m just trying to keep it all together.”

“Fuck! Okay.” He sighed heavily, toed off his boots, and laid his cut on a chair then crawled into bed with me. He was careful to tuck the covers in around me, then he settled and lay there quietly on top of the covers. I could hear his slow breaths as we both stared at the ceiling and listened to the house sounds. I matched the rhythm of his breathing, and it helped slow the panic I held inside. I relished that he was with me, and I wasn’t alone.

“Make me laugh,” I begged. He was always so good at that.

“Rail crashed a wedding at Indulge couple nights ago. Thought he went back to the room with the maid of honor, but it was actually the bride’s grandmother.” Morgan said it in a deadpan voice, and I started to laugh despite the stabbing pain in my side. “I’m unsure how he made that mix-up.”

“Do you think he noticed before or after she took out her false teeth?”

“I think it was after he helped her into her fluffy floral dressing gown.” He made me laugh harder, but soon the humor faded away and we were left in silence again. “Can I ask you something?” He got up on his elbow.

“Depends.” I used the back of my hand to clear the tears that insisted on outing my nerves.

“Are you really okay?”

I huffed out a long breath and craned my neck to look up at him, but I couldn’t find the words. I just shook my head. My chin quivered, and I put my hand on my mouth.

“Okay.” He pulled the blanket tighter around me, and I curled into his side. After a few minutes, he pulled out his phone and I saw he had a text. He waited a few minutes, most likely hoping I’d fallen asleep.

He unlocked his phone, and I read the screen.

Grim: Update.

Morgan: I’m spending the night.

Grim: Is she okay?

Morgan’s thumb hovered over the letters, and as my eyes grew heavy, I saw him text.

Morgan: Far from it.

* * *

As much as I wanted to go to work the next day, I spent the night staring at the wall. The day after that, I still found myself ready to spin out over my own shadow. I knew it wasn’t healthy to stay so secluded, but I was internally trying to process the attack and who knew what.

Minnie came by, and I filled her in on everything again and made sure I left nothing out. I felt terrible about dumping another secret on her, but I promised I’d make it right, or at least that I’d tell one of the guys. She agreed not to say a word but only because she saw I was hanging on by a thread. She insisted I get myself back to work the next day so she could keep an eye on me. I kept my promise and headed to the hotel first thing in the morning.

I spent a couple hours with my client Yen Hong before he had to leave for the airport. He had to be back in Hong Kong for business. He’d gotten to know me fairly well, and I saw him glance at me a few times. I knew he could tell I was off, but he was too polite to probe.

“Have you thought any further about my offer of a job?” He shrugged on his jacket, and the tailor got to work. Yen’s offer for me to come work for him in Hong Kong would have tempted me a few years back. He basically gave me the go-ahead to write anything into the contract that I wanted. I was flattered, but my roots were now firmly planted in Vegas.

“I have, a lot, actually,” I crossed my legs and leaned back in the chair, easing some of the pain in my side, “but right now I see myself here.”

“My hotel needs you, Kenna. I don’t take refusal easily.” He grinned, but it morphed into work mode when he suddenly got a call. “Hello?”

I checked the time and knew he’d have to leave for the airport soon. Once he left, I’d be free for the rest of the day. Sadly, the idea of being alone upstairs in my suite wasn’t as appealing as I hoped.

“Kenna, I’m sorry. I have to go. Keep thinking of that offer.” Yen blew me a kiss, and we said our goodbyes as I snagged my bag and headed for the lobby.

Once I was back in the lobby, I spotted Rail with a group of young women. He made them all laugh loudly. Oh, the Rail charm.

“I didn’t see you as a Paul Anka fan.” A security guard chuckled, and I blinked at him.

“Pardon?”

“Put Your Head on My Shoulder, that’s a classic.” He pointed to my purse where my phone was playing that song.

“Oh.” I forced a smile and pulled it free, curious as to who the hell it was. “Please excuse me for a moment.” I stepped away and answered the now silenced call.

“Hello?”

