Nero listens as I talk about the arrests of the men who were there abusing the women, the guards who were killed and taken away before the police got there. All the women are either in hospital or back with their families, all of them had been kidnapped, not a single one of them had been there willingly.
The building had also mysteriously burned to the ground.
“Cam has a lead on the people behind it. He’ll keep us posted, but he is working with someone in Kentucky now who handles this kind of shit, they’ll make sure they’re taken down.”
“Where does Storm fit in?”
“The asshole was an old friend, he has no connection to the pricks running the house.”
Nero looks away from me and is quiet, so I hold my tongue.
“Razer has been out to Romney to see if he can find anything.”
“Any luck?”
“Not yet, but we’re closer than we were last week. Thank your brother for everything, if there is anything he needs.”
“Thanks. He didn’t do this as a favor, once he knew, he wanted to shut it down.”
“Fucked up,” he sighs. “People can be so fucked up.”
“The women are getting the help they need.”
Nero turns back and studies my face. The President getting an update and planning his next moves vanishes before my eyes.
“What do you need?”
“I’m good.”
“Callum, you saw some seriously bad shit and you’ve not been yourself. Anyone who witnessed that is going to be affected.”
“I’m fine.”
He doesn’t believe me but he’s never been one to push too hard, unless he doesn’t think we are coping with something.
“What’s the deal with Charley?”
“There is no deal.”
His brow lifts and he leans back in his seat. Psychic. He really fucking is.
“It wasn’t expected.”
“I hearthat.”
“Jesus, Nero. Don’t put that shit on me.”
“You’ve put that shit on yourself,” he smirks. “Ellie says she’s smart, too good for the club. Which probably means too good for you. Then again, Taylor is definitely too good for me and I’m never letting her go.”
“It’s new,” I say it like I’m unsure.
“Maybe she is what you need right now.”
“Using her to make me feel better isn’t right.”
“You want her there when you’ve worked through this shit?”
Who knows? One thing Nero does well is get you thinking. Is that what I want? How could we ever work? I’m still hung up on how old she is, but that went right through the fucking window the second she kissed me. Nine years isn’t so bad, is it?
