Page 17 of Spice's Halloween

“Drugs? Women trafficking?” Lindy asked.

“No,” I told her honestly. “Underground casino, smuggling, organised fights? Yeah, we do them.”

“The brothel I heard about?” Lindy said pointedly.

“That’s ours. Do the prostitutes work for us? The hotel provides a protected environment for them to work. Better than the girls pedalling sex down an alley and getting battered or having a pimp steal three-quarters of their money. We protect them and only take ten per cent for the cost of the room. They make fifty bucks, they pay us five. We don’t let anyone hurt them either. For whatever reason, they’re selling their bodies, and they deserve to be safe.”

Lindy pursed her lips, and I could see she was clearly thinking about this.

“Why are you telling me this?” she finally asked. That was not the question I’d been expecting.

“Because I want a life with you. While you were with the asshole, I respected the boundaries and stayed away. But you caught my eye the moment I moved in. Now Higgins is gone, you’re free, and so am I.”

“You cheat, Spice? I don’t deserve a man who’s going to go to his club, fuck a club whore, and come home to me stinking of her,” Lindy said bluntly.

I winced. “See you know that term.”

“Club whores? Oh, yeah. I’m well aware of them,” Lindy replied.

“They’re there to service the brothers. For that, they get free housing and an allowance. Those bitches can leave whenever, baby. If you are with me, then I’m with you. I don’t cheat; I can’t stand it. If you don’t wish to be with someone, don’t be. It’s simple. Don’t betray their trust. You and me, Lindy, we’re exclusive. And should a man try to come between us, I’ll kill him because you’re worth killing for,” I said, facing her and holding her eyes.

Lindy clearly was considering that, so I returned to the wok and added the noodles. I stirred the sauce in another pot and waited.

“Cheating is a hard no for me, Spice. And as long as you aren’t selling drugs to kids, forcing people into prostitution, or trafficking women, I’m fine with everything.”

“If you’re that worried, I can take you to meet them one day.”

“Nah, I think I’ll pass on that,” Lindy replied, laughing.

“Where’s your plates?” I asked, and Lindy pointed. I grabbed two, served up the chicken noodles and vegetables, and tipped the sauce into a jug.

“Anything else you want to ask me?”

“Not yet, but I’m sure I’ll think of some stuff over time,” Lindy answered.

“Just ask. If I can’t tell you, I’ll say so. But I’ll not ignore you,” I said, putting a plate in front of Lindy.

Lindy poured some sauce over the noodles and meat and dug in. A groan left her mouth as I watched to ensure she was enjoying it.

“If you cook like this, I’ll never allow you to leave!” Lindy teased.

Somehow, that didn’t frighten me as much as Lindy thought it might.

“You keep making noises like that, and I’ll be putting a ring on your finger by the end of this week,” I retorted, and Lindy’s eyes went wide.

Luckily, she wasn’t eating, or she’d have choked, judging by her expression.

“You don’t mean that.”

“What you wanna bet on that, Lindy?” I replied.

In response, Lindy shoved another forkful in and moaned again with a twinkle in her eye. Little madam!

Chapter Four.

Lindy – The past.

Spice was amusing the hell out of me. He was trying to be himself but at the same time watching his manners. Which was really sweet, but I’d rather see Spice be his natural self than someone he wasn’t.

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