Page 91 of Don't Lie To Me

He throws me a look of surprise that I’m giving in so easily.

“I’m tired, Onyx, take me home,” I sass back so he knows I’m still in here somewhere. I just don’t have a lot of fight left in me tonight.

He takes my hand, but the sudden buzz of his phone interrupts the moment as he retrieves it from his pocket. “Speak,” he growls out, unimpressed.

As I wait to see what’s going on, Reef wraps an arm around me and kisses my cheek. “We will be right behind you.”

And I know he means quite literally, because that’s how we have been driving everywhere since they took me to Jagger’s place at the docks.

Onyx watches me. “Give me a minute,” he tells the person on the other end of the phone, his attention coming to all of us. “I wouldn’t be so sure about him not targeting this place. Another two bodies were found. One in the back alleyway, the other out on the street in full view of clientele. My guards have moved them out of plain sight, but we need to deal with this mess. Now. The last note says, ‘You’re next Ava.’”

My skin goes all prickly, knowing he’s closing in on me. It should have been impossible for him to get this close. But somehow, he’s finding a way.

“I’ll call it in,” Reef says, ready to make the call.

I shake my head, trying to think about what to do. “Not tonight you won’t. This place can’t be crawling with cops, not while we’re running an event this big.”

“I’ll call Jagger,” Romeo says.

I massage my temples, trying to work out what we do.

Onyx runs a hand over his stubble. “Jagger is dealing with a mess of his own. This is on us.”

I nod, agreeing with him. “We have men surrounding the building. This place is safe, you boys go and deal with it.”

“I’m not leaving you alone,” Onyx snaps back.

“Who knows who saw one of those bodies out there,” Romeo says, agreeing with me. “If we leave it too long, the cops will arrive for sure, and this shit will be pinned on us. I don’t want to leave her either, but she’s safe in here.”

“I have my gun, and there’s security everywhere. He can’t get me here, and he knows it. That’s why he’s leaving these fucked-up messages all around. Go on, Onyx, I will be fine.”

His face hardens to motherfucking scary. “I’ll see you to your office on our way out. If you leave that place before one of us gets back, you don’t even want to know how badly I will punish you,” he growls, and I know he’s deadly serious.

I salute him, knowing now’s not the time for me to be joking around, but I’m freaking the fuck out, and if I don’t mess around, I’m going to fall into a heap on the floor and not be able to get myself back up again. “I swear I won’t leave my office. Go sort it out, Onyx, I’ll see you soon.”

Romeo takes off out the front of the club, a security guard in tow, while Reef and Onyx walk me through to my office. I swipe myself in, and right before he takes off, Onyx lowers his lips to mine. “Don’t fucking do anything stupid while I’m gone,” he mutters in warning.

I stare back at the two of them, and I see the worry in Reef’s face as well. “I won’t, I swear. I’ll just sit in here and watch you guys on the security feed. Go fix this mess.”

With one more quick kiss from Onyx and a lingering look from Reef, he closes the door and checks that it’s locked. Then I’m alone, with my heart racing erratically.

I place my gun down on my desk right in front of me. I’m not scared, I know this asshole can’t get in this place, but it doesn’t hurt to be extra safe. I flick on the power switch to my computer, the screen illuminating my dimly lit office as I access the security feed. In the shadowy back alley, I find Onyx and Reef conferring with a security guard. At the front of the club, I see Romeo ducking around the corner and out of view, the rest of the street looks deserted, eerily quiet.

They have this handled, Sloane, all you have to do is wait for them to get back here. I bring up some of the live feeds from the rest of the club, not sure what else to do with myself. Playing with the bracelet Onyx gave me, I watch over it all. Inside, everything looks to be in control and functioning as normal. My girls are safe, but out there, no one is. Why the hell is someone doing this to me and to the women of this town? His haunting words keep playing in my head.

Like father like daughter, playing both sides. We both know what that gets you… dead.

They died because of you, and they will continue to pay for your sins, until I have you in my hands.

Years ago, you stole something from me, and now the time has finally come for me to take it back. What’s happened to those girls is just the beginning. Enjoy your freedom while you can.

You’re next, Ava.

What could I have possibly done to this asshole that was so terrible? I have dedicated my life to this place, to helping the girls who work here. I haven’t stolen anything. But I already know the Morettis wouldn’t see it that way. Romeo’s papa would be out for revenge after his son died in this very club when he tried to attack me. Is that what this is? Revenge for his son?

I type the name Orlando Moretti into my Google search and wait to see what comes up. All I can find is a news story of an underworld shooting, his body found in the back alleyway of this very club nine years ago. An obituary stating how devastated the family is at his loss. I click on the photo of him attached, and a shiver slithers down my spine. I never saw the face of the man who attacked me. The only thing I remember is the distinct angel tattoo that peeped out of his shirt onto his neck. But this guy looks exactly like a younger version of Romeo.It’s unnerving to know the man I have fallen for is so closely connected to this monster.

There is one last story I find from just two weeks before his death, saying that federal authorities were ramping up an investigation into him. They show him as somewhat of a party boy, whose lavish lifestyle and high-risk business ventures had drawn suspicions from the FBI.

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