“Walk over to Rail and ask what his meeting with Trigger was about last night.” The automated voice made my blood run cold. I couldn’t forget that voice if I tried.

“I can’t.” Somehow, I found my voice and scanned the crowd to see if I could spot someone watching me. “I would never ask him a thing like that. It would be too risky. He’d know something was up.”

“I don’t recall you having a choice in the matter,” the voice said loudly. “Why did Simon Gable call you that night?”

My head spun. How did he know so much?

“He, ahh…” I tried to put my thoughts together, but this call had frozen my brain. “The night I was attacked by you?” I tried to show some guts.

“Don’t be smart, Kenna. Remember what I told you. You want the cops at your door for murder?”

“He wanted to talk to me, but we didn’t get very far. I had to hang up because that woman you were with interrupted us.”

“Look to your left.” I slowly turned and saw Grim talking to Jenelle. “Always got a woman on his arm,” he pointed out to me. “Grim had a meeting with his father early this morning. I want to know what was said.”

“How am I supposed to do that?”

“You were supposed to be at it.” Wait, how did he know that? How did he know any of this?

“Get the details on what I asked and wait for my call.” He paused, and I caught Grim’s eye. “Remember, Kenna, I got to you once. I can get to you again.” He paused. “That color looks good on you, by the way.” The line went dead.

I lowered the phone and felt the massive room tilt as panic waved through me. How was I going to pull this off? Breathe, Kenna, breathe. A cold prickle went up my back when my mind finally slowed down.

He was watching me. He told me where to look, he knew where Rail and Grim were, and that meant he was close by. The thought terrified me.

I scanned the busy lobby, but no one stood out, then I looked toward the cameras, and my stomach sank. What if…?

Rail caught my attention. He was headed toward me, so I turned on my heel and went quickly in the opposite direction. I wouldn’t ask him about Trigger’s meeting; I could never cross that line. The less I knew, the better, anyway.

I wanted to see those cameras. I used my ID card and hurried through the locked doors, wove my way through the shift change of dealers, then ran up the stairs. I paused at the door and raised my hand to knock then thought better of it. I held up Grim’s black keycard he’d left with me and held it to the security pad. The light turned green. There was Leo watching the craps table. He didn’t glance up because at the top of the screen it read Grim’s name for who entered the room. It was so you didn’t have to take your eyes off the screen.

“How’s Jenelle? Ya married yet?” He snickered, and I sighed at his comment as I stood there and watched the bird's eye view of the hotel. I had been here before but never without Jim or my father.

“Kenna?” He had turned and eyed me oddly. Then he saw Grim’s black card in my hand. “I see.” He didn’t question it, and I didn’t offer any explanation. He knew I would never cause any harm or trouble to the hotel. “How’s your side?”

“Still hurts a lot, but it’s getting better each day.” I kept my eyes on the monitors.

“I saw the tape of what happened, and we’ll get the animals who did that to you.”

“No doubt.” I wanted to talk about the problem I had now and keep the conversation off what happened before. “I need a favor.” I hated to put myself on Leo’s radar, but I had to figure this out fast. “Can you rewind the video on the lobby?”

I felt Leo study me for a moment. Then he spoke quietly into a mic and had another guy keep an eye on the man he’d been watching at the craps table.

“How far back?” He switched to the lobby camera.

“Ten, maybe twelve minutes ago.”

“Okay.” He started to tap on the keyboard, then the picture jumped to that timeline. “Anything I can search for? A color of a shirt, jeans, height?”

“A man on a phone.” I spotted myself on the screen and moved closer to study the footage. Multiple green boxes outlined several men on their phones.

“Can you help narrow them down?” he asked.

“Are any of them watching me?” I knew it was a longshot, but to my surprise, he moved the camera angle, so it was from my point of view looking around the lobby. He did a compete circle and the green boxes followed the men.

“Two of them were.” He brought their faces to the side of the screen.

“Can you see if they were watching Grim too?” I pointed to Grim across the way.

“Yeah.” He tapped away, and the green boxes around the two guys turned red. “No, they didn’t look in his direction.” I rubbed my head and ran multiple scenarios of what was happening.

