Page 21 of Ravaged and Ruined
I side-eye the suit who thinks he can lay hands on me without consequence. “I don’t give a fuck what your boss wants. I have no reason to meet with him.”
Just then Lacey turns back into view and the tension in my shoulders releases a notch, except this fucker doesn’t remove his hand. He grips tighter.
“He said you’d say that,” he says smoothly. “He told me to tell you that it’ll be worth your time.”
I turn my head slowly in his direction.
“And if that doesn’t sell it…” the fucker grins, “It’ll cost you her.”
That gets my attention. My fist twitches. That’s the last damn thread holding my temper back. I pivot, grabbing the front of his jacket and slamming him into the wall behind us.
“You really wanna test me tonight?” I growl low into his face. “Because you just offered me a reason to cover this floor with your teeth.”
To his credit, he doesn’t piss himself. Just adjusts his tie like I didn’t just slam him into concrete and mutters, “I’m just the messenger.”
I shove him back, my jaw clenched tight, blood roaring in my ears.
“Fine. If Ricci wants to talk, I’ll talk.” And then I’ll watch this fucking place burn down. Again.
He leads me through a hallway off the lounge, past a steel door and down a long corridor lined with security keypads. We stop in front of a thick black door. He unlocks it and pushes it open. I step in.
First thing I see are the screens. The walls are lined with them. Dozens of security feeds flickering in real time of roulette tables, poker tables, hallways, back exits, the parking garage, even the VIP room. The camera is angled just right to catch Lacey’s stage, and even in black and white, I feel the punch of seeing her.
In the center of the room is a sleek black desk, polished to a mirror shine. And behind it sits a man, but not the one I expected.
“You’re not the only one with eyes in this town, Aero,” His back is turned toward me as he faces the console behind the desk and taps a button.
The wall-mounted screen flares to life, showing security footage from earlier of me stalking through the casino, shakingdown one of his men for answers. Slipping past the rope and into the lounge once I got them.
“You should’ve known better than to think you could sneak into my house without me noticing.” His voice drips with amusement. “I admit, I underestimated you, but something told me she meant more to you than you were letting on.”
My knuckles crack as I ball my fist.
“What do you want?” I grind out, my jaw clenched so tight I can feel the muscles in my neck knot.
He laughs, a sound that’s sharp and condescending as he spins slowly in his chair. My stomach drops.
Garett leans back in a designer suit, ringed fingers steepled in front of his mouth. “It’s been a long time, brother.”
“I’m not your brother.” I growl my voice coming from deep in my throat.
“But you could have been. You could have had a part of all of this if you didn’t cast my sister aside like discarded trash.”
I fucking cringe. I haven’t thought about her in years. Which is why I didn’t see this coming. “I was never meant for this world. All I was to her, to all of you, was muscle.”
Garett raises a glass of whiskey to his mouth and takes a slow sip before lowering it, “Choose your words carefully. Out there, you may run your little gang, but you’re standing in my house now.”
Garett leans back in his leather chair, a smirk curling the corners of his lips as the footage of Lacey dancing continues to play behind him on one of the screens. He’s smooth, confident, and wrapped in a tailored suit that reeks of money. He’s just like his father. Playing the game behind the scenes, pulling strings and manipulating everything around him. Everything about him rubs me the wrong way, especially his fucking smile.
I want to rip the snake’s smile off that smug, pretty face.
“You don’t scare me, Ricci. None of you ever have,” I growl, my jaw ticking. “So stop playing games and tell me what you want.”
“You’re not scared of me yet, Aero,” Ricci says, voice low. “But you will be. See, the problem is, you don’t know what I’ve got in mind for Lacey.”
My stomach turns, a sudden weight pressing down on my chest. His words are deliberate, taunting. He knows exactly what I’m feeling right now. He knows that the mere mention of her name can make me lose my damn mind.
“You touch her, you make a move on her, and I’ll bury you.” My voice drops to a dangerous whisper. The kind of whisper that promises pain. “You understand?”
