Page 57 of Fixate
“I just wanted to let you know that this month's security checks are going well. We have updated all the systems, and everything appears to be working as normal. I have doubled the security at your place and the warehouse in case the Bratva comes back and tries to attack.”
My smile turned cruel at his words.
The rat that we found faced a rough death at Pip’s hands. By the time he was done with him, the body was barely recognizable.
Rather than send it back to the Bratva the way I should have done, I had him cremated. It was easier, and I didn't want to rile up Stasia's family. I knew they would find out eventually anyway.
Nothing in this city was secret for long, especially not something on this level.
If the rat didn't answer their calls or get back with them, then they would go looking for him. It wouldn’t take much time since he probably answered every time they called. It was going to be clear that he was not alive anymore the second he ghosted them.
Ghosted. Oh, that’s kinda funny.
I chuckled to myself at the silly thought.
It was only a matter of time before the Bratva came knocking on our door expecting answers. They had already given me shit about my late wife and how I handled things there. This would just be another mark against me.
“Is there anything that I need to handle, Henri?” I asked him, throwing us back into the conversation.
He tapped away at his tablet and shook his head. “Not as of this moment. I'm sure something will come up though. I'll let you know as soon as I hear anything.”
“Any word from Jean?”
“Nothing. I’ve kept an eye on your line as well.”
I didn’t know if and when the other man would give us updates on his progress, but for his sake, I hoped everything was going well. Infiltrating to the level he needed to wasn’t easy.
He left me with a wave of his hand once he realized I was done questioning him.
Then I was alone for a minute, at least as alone as I could be. I always had a shadow close by in the form of Pip, my reliable bodyguard. Ever since the rat was handled, he'd been making sure no one else could get close to me.
No one outside of Ricardo, of course.
Whereas people had limited access to me, Ricardo was with me nearly 24/7. Sure, there were times like today where he had to go work on one project while I worked on another. But usually, it was only for a short spur of time.
I left the security area of the casino and headed down to the main floor. I needed a drink and some company. Granted, I didn't want company in that sense. I had no desire for a bedmate.
No one outside of Ricardo, that was.
What I needed was to feel less alone. I needed to be surrounded by the fruits of my labor to be reminded that thiswas all worth it. And that I shouldn't just burn it to the ground and accept the insurance payments.
I don't know what I would do if I didn't have all this responsibility. I had been working at it for so long that there was nothing else.
The only true thing I had done for myself was the relationship I was building with Ricardo. He was my guilty pleasure, my secret joy, and I would hold on to him for as long as I possibly could.
It's what kept me sane, what kept me from losing my shit on people at every turn.
On the main floor, I stepped up to one of the bartenders. I probably knew their name, but I was distracted enough to forget. I rapped my knuckles on the counter and asked for two fingers of bourbon.
The young girl smiled at me and said, "Right away, Mr. Lyon."
I turned my back to the bar and focused on the people moving about the casino floor. There were all types here. The younger crowd who had just become legal enough to play. The older ones who were hoping to hit it big before they croaked. The kind that had money to blow. And those who were spending their last dime in hopes that it would multiply for them.
People always believed that the advantage was to the house. And yes, that was true, but there was also a touch of magic in casinos.
The level of organization it took to get everything to run smoothly. I enjoyed the process. I enjoyed the control that it gave me.
I missed how much time I didn’t get to spend here now that I had to control everything. While I could never function without the Cosa Nostra part of my life, it took up far more time than I remembered.
