Page 13 of Destroyed

“Why did you say it that way?” I ask.

“Because he’s been kind of a dick. At least according to Kaz. He snapped at her I guess… and Jamison put him in his place. But they’ve all been on edge..” she continues. “They have been trying to find Sasha, remember?”

“Yeah,” I say. Of course, I remember. They’ve forced me into all this shit.

“Well, they are planning to try and find out more from her this weekend. And I told Sebastian I don’t want to be around for anything that has to remotely do with Nate or Lockhart.”

“So you need an escort?” I scoff.

“No, Corrine. Mom and Dad want to see us. They think you spend your time partying all night at after-parties and they think I’m knocked up and just not telling them. Let’s just go put them at ease.”

“Well, I do spend my nights at after-parties these days. So that’s not wrong.”

“Whatever,” she says. “Pick you up at 9:00 on Saturday?”

“Sure,” I say. “But you’re explaining the whole Xavier thing to them. I’m over it.”

“Of course,” Riley says. Then softer, “You don’t have to tell them anything you don’t want to.”

“See you Saturday,” I say and get back to the catering order on my desk. My assistant generally takes care of these things, but lately, I need closer control over the details of the events I manage. Perhaps this is because all aspects of control in other parts of my life seem to have fallen away. Fucking Xavier.

I make some remaining phone calls and touch base with my crew, which is top-notch for the events in the city. Though everything is planned and accounted for, I can’t seem to make myself go home. I just don’t want another evening alone, wondering if Xavier remembers any of our last few months together.

Instead, I call friends and see if they want to go out tonight. Maybe we will go to one of my favorite clubs from days past; it’s a bougie sex club but unless you’re a member, you would never know. It’s luxurious and dark, and most importantly, there are plenty of nooks and corners to sit and observe. That will help my mood, I think. Watching someone get fucked relentlessly by a stranger. I mean, it can’t hurt at least. Right?

Chapter 9

Xavier

“The Cellar,” Jonathan whispers to himself over and over while pacing back and forth in our meeting room.

I knew his reaction would be bad, but at this point, he might be about to lose it. Maybe I should offer him a pill to calm down.

Nope, not a good idea.

Jamison sits visibly irritated next to me, with Sebastian across the table rubbing his hand on his chin as if in deep thought. Andre is up on a video call with us. He is sitting so stiff he could pass for a statue.

Jamison just broke the news about Sasha’s phone pinging at a very well-known underground establishment called The Cellar. It sounds fancy but it's just a shitty gambling front covering for the skin trade. Not to say you can’t actually gamble there because, of course, you can. I’ve never been but from the bits and pieces I’ve picked up, the main level is set up casino-style with hotel rooms on the floors above. It's the lower levels that contain the worst of the worst. Anything from sex trafficking to organ harvesting happens down there. The twins know the most about it, followed by Andre.

Jamison and Jonathan both grew up in foster care and group homes. I don’t ask for details but I know their upbringing was horrible. They saw things no children should ever have towitness. Andre’s brother runs a part of the underground as well, which is why he is familiar with the place.

“Well, we have to check it out don’t we?” I ask everyone in the room out loud.

Sebastian snorts, “If you’re asking my opinion, then, no, we don’t. Why the fuck do we still care where my ex-assitant’s phone is pinging?”

“Sebastian,” Andre starts, “do you know what fucking happens down there?”

“Don’t!” Jamison growls, causing Jonathan to start pacing again.

There’s a loud sigh over the video chat before Andre starts speaking again. “I messaged Antonio. He said he would try to get me a little intel. He can’t do much. That place is locked down like Fort Knox but maybe we can find out something…anything, that can help us.”

Sebastian scoffs but we all ignore him. I know he doesn’t give a fuck about Sasha but seeing as how she is Lockhart’s niece, we might be able to figure a lot more shit out if we were able to speak with her. From what Riley said, she’s pretty scared of her uncle. Maybe we can use that to our advantage.

A loud ping comes up on the monitor and Andre looks at his phone before quickly looking down again. “I’ll fly into the States tomorrow.”

“What, why?” Sebastian asks, confused.

“There’s a hooded event this weekend. It’s how they recruit without being recognized. They open The Cellar quarterly by invitation only from another member. Antonio is a member and says this is the best time for us to get in if we want to look for Sasha and get even a chance to talk with her. This is also one of the only events where we are less likely to be recognized.”

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