I don’t bother to respond. Destiny has never held power over me.
Lacing my fingers behind my head, I enjoy the view of her skin-tight, cheetah print ass, as it bounces toward the exit.
She turns and blows a kiss before disappearing through a side door, into the night.
My eyelids lower once again, relishing in the fact I get to go home and sink into another warm hole.
I hear the heavy door swing open, then slam shut abruptly. I opened one eye.
“You forget something?”
I sit up, surprised, to find a broad-shouldered man in a form-fitted suit. I knew I should have locked that damned door. Lucky for me, I recognized the brooding guy from the club.
“Daxton! This fuckin’ guy! How the hell are ya?!”
I spring from my seat, round the desk, and smack him on the back. Like a wall of muscle, he hardly flinches.
“You’ve been… busy this evening,” he states dryly, smoothing the front of his jacket.
“You know how it is! Women can’t keep their hands off me. Hard to choose just one, right? Come, sit.”
My unannounced guest ignores my invitation to sit in one of the smaller wooden chairs, instead taking a seat at the end of the desk, where I resided moments ago.
“Soooooo, how’s business? I understand one of the bars is doing well now.”
His expression remains unreadable, but I did catch a tick along his jawline. Shit. Not one for small talk, I see. I rub the back of my neck, feeling the room becoming increasingly hot. Did they know?
“Cut the crap, Brodi. You know why I had to come all the way out here. Where’s the rest of the money?”
Fuck. I look at the hardened man, trying to gauge if this is a warning visit or something else entirely. Is he here alone?
I lean forward, placing an elbow on each knee, fisting my hands together, all while mirroring his steely glare. If I lie, I know I won’t be walking out of here. I need to be smart. Use what I know and get the hell out of here.
“Look man, I’ve come across some information… something that will make the Murrays very happy.” I say sitting back, casually throwing an arm over the neighboring chair and resting one foot on the opposite knee. “Let’s just say, this information has been under wraps for a loooong time.”
He crosses his arms over his muscular chest and lifts an eyebrow.
He’s biting, so I continue, “It’s the kind of intel that could make everyone forget about any misplaced funds.”
His jaw moves side to side, as if his teeth are grinding.
I pushed on. “The Lombardis were more involved than the Murrays suspected,” I state firmly.
“How so?” His mouth barely moves as he asks, speaking through gritted teeth.
“My source…” I almost say the poor sap’s name before catching myself. “Someone has told me that a Lombardi is responsible for Mary Murray’s death.”
His face is unreadable; he looks past me.
I turn slightly to find nothing in particular before I turn back to his unsettling stare.
“The rat responsible for that, has already been dealt with.” He looks bored, like this information wasn’t as important as I initially thought. “Who’s your informant?” He asks pointedly, leaning back in the worn chair causing it to emit a high-pitched screech.
Shit. Maybe they already know. I need something more substantial if I don’t want to wind up in an underwater grave. That’s what I heard about these goons. You do them wrong, and they’ll fillet you before sinking you to the bottom of the bay, like the rest of the idiots dumb enough to.
“I’m an asset, you know! How about this?!You tell your boss to wipe my slate clean, and I’ll tell you where to find a Lombardi. There’s one still here in the city, right under your noses.”
The man’s once indecipherable features become calculated. His eyes narrow to slits, pinning me in place. “Which one?” He all but growls.
