Page 10 of Sins

“Not yet.” My father smiled down at her. “I should go sit for a while.” He chuckled quietly and headed toward a chair off to the side. I saw Mom make a beeline for him. She made a show like a “mother hen” for a few moments then sat down beside him.

“I still can’t believe she left and didn’t tell me where she went. Just texted that she left.” Minnie blew out a breath as she pulled at her tight dress. “Holy mother of air conditioning, I’m like a helpless sausage wrangled into a casing.” She waved at herself, trying to cool down. “Jesus, even my vag is suffocating in this thing.”

“I’ll take things I didn’t need to know for five hundred.” Tess chuckled as she came up behind us.

“It’s like a water park down there. I’m slipping and sliding.”

“Minnie,” Tess shook her head, “these people don’t need to hear how your vag is a summer amusement park.”

I laughed. “Agreed. Please stop.” I spotted Knox with Calli and fought the urge to roll my eyes. Just what I needed, a fucking spy at my hotel opening.

“Meh.” She shrugged and snagged a champagne flute off a waiter’s tray as he walked by. “No sighting of Kenna yet,” she said in response to Tess’s question as she looked around.

“Fucking Sonny,” Tess huffed. That drew my attention, and Minnie’s eyes went wide at Tess.

“Why do you say that?” I looked at the two of them, and Tess closed her eyes with a curse. “Speak, ladies,” I ordered.

“We had it covered,” she started, and I cocked a brow. I didn’t like how this story started. “Basically, Kenna left Leo’s reception early and went back to the church because, well, you know, struggling with the family murder-ness.” She waved her hand. “Anyway, Sonny must have been watching her because the moment she was out of sight, he followed her in.”

“And?”

“And I don’t know, but whatever it was, she wouldn’t share. Then later that night, I get a text from her saying she’s leaving town but would be back for the opening.”

What the hell?

“And why was I not told this?”

“She brought it straight to Trigger,” Tess added quickly, “and he said he’d handle it because you had enough to deal with.”

“I see.” I didn’t like it, but I would have done the same for Trig, so I understood it. As for Sonny, I would deal with him again soon. I smirked to myself as I remembered Jesse had told me I’d broken his nose and fractured his cheek.

My mind drifted back over the past week. I thought of Talya’s warning that her parents, Jerry and Elva Cano, had been behind some of our problems. Retaliation had been sweet. We’d tippedoff some of the rival Cartel families and shared that the Canos planned to take over Martin Castillo’s empire. Now they had a whole new set of problems.Karma.Of course, I made sure whoever took over Rosarito knew they’d have my support as long as they left my run alone. My contract for drug distribution to Vegas was carved in stone.

Suddenly, Minnie’s hand slapped on my arm, and I followed her line of sight. Kenna entered the lobby on the arm of Yen Hong. She was in a dress that nearly took my breath away. A long, form-fitted, red number. It flowed over her willowy frame and hugged her curves. Her shoulders were bare, as the top of the dress was attached to a matching red scarf that was wrapped around her slender neck.

When she turned to smile at someone, I caught her bare back. The dress was open all the way down to just above her sexy bottom, where it cut into a V shape and gathered across her hips. The red scarf hung from her neck at the back and swooped down to trail along the floor. I froze when she laughed at something Yen said and he smiled down at her. It didn’t help that the rich Asian bastard looked like he’d stepped from a fashion magazine himself.

“Oh, shit,” Minnie squeaked. She looked at Tess like she knew something I didn’t. Then she squeezed my arm with something like panic on her face. “So that’s where she was!”

“Where?” I wasn’t following.

“A while ago, Yen Hong made her an amazing offer to come work for his hotel in Hong Kong. She didn’t say yes but didn’t shoot the idea down either.”

“What the hell, Minnie? I need to know these things!”

“No,” she corrected me, “only a boyfriend needs to know these things, and you’ve stated a few times now that Kenna isn’t your girlfriend.”

“I’m her boss. If she’s being poached, I need to know.”

“Then go be a boss and win her back, because so help me Jesus, if you don’t and something breaks up our trio, I will strip you bare and beat your fine ass for all to see.”

“Oh, I want in on that, too.” Tess glared at me.

Where are the fucking guys when I need them?I caught sight of Brick, who just smirked at me from the far corner of the room, like he knew what a handful they could be. The Devil’s Reach wanted nothing to do with fancy parties but everything to do with watching my back.

“Good evening, ladies.” Yen was in front of me. “Mr. Gates, your hotel looks exquisite. Congratulations on your opening.”

“Thank you.” I tried my best to curb my frustration that he had Kenna on his arm. “I’m glad you could join us. I thought you were out of town.”

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