Page 79 of In the Dark

Another day, when I mentioned I didn’t have to have a bouquet made, he looked affronted. “Of course you’ll have a custom arrangement.”

“Why?”

“I don’t think that should be the question. It should be why not, Jasmina?” And then he scheduled a floral shop appointment for later that week where he insisted on every blue flower he could find being in the arrangement.

He even made calls about the photography, which I told him wasn’t needed, but he informed me that he was a Knight, that magazines and media outlets were going to cover this event regardless, and so we might as well have the best.

I found that the gated community had everything one could ever ask for. Hundreds of homes were set strategically around a shopping village that included boutiques, a spa, hair salon, library, and restaurants. There was a bar where it seemed only Groveians were allowed to frequent, and then there was a country club with tennis, golfing, dining, and a gym. One of the guys informed me that I could have most anything delivered within a day, too, like we all had exclusive access to most businesses.

And maybe this community did.

Diamonds pulled more strings than I was sure my family ever had.

And yet, my family still managed to pull the wrong freaking ones. I was much busier than I thought I would be, which didn’t give me time to dwell on what Paolo had done all these years behind my back.

Yet, still, it ate at my soul. “Have you gotten a list of companies Paolo trafficked women through?”

“I did,” Callahan said over the breakfast we were eating in the dining room because he insisted we get out of my room more. “I’ll send you it. As of right now, we’ve halted the operation. We’re tracking down the women who were affected, compensating them, providing therapy, jobs, and medical aid.”

“You’re doing all that already?” I asked, almost baffled that he could move that quickly.

He nodded and shrugged. “We have a team on it, and we’re doing our best. Some are receptive. Others aren’t. Paolo ran that business for years, Jasmina. Some of that footage is from before you were born. It’s going to cost millions and disrupt a lot of businesses if you—”

I chewed my cheek. “I’ll pay you back.”

“What’s mine is yours, Viper.”

“Be serious, Callahan.” I scoffed because this was actually important to me, to them, to so many who’d been wronged.

“I am serious.” Callahan waited a minute as he wiped his mouth with a napkin and said softly, “That’s not the point I’m trying to make. It will take time for wounds to heal. And it will cause ripples.”

“Would you rather I tell you to leave it?”

I saw a small smile play on his lips. “No. I don’t think you’re capable of leaving anything alone once your mind is set on it, Viper. I’m just warning you that it’s going to take a lot from your family … already is.”

“Tía Perla and Monte are on board. We accepted the drugs and firearms as part of the business, but never trafficking. If that’s what Paolo was doing … if that’s what my father was doing before Paolo took over, they can rot in hell.”

He nodded and went back to eating, letting me get lost in my thoughts, get lost in what I’d seen on those security tapes. And while I mulled it over, I remembered that stupid logo in the background again.

“I need to go back to the library today,” I announced.

Callahan was frowning at my plate. “For what? You went there three times this week already.”

He was right. I’d met the librarian, Zen, who seemed bubbly and quirky. She’d pointed me in the direction of event planning but kept her eyes on me.

The whole community seemed to, which was expected, I guess. I wouldn’t have let an enemy of my family walk around unattended.

Not that they did. Archer or Callahan was with me each and every day. It meant that if I wanted to get any good reading that wasn’t about weddings in and start researching what I’d found of Paolo’s sex trafficking along with whatever was on the SD card, I needed the library to myself.

Because as much as Callahan and I had gotten along the last couple of days, and as much as he seemed to want to help with the trafficking, I wanted to be careful. I had to uncover what I could on my own first and then decide what information to share with everyone else.

It would take time to establish the library routine enough that people wouldn’t be watching what I was reading there. So, I said, “What about, hmmm … wanting to go to the library for entertainment? Now there’s a wildly innovative idea.” I glared at Callahan. “Do you not read?”

His eyes snapped up to mine and found that I was teasing him. He chuckled and pointed his fork at me. “I work … for my family, Viper.”

I sighed because I understood his drive, understood that Callahan had a devotion to his family that was similar to the one I had for mine, which I actually respected. Even still, I could see he never actually did do much for fun. It wasn’t my problem. It would actually be a benefit when we were married, honestly. I’d get more time to myself. Yet, I found myself saying, “Everyone deserves an escape from life sometimes, Callahan.”

“At the library?” He raised an eyebrow like we could find something better to do. I was sure he could. He had about twenty women around the world waiting for a call if the media was right.