Page 43 of Flame's Fight

“How did what go?” Ashlyn asks, breaking away from Reaper to join Tanya and Brooke. I drop Brooke’s hand and let her walk with her friends while I join Ghost and Reaper.

“Brooke looks upset.” Ghost whispers so the girls can’t hear us talking about them.

“She is. Those assholes made her feel like she was the one under suspicion. They even had the audacity to suggest she not ruin the asshole’s life by filing charges against him.”

“What the fuck?” Reaper growls. “What are we going to do about it?”

I can’t help but grin at my friend. I wasn’t thrilled when he started dating my sister, but once the shock wore off, I knew there was no one better for her. “She recorded the conversation. I need to send it to Evie. I’m hoping Byte finds something on the asshole. She can take the evidence and the recording to the detective’s boss and ask for a new detective to be put on the case. At least, that’s what I’m hoping she does.”

When we reach the group, I step off to the side and send the recording off to Evie, Byte, and Dante. I want to listen to it, but I stop myself and give all my attention to the group. I see Alexander Marquette talking with Vance Chambers. The two men are very similar. They both have gray hair and are wearing expensive suits. They stand out in the sea of leather. Besides them, only Brooke and Tanya aren’t wearing kuttes. This reminds me to give Brooke her kutte soon. I had one made before we broke up, and it’s been sitting in my drawer ever since. Need to get it on her soon and lock her up as my Old Lady. Scar stands with Caitlin while Dante is with Tally. Kingsley, Smoke, and Carver are also with us. I want to ask Smoke about Byte’s findings, but this is Caitlin and Tally’s show right now.

“Where’s Athena?” Tanya asks Caitlin. “I thought she was coming.”

“She couldn’t make it.” Caitlin tells her. “Her brother contacted her to tell her that the cops arrested Deion and everyone in his gang this afternoon. She and Killian are working on getting them bail.”

“Arrested for what?” Ghost asks.

“She didn’t say.” Caitlin says.

Tanya glances at Ghost, who pulls her close. They whisper off to the side while Marquette looks over Caitlin’s entourage.

“This is quite a group.” Marquette says. “I didn’t realize so many of you were coming.”

“Is that a problem?” Caitlin asks.

Marquette smiles at her. “Of course not. I’m excited about your idea and I hope this place fits your plans. If it doesn’t, I have other properties. I’ll be happy to show them to you. If you find one that meets your needs, we’ll make the transfer quickly.”

“I don’t want you to lose money on it.” Caitlin says. “We can purchase the property.”

“Let’s see if this fits your needs. I’ve had this property on my books for a long time. Wouldn’t mind seeing it put to good use.” He assures her. “Your club is like family to me. You’ve done so much for Benji, I mean Maestro. He’s a different man since he started prospecting for you. I love seeing him so happy and excited about what he’s doing. Plus, I think what you’re trying to do here is amazing. I plan on helping you any way I can.”

Caitlin beams at him, and I see Scar nod in appreciation. Caitlin has put her whole heart and soul into this project, so I know it will succeed. No one has a heart and soul as large and pure as our princess.

Marquette opens the door and we follow him inside. I expect it to be dusty and show signs of abandonment, but it’s actually quite clean and very empty. Someone’s removed most of the fixtures, except for the lighting. The windows are clean and the floor is spotless.

“I have someone come in and clean every two months or when I know I’ll be showing the place. Luckily, they came yesterday. As you can see the electricity still works, as does the plumbing. Even the heating and air conditioning still function.”

Considering it’s chilly inside, we know he isn’t lying.

“The structure is sound and easy to keep at a comfortable temperature, the walls contain insulation. You’ll need to make some adjustments if you turn it into a clinic.” He says as he gives us the tour.

The building is rectangle and a descent size. It has three stories, as well as a basement. It isn’t as large as Alvarado but it’s larger than the average clinic. Kingsley and Carver wander the space together while they each take notes. Kingsley is serving as the project manager for Caitlin’s efforts while Carver will handle the renovations.

“We could use the third floor for administration and even have rooms for those who need to stay overnight.” Vance says as we head back downstairs. “I’d like to remove the staircase.” He adds as we’re walking down the grand staircase that takes up a good portion of the bottom and second floor.

“There’s an elevator and another staircase off to the side.” Marquette says, walking toward the far corner of the building. He points to the opposite corner. “There’s also another staircase over on that side. The main staircase was more for show than function.” He adds with a smirk.

“Is there a safe in the basement?” Dante asks.

“There is. You can either leave it or remove it.” He suggests. “The basement extends beyond the first floor by a considerable distance. It almost reaches to the edge of the parking lot.”

“On all sides?” Dante asks.

Marquette nods. “Yes. It’s structurally sound. I’ve had it checked. We don’t get many earthquakes, but we’ve had a few since they built this place. The inspectors found no problems.”

“Can we see it?” Caitlin asks. She’s practically bouncing as Marquette reveals each floor. I grin at her enthusiasm. I glance at her father and see him watching her. Dante and Tally are both watching Vance. It’s an interesting situation.

“She’s so excited.” Brooke says, coming to my side.

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