Page 67 of Sins and Secrets

“I like to take a look at them every month to keep up with costs and trends in the markets, depending on which business we are talking about. I don’t want to be buying the wrong things and essentially lighting my money on fire.”

Billie nods, her eyes shining as she pulls out her phone and makes a note. “Do you work with national vendors or local ones?”

“I try to work with locals whenever possible. It helps with the other, less than legal sides to the business as well. You would be amazed at how many people are willing to look the other way when you spend tens of thousands of dollars at their business every year.”

Billie nods, though her frown deepens. “I’m not going to be doing anything illegal when I start my own business. I want to keep everything above board. Risking it all is not for me.”

I shrug and flip to another page in the book, showing an overview of the monthly expenses for the casino. “That’s fine. Some of my businesses aren’t fronts, but owning a casino is an easy way to clean money. There is so much moving through here every day that nobody thinks to look a little deeper.”

She bites her bottom lip, looking torn between asking me something and keeping her mouth shut.

“Billie, if there’s something on your mind, just say it. I thought we had agreed that you could talk to me?”

The corner of her mouth twitches. “How much do you pay the cops every month to look the other way?”

I chuckle and flip to another page, pointing at a number. The company listed beside the amount is a front, one used by the police to accept bribes. “You would be amazed by the things a little money can do in this city.”

“That’s a lot of money.” Her leg shakes as she looks over the other numbers on the rest of the page. “Was all of this in place before you took over or after?”

“Some of it was before but most of it was after.”

She nods. “Is it safe to be talking about this here? The cops don’t have your office bugged or anything, do they?”

I shake my head. “No. It’s fine. I would have stopped you if it wasn’t. The office isn’t bugged. None of the casino is. Shane sweeps through it every morning and then another man does a second pass. If they’re listening, it’s not here.”

“How many times have you been to prison?” she asks as she leans back in her chair and crosses one leg over the other. Her skirt rides a little higher on her leg.

I could bend her over the desk right now and nobody would know.

“Why do you want to know?” I ask, pushing the binder away from me. “I don’t mind talking about it, but this seems like a lot of questions. Normally you don’t seem that interested in the illegal parts of life.”

Billie shrugs and looks down at her nails, picking at something that isn’t there. “I don’t know. It just seems like we still have a lot of time to spend together, and I don’t know what happened in the years I was away.”

“I didn’t go to jail while you were away. I think the last time I did any time was ten years ago. Right before I took over, I got out. It was on a minor drug charge. Before that, I’d been in and out of jail since I was sixteen.”

She presses her lips together in a thin line. “I had to sit in a cell overnight once.”

I grin as I look at her. Though I know that she’s killed people before, she’s never gone to jail. Billie has a natural talent for covering up her crimes.

“What were you in a cell for?”

Billie smiles, her cheeks turning pink. “I might have punched a cop in the face. I was out at a bar with some of my friends once. I don’t know how I ended up on the table dancing, but I did. Anyway, the cop tried to pull me off the table. I didn’t like that too much, so I punched him in the face.”

“Did you break his nose? Or do we only break noses when we have a frying pan?”

Billie laughs and rolls her eyes. “You think you’re funny, don’t you?”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“I broke his nose.” She bursts out laughing, shaking her head. “I still can’t believe I did that. I should have known that it was going to get me in trouble, but I was too drunk to care.”

“That’s amazing.”

She nods. “It was. You know, I haven’t seen much of you in the last week. I know we’re staying away from each other, but it feels weird. I guess I got used to talking to you. Or you pissing me off.”

“It’s better this way,” I say, even though I don’t believe it.

If I’m being honest with myself, I’ve missed her too. I miss coming home and having someone dancing around the kitchen and making me feel better about my day.

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