“Can you tell me approximately how tall they are?”

“This guy,” Leo brought up the guy on the left, “given by what he’s standing next to, is roughly five-five.” He tapped again. “This one is about five-eight.” I thought about the man who attacked me; he was much taller. “What’s this about, Kenna?”

“Can anyone access these cameras?” He laughed but stopped when he saw my face. “I’m serious, Leo. You hear about hackers, so could these be hacked right now, and you wouldn’t know?”

“Not with how much we pay to keep people out. You’d have to be the best of the best, and those guys work for us.”

“Who has access to this room?”

“A select few and, apparently, you.”

I looked at the phone and sucked in a deep breath.

“What about my phone?” I tossed in on the desk like it might bite me. “Could my phone be bugged?”

“Highly unlikely, but,” he moved to a different computer and plugged in my phone, “I can run it through here and see if anything pops up.” I stood over his shoulder, then he pulled out a chair next to him. “This will take a moment.”

“Maybe I’m losing my mind,” I confessed but knew I wasn’t.

“Maybe it’s because you were attacked, and you haven’t dealt with it yet.” He shrugged sympathetically. “I wasn’t aware you had one of those.” He pointed at the black key card.

“Grim knows.”

“I figured, considering it’s his.”

“Are you okay with that?”

“If my brother gave you his black key card, I’m fine with it.”

“He didn’t exactly give it to me, more of he didn’t take it back when I tried to give it to him.”

“I see.”

“Strange, right? I mean, does this get me anywhere? I’m still trying to understand why he hasn’t asked for it back.”

“He must really trust you.” The corners of his mouth went up, but he focused back on the computer.

“I don’t think Grim trusts most people. Well, the ones who aren’t in his direct bloodline or have four legs.”

“He does love his dogs. Did he ever tell you about how he came to own them?”

“I just figured they were a gift from the Devil for all his hard work.” I didn’t mean to be so sarcastic, but I was dealing with a lot. “No, he never told me.”

“Grim’s dark, there’s no question about it.” Leo smiled. He loved to talk about his older brother. “He knew Leal and Zhar when they were just babies. They belonged to someone else back then. Then when they were about two, something bad happened and he took them. It’s a long story, but ask him about it sometime.” The computer made a noise and drew our attention. “Just as I guessed, it’s clean.”

“Can people hack into your phone and change a ringtone?” I knew I sounded crazy.

He tried to pry. “Only if they have access to your account online or know the passcode to your phone. Did that happen?” I ran a frustrated hand through my hair and closed my eyes, confused how this person knew so many things. “You seem very spooked, so what do you think happened?”

“Spooked doesn’t even describe what’s going on inside me,” I huffed. “Look, I really appreciate your help. Wish I could say I’m just overreacting, but…” I shrugged. “Thanks, Leo.” I patted his arm and stood. “As always, I appreciate that you’re so ready to help.”

“Any time.” He nodded and handed me my phone. “Are you staying at your house or in your suite tonight?”

“My suite, via Jim’s request.”

“I think that’s a smart idea.” He leaned back and looked at me. “Have you slept?”

“At first, I did. Slept like the dead.”

“And now?”

“I don’t know.” I leaned my hip into the desk and pressed my lips together. “It’s like I’m scared to shut my eyes. Afraid they might come into my room at night. I’m afraid of where my mind will go when I’m not in control of it.”

“Sounds—”

“Exhausting, overwhelming, the list is endless.” I smiled apologetically. “Sorry. It’s just been a hard last few days.”

“Don’t be sorry. I’m glad I’m someone you feel you can share stuff with.”

“You are.” I loved Leo. He had such a warm heart. “Well, I’m off to go lie in bed and count the minutes until tomorrow.”

“Remember, that card opens any door,” he called as I left. I wasn’t sure exactly what he meant, but my head was too tired to figure it out. I almost ran into Simon as I headed for the elevator.

“Whoa. Everything okay?” he asked as he looked at me.

“Yeah.” I was sure my lie was written all over my face.

