“911, what is your emergency?”
“Someone has been stabbed. I’m at The Casino Famiglia. First floor. By the slots on the far back left.”
The woman on the other end hummed as she clicked her keys. “Sir, I show there are paramedics already there. I’ll tellthem your location. Hold tight. Would you like to stay on the line until they arrive?”
“No,” I said as I hung up. There were other important people to call.
Henny answered on the first ring. “You have them?”
I didn’t need him to tell me who he was referencing. We both understood Pharrell and Ricardo were a package deal these days. You couldn’t protect one without the other.
“They’re secure. Well, I have eyes on both.” I winced.
“What do you mean? What’s wrong? Tell me!”
I’d never heard him so flustered. While part of me hated it, I also enjoyed knowing he was more than the robot he tried to be. Pushing the knowledge away, I explained to him how I found Ricardo stabbed and on the floor. I also mentioned that Pharrell was worrying over him.
“Paramedics should be here soon.”
“And what about the bomb?! They need to get out.”
I laughed, then said, “The bomb has been handled. I took care of it first. If I hadn’t, then maybe he wouldn’t have been stabbed. But then again, it would be blowing up soon, so there’s that.”
Henny was surprisingly quiet for a minute before mumbling, “He deactivated a fucking bomb. Jesus Christ!”
“Pip.” Pharrell’s voice drew me from the amusement Henny brought out.
I looked down at his crouched form. He was covered in blood, likely from trying to see if there were any more wounds on his partner.
“Yes, Boss,” I answered. Henri was silent, likely because he was also listening.
“We’re going to get him to the hospital, then we’re going to go hunting.”
I smiled wide at that.
“My kind of hunting?”
Pharrell’s expression turned the darkest I’d seen yet. I reveled in the horror it would bring.
“Yes, Pip. Your kind of hunting. I’m going to tear this fucking city to shreds until I find who did this.”
“Sign me up. I love a good hunt.”
Henny groaned before ending the call. Poor thing. One day, he’ll learn how to have a good time with some maiming and torture like the rest of us.
CHAPTER 20
Henri
The call camethrough while I was reviewing the quarterly reports for the upcoming Lyon Enterprises expansion. Pierre called, sounding strained, which immediately put me on alert.
"There's been an incident at the casino. Bomb threat. Pharrell, Ricardo, and Pip are on site."
The words hit me like a physical blow. My hand tightened on the phone hard enough that I heard the case crack.
"Where are they in the building?" My voice came out flat, controlled, even as my heart rate spiked.
"Pip was with Pharrell up in your suite. They made it down to Ricardo…"
