Page 14 of Hell of a Mess
“You do? I had to google him,” Ransom mused. “Anyway, he’s the heir to one of the most powerful oil families in Abu Dhabi.”
“Ah,” Linc said with a nod. “That’s it. Omar Al-Bahrani. Mean bastard.”
“When have we dealt with an oil tycoon in Abu Dhabi?” Bane asked, confused.
“We haven’t,” I supplied. “Linc’s got stocks in Al-Bahrani Oil Industries with some of his offshore money.”
Linc tossed the paper down on the table and muttered a curse. “Why the fuck is he buying an upscale sex club in Jackson,Mississippi?”
“Better yet, why did he do it the same day we found…Lace”—saying her name didn’t feel right; I’d started thinking of her as Ocean Eyes—“was beaten?”
“You think it’s connected?” Bane asked me.
“The video footage has been tampered with by a professional,” I replied. “We aren’t dealing with a backwoods criminal, but we already figured that much out.”
Linc let out a heavy sigh. “She has to go. I don’t like this. I don’t like her in my home. Not near my family—”
“No,” I snarled. “You’re not dumping her somewhere when all she knows is her goddamn name.”
Linc cut his eyes to me, and I didn’t give one shit who was in charge.
“It’s fifty percent my house, too, and she’s my guest.”
I cocked an eyebrow as his nostrils flared.
Go ahead and be pissy. I wasn’t one of the boys. There was a limit to what I would allow him to order me to do. He had reached it.
“Locke seems concerned about her,” Bane said. “Why not just move her to his place? He and Gathe have room.”
“No,” I snapped. “The security there isn’t tight enough.”
“Locke and Gathe aren’t enough protection?” Ransom asked.
“I said, NO!” I shouted, then turned to get the fuck away from them before I did something I might or might not regret. Like beat the hell out of the next one that spoke.
“She’s too young, Luther!” Linc called out after me.
I didn’t turn around, but I did respond with the lifting of my hand and my middle finger as I stalked off.
I wasn’t wanting to fuck her. I was worried about her. I felt…I didn’t know…responsible for her. I’d found her. She’d trusted me. When I walked into that damn room every morning, her face lit up at the sight of me. Only Maui ever reacted to me like that.And, no, I wasn’t comparing her to the dog, but it was nice to be…wanted. For more than my cock or a good time. Maybe I had some goddamn daddy fetish rearing its head. Whatever it was, I was taking care of her until we knew she was safe and healed. Both physically and mentally.
The life she had been living clearly wasn’t safe, but the more I read to her and we talked about books, I realized just how well educated she was. Her speech was cultured and refined. Sure, she had some Southern drawl to her accent, but it wasn’t from around here. It was different. More…Texan if I had to label it.
Wait. Texan…oil. I stopped. That might be a long shot, but it was something. My pace picked up as I continued to the exit of Bane’s house.
What if Texas triggered a memory for her? I was about to find out.
Six
Lace
Maui had taken up the spot beside me on the patio sofa and was resting his head in my lap while Jayda sat in a chair diagonal to me and Locke sat in a chair to my left. We’d been out here almost an hour, and it was nice to feel human. There was a large fireplace built into a stone wall with a fire roaring in it, warming the space just enough. The breeze wasn’t so cold that it was uncomfortable, but it was slightly chilly.
I was wearing a pair of jeans and a soft cream-colored sweater that Jayda had supplied. That, too, was a nice change. It reminded me of…me, possibly. I wasn’t sure, but I could feel a tug of thoughts trying to break free inside my head. Yet all I could remember was my name. It was frustrating not to be able to break down the wall holding back things that were right there.
“Can I get you something else to drink?” Jayda asked me when I finished the glass of hot tea she had supplied earlier.
“I’m fine. Thank you,” I assured her.