“I’d like to finish that conversation we started the other day on the phone.” My stomach rolled, and he appeared to read my mood. “Perhaps a little later, then.”

“Thanks. That’d be better.” I could barely make eye contact, I felt so out of sorts.

“No problem.” He studied me for another beat then smiled warmly and let me pass. I hurried into the elevator and was glad when the two steel doors closed.

I showered and changed into an oversized t-shirt I’d stolen from Dale before we broke up. It had his name on the sleeve and the culinary school where he’d graduated. I only wore it because it was soft, and maybe it reminded me of a time where I hadn’t slept alone.

The glow from the flameless candles on the living room table provided just enough light to move about comfortably in my suite. I missed my house, but I didn’t miss the ground floor windows or doors. Sounds were different here. It was quieter way up in the sky, and even though there was only one way into the place, I found myself staring at the door. Scared the handle would turn.

The time ticked by, and I never moved from the couch. My heart was in my throat, and tears streamed down my cheeks. I was such a strong person, and it bothered me that I couldn’t hold it together now that I was alone.

The sound of the gunshot and the jolt of his body played out in front of me for the first time since that night at Minnie’s. I clenched my jaw and pushed the image back inside where I kept it. With all that had happened lately, I felt like I was losing control.

The sound of the elevator motor slowing caught my attention, and I sprang to my feet and grabbed a knife from the chopping block. My heart pounded so hard it made it difficult to hear if there was anyone outside my door. With my phone in one hand and the knife in the other, I slowly moved over to the door and pressed against it to listen. Just as I did, my phone buzzed in my hand and my heart went into my mouth. Any bravery I had left inside me fizzled out. I silenced the alert then unlocked the screen to see a text message.

Unknown: Your suite can’t protect you from me.

A tremor tore through me, and I fought to turn the phone off. I grabbed my purse and, without another thought, ran into the hall and, with shaky hands, held Grim’s card up to the screen and bolted inside the elevator the moment the doors opened. It took forever for them to close again. When they opened, I stepped out to meet two sets of pissed off eyes.

“Oh, shit.” I took a couple of involuntary steps then froze. “Grim?” I called hopefully as a wave of terror washed over me. “Hi, puppies.” I tried to keep myself calm.

Leal, the moodier of the two Doberman brothers, let out a low growl and bared his teeth as a warning.

“Okay, boy.” I turned to find Zhar had now blocked my way to the elevator. He just stood there in an intimidating stance while his brother did all the talking. “Yeah, this is great. Shit.” Without warning, I hit my emotional limit and broke. I slumped down until my butt hit the floor, unable to hold my weight any longer, and sobbed. Both dogs moved to stand in front of me. I was sure neither had any idea what the hell was happening. I drew my knees to my chest and wrapped my arms around myself.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered through a hiccup. “It’s like things are snowballing, and I can’t stop it.” Zhar looked at his brother, who had a death stare on me, then he sat down. Almost like he knew I just needed someone. “Have you ever been so scared that your own mind works against you? I don’t know if I can do this.” A pair of black loafers stepped into view, and I looked up into eyes colder than Leal’s.

“Go on,” Grim commanded the dogs then bent down in front of me. “You’re lucky they didn’t hurt you.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time this week.” I gave a small shrug, and his face remained like stone as he helped me to my feet. “We need to talk.”

He looked down at the t-shirt I had on, and I saw he registered there was nothing else under it. He lifted an eyebrow.

“Seriously, Grim, I’m not okay, and if I don’t share this now, I don’t know if I can.”

“Then let’s talk.” He walked into his living room and took a seat on the couch. I couldn’t sit. I needed to stand as the panic of what I was about to do started to kick in. I just let my mouth run. “I need to tell you about the night I was attacked. Your dad knows the version I gave him, but there was more.” With a deep breath, I began to tell him my story.

“Thanks. Shore. I appreciate you dropping me off here and not out front.” I snapped my compact mirror closed, pleased my makeup was on point. Now if only I could say the same about my wet hair. But when the hotel owner, Jim Gates, summoned you to the twentieth floor, you hauled ass.

