Page 143 of High Roller

Victor

Thenextmorning,wemeet at Owen’s house to discuss our upcoming meeting with Hunter. None of us can even guess what he has in mind, but Owen did say he ordered a suite at the Elysium to be prepared complete with a security detail for later today.

“I can’t say for certain it has to do with our problem, but it’s definitely not for a VIP that I’ve been informed of.”

He pours a cup of coffee and slides it my way as he pulls another mug from the cabinet. “Our best bet is to go in with an open mind and present our plan as a counteroffer if we don’t like what he has to say.”

I add a splash of cream to my coffee and swirl it before taking a drink. “She’s open to filing for divorce sooner than planned, but she needs our guaranteed protection.”

Matteo leans forward and stares at me intently. “Do you trust her enough to offer that?”

I nod. “I do. At first, I wasn’t sure, but she’s committed to taking her husband down and has no desire to be part of that family.”

Matteo nods, as if my answer is good enough, and takes the cup of coffee Owen offers him.

Luke and Tobias have been quiet during this conversation, which means they are on board with Owen’s assessment of the situation.

Luke sets his coffee down and adjusts his cufflinks. “Zara is convinced we can trust her as well. And that’s good enough for me.”

I smile at the bearded Irishman. He’s smitten where his wife is concerned, but she’s an excellent judge of character, and has a knack for reading people, so it’s good enough for me as well. Luke and I have butted heads several times over the years, and we’ve never been close friends, but the past couple of years have brought us closer, and I’m grateful to have him in my corner.

Owen pulls his phone from his pocket and groans.

“Looks like the boss is ready for us now, gentlemen. That was a text from Nadine.”

We head for our cars, and drive to the Pink Sapphire where Hunter Novak is waiting impatiently.

“Here is what’s going to happen, gentlemen. Mrs. Draven will move into the penthouse at the Elysium by the end of the day. I will escort her to the courthouse to file for divorce next week on a day of my choosing. It will be public, but she will be on my arm, and my wife will be there for moral support. She will have to reveal the abuse, preferably during a press conference after the paperwork is filed. You and your friends are then going to attend my next party at the end of next quarter where Victor and Lili will ‘meet’ for the first time and hit it off. From then on, it will be about managing PR around your relationship.”

We stare at Hunter as he lays out the plan so efficiently. I hate to admit it’s a better version of the plan I had in mind.

“I am sticking my neck out for you all, and after I’ve drawn him out, it’s up to you to take him down. Once this is done, I want no part in whatever happens next. Your jobs are safe for now, though I don’t understand why you want them given your other endeavors and financial independence.”

Owen laughs. “I just like the tech you give me access to.”

Hunter glares. “I’ll keep that in mind next time I’m choosing people to watch over my wife.”

Owen sobers. “I apologize, sir. Now isn’t the time for jokes. You’ve seen that I take Mrs. Novak’s safety as seriously as I take my own wife’s.”

Hunter nods. “You do. Which is why you’re still standing here.” He glances at his watch and shoves a hand in his pocket. “I have one more request.”

Matteo raises an eyebrow. “And that is?”

“We want to check out your club.”

I groan. We try not to let outsiders in. Hunter isn’t an outsider to kink, but he isn’t involved in the same enterprises as most of our members, so it’s hard to justify the invitation. Then again, he has helped us out of numerous jams, so it’s not unreasonable.

“That can be arranged,” Owen says. “Who is we?”

“My wife and I plus Matteo’s boss and her husband.”

“Mitch and Amalia? I had on idea they were... inclined to that lifestyle.”

I look at Matteo with an are-you-serious expression on my face. “Seriously? She wears an obvious collar and has at least two kink themed tattoos that I’ve seen. And I’ve talked to the woman less than a handful of times.”

“It’s not that obvious,” Matteo mutters.

Owen puts a hand on either of our shoulders as he looks at Hunter, silently telling us to shut the fuck up. “We’ll see that it happens.”

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