Page 130 of High Roller

I look at him in surprise. There was no time for us to strategize for this meeting. Which was probably purposeful on Hunter’s part. It’s how any of us would have done it if we wanted to get as much information as possible from someone.

Hunter slams a palm down on the table. “What possible reason could you have for helping his wife? How did she find you?”

He’s looking directly at me now, which means he probably knows I was with her the night she was gambling at the Pink Sapphire.

“It was a freak coincidence that we met,” I say. It’s the truth, and I don’t have a better lie prepared, so I’m rolling with it.

“My company has contracts in the works that require the city’s approval. There are pieces of legislation I’m trying to get passed in the state legislature. You fucking with the mayor’s son is not helping me achieve those things. And when you’re actively hindering my progress, I question whether our working relationship can continue, gentlemen.”

Matteo steps forward. “If it’s worth anything to you at all, he’s abusive and cheating on her.”

Hunter straightens and folds his arms across his chest. “That’s unfortunate, and I certainly don’t want to send a woman back to an abusive relationship, but that still doesn’t change the fact that we have a problem.”

“Draven is one of our enemies,” Owens says. “And in my digging through his and his mother’s finances, I’ve discovered some interesting anomalies that make me convinced Mayor Brandt is on the take with a number of problematic donors and business entities.”

Hunter raises an eyebrow. “And your business isn’t problematic?”

Owen lets out a laugh. “Not in the same ways. We don’t steal from people directly, and we don’t really hide who we are except for where we need to.”

Hunter does not seem impressed with Owen’s explanation as he leans forward and presses his hands flat on his desk and looks each of us in the eye.

“I want this handled within the next two weeks or there are going to be more dire consequences. And I promise you won’t like any of them. Mayor Brandt may be a corrupt politician, but she’s who we’ve got, and I won’t be happy if I get fucked in all of this.”

“We’re working on it, Mr. Novak,” Matteo assures him. “And we regret that you’ve been dragged into our business.”

“Just fix it and there won’t be any more problems.”

It’s clear we’ve been dismissed when Nadine opens the door and stands aside to let us out.

When we leave the office, we ride downstairs together. Owen overrides the system in the elevator and sets it to not stop on any of the other floors. “What are we going to do next?”

“I’m hoping to continue working on Hunter to get him to take on the mayor. He’s the only one even remotely on our side with that kind of power. We operate too much in the shadows to take her down on our own.”

“What if Lili comes out of hiding and files for divorce?” I ask.

Owen whistles. “That’s drastic and very public. Do you think she would go for it?”

“What purpose does that serve?” Matteo asks.

“If she files for divorce, it supports the narrative that she came to us for help in leaving his abusive ass,” I explain. “As for whether she would go for it or not, I would need to ask. I’ll talk to her as soon as I get home tonight.”

“It’s worth exploring. What else do we have on Draven and his mother?”

Owen shakes his head at Matteo’s question. “They’ve got things buried deep, and I’m still working on uncovering it. You know what I know. She’s got some suspicious accounts, and Draven seems as clean as a whistle. Either she’s protecting him, or he’s good at covering his own tracks.”

The elevator slides open on the ground floor, and Owen steps out. “Let’s meet again tomorrow afternoon after Victor has had a chance to talk with Lili.”

When I finish my shift, I head to the club to handle some business and clear my head before going home to the girls. I’ve checked in with their security, and everything is quiet.

In my office, I set about responding to emails and reaching out to clients we’ve laundered money for in the past six months. But my eyes blur and before I know it, I’m falling asleep. My dreams are filled with visions of Grace and Lili naked in my office sitting on my desk, and when I wake with a raging hard on, I’m disappointed that neither of them is here. The dreams were so real I could smell them.

I stand and head for the kitchen, my heart still racing from the erotic dreams.

In the kitchen, I lean against the stainless-steel prep station and will my pulse to slow and my cock to relax. This is why I don’t date women beyond a one-night stand. Grace deserves more than what I’m capable of giving her. Especially with my feelings for Lili growing in intensity. Yes, the other night I told her we were all on the same page about enjoying each other until Lili had to move on, but deep down, I’ll be devastated if Lili has to leave. And she’s going to need to leave. Things are too complicated, and unless I kill her bastard of a husband, and probably the mayor too, she won’t be safe. I would never forgive myself if anything happened to her.

The door opens and Tyson Vance, a friend of the club, enters carrying a large tray of something that smells amazing. He’s a celebrity chef with a Michelin star or two, and we’re lucky he’s a member here.

“You look like you could punch someone in the face,” Tyson quips as he sets the tray down.

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