“It’s beautiful. Thank you,” she says, squeezing my forearm. “I hope it’s insured. If anyone ever tries to rob me, I’m tossing it at their head and running.”
I chuckle.
No one would be that stupid.
She settles back into her seat, looking at Hawk. “When I get home tonight, I’m going to snuggle under my heated blanket.”
“Don’t overdo it,” he says in a weirdly tender tone that I’ve never heard him use. “You get hot at night. It won’t hurt my feelings if you save it for another time.”
My eyes narrow.
He’s not allowed to be more thoughtful than I am.
That just makes me look bad.
Hmm.
I’ll have to up my game.
Or murder him in his sleep.
He should know I play to win.
Vanessa looks stunning as we make our way into the club. Normally I come in through the employees-only entrance, but I wanted to give her the full experience of Luxe. Her bracelet and engagement ring glitter in the LED lights, and my chest fills with pride.
I never realized how much I craved a true queen to stand by my side. She’s still adapting to joining the family, but I have no doubt that she’ll be a force to be reckoned with in a few months.
Cynthia approaches as soon as we step past the bar. She’s one of two managers, and if she wasn’t good at her job, I would have fired her ages ago.
She comes to a stop at my side, leaning close as she places her hand on my forearm. “It’s so good to see you, Mr. Moretti. It’s been ages since we’ve had you in the club. May I get you a drink?”
“No,” I say, fighting the urge to shake out of her hold. I have my other arm wrapped around Vanessa’s lower back. It should be a solid sign that I have no interest in her touching me, but I am interested to see how Mrs. Moretti handles the situation.
Cynthia has never made an overt pass at me—that’s grounds for immediate dismissal—but she is overly touchy. Most people are perceptive enough to discern that I have no interest in being touched by them.
“Vanessa, meet Cynthia. The club has two managers. Cynthia handles the employee schedules and HR, while Hector manages the financial side of things.” I pull my wife closer, turning to ensure that she can see the woman encroaching on my personal space.
“Oh, you brought a date,” Cynthia says, batting her lashes.
“I’m afraid not. A lot has changed since I visited last.” I pat Vanessa’s hip. “Cynthia, meet my wife.”
Vanessa’s face breaks out into a wicked smile as she says, “You can call me Mrs. Moretti.”
I barely hold back a laugh.
She’s not subtle at all. I never thought I would enjoy being publicly claimed by a woman, but I find I love it when it comes from her.
My wife leans into me, patting my chest. “Do you have cash, or do we need to visit the ATM? I’m sure you have one here. Don’t worry about me. I’ll keep myself busy while you’re in that meeting. I’m going to make it rain for your dancers.”
Hawk chuckles from behind me, and I regret not leaving his ass at home. Actually, I regret not canceling this meeting when I had the chance.
The forensic accountant I hired to deep dive into Grigoryan shoves a large envelope at me. I flip it over, but it’s closed with metal tongs, and I can’t be bothered to open it.
I toss it down at my side. “So what exactly are you saying, Jack?”
“His tax returns are clean. They’re bullshit, of course, but he’s paying out enough in taxes every year that Uncle Sam probably won’t go digging. Not unless someone tips them off to a huge payday in back taxes and penalties.” The accountant shrugs. “I can pop into his financials and leave enough of a trail that if you turn him in, they’ll probably get him on tax evasion. But it’ll be expensive. I don’t fuck around when it comes to the IRS, so it’ll have to be done right. It takes time, and it’s expensive. It’s your choice. If you want to dump a hundred grand or more into it, I can get it done.”
“There’s nothing to tie him to the missing persons cases? No way to link him to dirty money related tohuman fucking trafficking?” I ask, my annoyance rising.
