“Emery,” Damon states, tone cold. “I am not risking your life on a fuckingmaybe.”
“I’m with Damon on this one, darling,” I say, sighing. “While that would be an ideal scenario, I think we all know the lengths Toni will go to get justice.” Emery swallows as I give her a knowing look. “You betrayed her in a sense. From a psychological standpoint, I don’t see Toni letting that go.”
Emery lets out a frustrated breath. "So, that’s the plan? Security, Red, and then what? We just sit and wait for the inevitable?"
"We prepare, that’s what we do," Damon declares. "And if she comes, we'll be ready."
“Fine, but I don’t want to hide,” Emery says in a clipped tone, crossing her arms. “I won’t hide from her. You do whatever it is you need to do to find her, but I am not fucking hiding.”
“You just want to go back to Club Hades, don’t you?” Damon smirks, and I’m grateful he’s able to find humor at a time like this.
Emery glowers at him. “I was referring more to work. You know, myjob.”
“Mhmm…” Damon hums playfully. “Sure.”
“Yes, well, at least when I do go back, I no longer have to report toyou,” she sneers, and I rein in a grin. “Actually, do you know if a new CEO’s been appointed yet?”
Damon twists his lips into a sour expression. “I’ve heard whispers.”
I perk a brow, genuinely curious. “Who?”
Damon’s eyes darken. “Amir Hadid.”
I instantly mirror Damon’s reservations.
Amir Hadid is a well-known name in our world. Not just in business but in our…extracurricularsas well. He’s the owner of every Club Hades. An enigma. Untouchable in ways Damon and I cannot fathom. His family owns the majority of the land on the Las Vegas strip, not to mention countless other high-end developments around the globe. He’s a third-generation billionaire. To him, we’re all poor.
"Since when is Amir interested in the tech industry?" I ask, unsettled by the thought of Emery working in such proximity to a man known for his penchant for the unattainable.
Damon scowls. "Rumor has it he wants to diversify the Hadid empire, now that his father has retired. I’m sure he’ll make a bid on the company within a year. Once he’s CEO, he’ll be able to sway the board.”
“Amir is never satisfied, is he?” I muse.
“No, which is a huge problem,” Damon grunts. “Huge.”
Emery looks between us, so blissfully unaware of the complexities that come with working for that man. "What's wrong with Amir Hadid? I mean, aside from being a business mogul, isn't he relatively harmless?"
Damon lets out a humorless laugh. "Harmless, Emery? Amir Hadid is many things, but harmless is not one of them. Let's just say, he takes great pride in hissideventures.”
Emery frowns. “Side ventures?”
“He owns Club Hades and its affiliate clubs around the world,” I say, cursing Damon for stepping down from his position. “He’s an interesting man. Rarely ever hears the word no.”
Emery blinks. “Oh.”
“I personally don’t know how comfortable I am with you two working together,” Damon admits. “Perhaps CJ Piers…”
Emery scoffs. “I am not quitting my job because you’re jealous, Damon. You’re the one who forced me to quit Piers so live with those consequences.” She shifts her stern gaze between us. “Plus, I have no desire to add another player to our team, so you’ll both just need to trust me.”
“It’s Amir we don’t trust,” I say. “Not you.”
Emery rolls her eyes. “I think we have bigger problems to deal with than Amir and his supposedly magical cock.”
Damon and I exchange a hardened look. She says that now, but I’ve seen Amir fuck a literal princess on the night of her wedding. She doesn’t know the type of man he is. But she’s right. We need to focus on one problem at a time. And for right now, that problem is Toni.
With a breath of resolve, Emery stands up and lifts a sassy brow. “You both seem rather tense right now. I think we should check out the primary bedroom.” She gives us a sly smirk. “I was told it comes with a California King.”
“The realtor is here,” Damon reminds her, but I can already see the shift in his demeanor.
