Page 152 of High Roller

When Victor leaves, I convince Grace to lie back down with me so we can nap for a while longer.

“What do you think he’s doing at the club?” I ask later when we’re eating at the bar.

Grace shakes her head. “It’s hard to say. According to the phone, it looks like they’re actually in the cigar bar.”

“Do they own the entire shopping center?”

Grace nods. “They’ve slowly started renting space to people to run businesses. Zara runs a boudoir studio, a club member they trust started the cigar bar, Bellamy wants to open an accounting firm, and I kind of want to start a bookstore but going back to school will make that a long way off.”

I put my hand over hers. “Do you want to be a nurse, or are you just trying to do more than work in a sandwich shop?”

Grace shrugs. “I’ve always thought I would be good at being a labor and delivery nurse. But the math and science classes required are scary to me. The bookstore is more my speed. But I don’t want anything to dampen the joy I get from writing.”

I shake my head. “Nothing will. You love it too much. Especially if you do it your way and only publish what you’re comfortable with. If you’re serious about the bookstore, I can help you when all of this is done.”

Grace beams. “I would like that. But I won’t drop out of school just yet. There’s a part of me that wants to prove I can do it. Even if I never work in a hospital.”

I nod. “That is something I know all too well. You’ll have what you want, Grace. I promise. Even if Finn succeeds in killing me, I’ll make sure you have your bookstore.”

Grace frowns. “Don’t say that, please. I don’t want to think about you dying.”

“Sorry, lover. After what happened at the courthouse, I just can’t be too optimistic. It’s clear Finn is ready to be done with me.”

“Is it Finn or is it Mayor Brandt?”

Her question makes me think for a moment. “It’s likely Mayor Brandt pulling the strings. She absolutely controls him. But he’s got evil in his veins too, so I don’t feel bad for him.”

“I wouldn’t feel bad for him either. My question was mostly just a curiosity.”

“It’s a good question. One I’m sure Victor and the others are looking into.”

We clean up our food in silence and head for the den where we curl up together with a movie. Grace falls asleep with her head on my shoulder, and Victor arrives as the credits are rolling. His gaze is tender as he sees Grace, and I wonder what he’s thinking as his eyes move to me.

“How are you feeling, Liliana? Do your hands need more attention?”

I hold up my bandaged palms with a smile. “Grace insisted on cleaning them and putting fresh gauze on them.”

“Good. Leave her and come with me, please.”

That doesn’t sound good. I ease away from Grace, trying not to disturb her, and slip into the hallway with Victor.

“What’s wrong?”

“Have you turned on the news at all today?”

I shake my head. “Grace and I took a nap, and then we ate and put a movie on. I’m just trying to keep things calm for her.”

He takes my hand and leads me to his office where he puts me in front of his computer screen and pulls up a local news site.

My face heats and my heart begins to race as I read the absurd headline.

“She’s trying to sabotage my character.”

“It looks like she has your former best friend on board as well. Saying you drove your husband to cheat. I’m sorry, Spitfire.”

“It’s just a news cycle. It will die down if we stop Finn and Miranda.”

“We’re doing our best. But we don’t know where Phineas is. And the mayor isn’t taking Hunter’s calls. Trinity is being prepped for surgery. I don’t know if it’s because they stabilized her enough to handle it or decided they didn’t have another option.”

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