“Anytime, Kenna.” He held up his phone. “Duty calls. It’s Mr. Salazar. Gotta go.”

My own phone rang as I gathered my things.

“Hello?”

“Kenna, it’s Simon. I need to tell you something.” He hesitated. “Is now a good time?”

“Oh, hey, yes, just give me two seconds.” I pulled the phone away from my mouth as Shore opened my door.

“Be sure to let Salazar know I say safe travels.”

“Happy to.” Shore smiled as I stepped out into the parking area. Then he rushed off to go pick up an actual paying client.

“Sorry, Simon. I was letting my driver go. What is it that you needed to tell me?”

“The deal with Trigger and your father just got more complicated.”

“How so?”

“Luis Aquilar is dead.”

I couldn’t understand why this was being brought up to me, and not Trigger.

“I didn’t know the man, but I’m sorry to hear he’s dead.”

“No, you don’t understand, Kenna⁠—”

“Kenna Lodge?” a woman’s voice interrupted from somewhere nearby. I squinted into the dark corner of the car port. I knew Jim had some construction going on for the level five employees after a couple of the battery charging ports had been vandalized, but I didn’t see anyone. “Yes, that’s you.” Heels clicked on the pavement while I stayed put and waited for whomever it was to show themselves.

“Simon, there’s someone here who wants to talk to me. Can I call you back?”

“Yes, okay, but make sure you do. We really need to talk.” I hung up and saw a brown-haired woman, about my size, give me a coy wave. She looked oddly familiar, but I couldn’t place her. I took in her hair cut and her freckled face as she got closer, but nothing rang a bell.

“This all feels very Deep Throat, doesn’t it?” She chuckled. Something about the way she held her bag told me she was nervous.

“Do I know you?”

“No, but your friend Hanna Hudson does.” Oh. “Look, I’m sorry to come at you here where you work, but I’m Linda Pestle, and Hanna and I used to work together.”

Okay, I must have seen Linda in a couple of Hanna’s photos over the years, and that was why she seemed familiar. It came to me then.

“Oh, yes, Hanna’s mentioned you.” Apparently, they were pretty good friends. I’d left before Linda came. If I remembered correctly, she worked for Markle Hotel.

“Good, I was hoping she’d mentioned me.” She let out a small breath of relief, and I felt my defenses come down a bit.

“She seemed to be upset the last time we talked. Do you know what kind of trouble she’s having?” I took a couple steps toward her, dying to know how my friend was. “Have you spoken to her? She called me the other day, but I never heard back from her.”

“See, that’s the thing.” Linda licked her lips nervously. “One moment she was rambling to me about some guy, and the next she gets a call and races out. That was two days ago.”

“Why did you come here?” Curiosity nipped at my core.

“Because you were the one who called her that night.” Her mouth twisted. “Is there any chance she said something to you?”

“Like what?”

“Like who the guy was or if she was in some kind trouble?” Her eyes darted around.

“She wanted to tell me, but…” My words fell away like my mind put a stop to them. Something wasn’t right here. Tiny sparks of fear prickled my veins as my brain tried to process something I was unable see.

A surge suddenly connected those sparks together, and my heart jolted as a leather hand slapped over my mouth. I was lifted off the ground and swallowed up by the shadows.

Fear consumed me as I was slammed into a wall. I struggled to see, but his face was covered by a dark mask that only showed his weird white eyes. Then something flashed by my face.

“You scream, and I’ll slit your throat.” I felt the cold steel against my windpipe. Then he pulled it back so I could see the ugly switchblade he held to make his point. I nodded and couldn’t control the heavy, hot tears that burned as they ran over the suddenly hypersensitive skin on my cheeks. He lowered his hand, and I desperately tried to make out his features through the covering. I realized he wore white contacts, and his voice was altered by some sort of device. It sounded mechanical and deep. “What did Hanna say when she called you?” his weird voice demanded. A faint whiff of body odor mixed with spice and something else found its way to my nose. It may have been my fear, but it wasn’t pleasant, and I felt myself gag.

Focus.