Chapter 104Cephus’ POVI barely walk out of the event room, where Katie Leto indulges in her food when Vito and Gianni tear away from the cushy armchairs in the hallway and head my way.“How was it, Boss?”“Fuck you, Gianni. That’s how it was.”He grins and winks at Vito while I run my fingers through my hair, smiling, still walking, not stopping to chat with them.At once, they spin around and follow me.“Where is the motherfucker who was supposed to interview this woman?”“The club manager?”“Are you clever with me now?” I toss at Vito, who struggles to keep up with me as I move briskly toward my office. “I thought you knew everything about her by now,” I say.“I do.”He reaches inside his pocket despite knowing my vehement aversion to phones.Anything digital makes my skin crawl as it’s such an expenditure and an around-the-clock operation to keep us safe.We use digital things in our legit businesses, like security cameras and, yeah, some phones.I was about to say the safe–depos
Chapter 105Cephus’ POVThat doesn’t mean our animosity for each other hasn’t soared and is not fueled by occasionally getting wind of the crap he’s doing.And also, occasionally, he must tiptoe around my business.I’d be surprised if he hadn’t talked to his boss and tried to sell him the idea that they could do more business if someone other than me was here.They’d even put down a good chunk of money if they knew they could trade living things that come in the shape of beautiful, vulnerable women like that girl, Katie Leto.My eyes go back to the screen, and I catch her just as she pushes her chair back, picks up her purse, looks around the room, and makes a beeline for the exit.The staff walks in to clean the table while she looks for her way out.“Vito?” I murmur, my eyes still pinned on the woman.He starts to speak.“Katie Leto lived all her life in LA at the same address.”I glance at him, making sure he’s not reading shit from his phone. He peeks at a scrap of paper where he’
Chapter 106Katie’s POVEarlierI look at my plate before peering at the view outside, filled with dread that I need to return.Sure, the man said I could stay a little longer, but how long is that?Besides, I’d rather go back to my car before the night sets in.“Fuck…” I murmur quietly, running tense fingers over my brow.I like it here. The temperature is nice. The view is beautiful, and the food is good. I look at the plates of food on the table.I wish I wasn’t stuffed. Ignoring that, I eat more food to hold me over until I return to the hotel tomorrow morning.Beau is surely waiting for me where I parked the car if he hasn’t moved it already just to fuck with me.He doesn’t need my key to do that. The guy who sold me the car could’ve given him a copy of my key.Although Beau knows how to hot-wire a car.I murmur another ‘fuck’ under my breath and sigh.Adulting sucks. I can say that much. Who needs this crap?I don’t have the answers to my problems.And I don’t know who to trust
Chapter 107Katie’s POVI quickly realize this parking lot looks identical to the one I’ve left my car in.I turn right and then left, and I can’t believe my eyes.Since no one can see me now, I take my shoes off and run as fast as I can, careful not to step on a nail or a piece of glass.Occasionally, I glance over my shoulder, grappling with this strange feeling that I’m being followed.I see no one behind me.The only thing sweeping my back is the sunset, a mix of pink, red, and orange hues.Heaving, I reach my car, fumble through the contents of my bag for my keys, and unlock the door.Oh, my. I can’t believe this. I need to move away from here as quickly as possible. That jerk knows exactly where I am, and I don’t believe for a second that he went back to LA.Yeah. Cephus was scary. But was he scary enough to make Beau change his mind?Did Beau believe me when I said I had a boyfriend? I don’t think so.He must’ve been a little puzzled.And maybe he’s watching me right now, tryin
Chapter 108Katie’s POVThe man groans in pain and grabs the back of my hair with such force that I feel like he might end up wearing my scalp as a trophy by the end of the night, and then something else happens.A thud ripples through the air, and his hand gets removed from me while his body lurches forward, his head going straight through the cracked window.Shards of glass fall to my knees as two beefy men deal with him, and a baseball swings to his back.One guy handles the baseball bat while the other slams my ex’s head into the broken window.I’m thinking we’re getting robbed, and I’m next.And then, I’m thinking they have some shit to settle.And then, I hear them cursing him while hitting him with passion, mumbling something about being chivalrous with a woman.That would be me.Their New York Accents give them away, so I fall back to my rear and look up.These are Cephus’s men. They finish Beau and lift him up.He’s about to crash to my feet when one of the men rubs his hand
Chapter 109Cephus’ POVEarlier“So we’re looking at tables thirteen and twenty-five,” I say.Six of my men are in the room with me.And six big screens transmit live the activity inside the casino.“The guy with the white shirt. And the one with a cap,” I say.We’re all looking at the two men in question.“Two? That’s it?” Vito mutters.“They’re the brains of the operation. There are probably three or four men. Maybe more. Perhaps they have girls with them, too. These soy latte-drinking dudes have made the rounds these months and fucked with the system. The other owners couldn’t prove they’d been stealing. And by stealing, I mean…”“I know what you mean, Boss,” Vito says, crossing his arms over his chest. “What do you want me to do?”I round my desk and crash into my seat before leaning back and clasping my hands at the back of my head.All the men in the room look at me as I speak again.“We teach them a lesson. I don’t know if they’re stupid or they’re stupid. Considering they’re t
Chapter 110Cephus’ POVIt’s an exercise in discipline, and I win every time, although the struggle is real.“That woman, Katie Leto, lives out of her car. She’s parked two blocks down the road on the other side of the street behind a building.I look at him, expressionless.He waits for me to say something.“Go on.”“The fucker was hot on her trail, and I thought he’d get to her and try to talk to her. He followed her for a while until he made sure she went to her car, and then he turned around and headed to a gas station down the road. He’s driving a sports car and made some fuss at the gas station, arguing with the clerk. I don’t know what his beef was with that guy, but he looked pissed overall. He bought some food and beer and went back to his ride. Later, he smoked a joint and talked on the phone. It looked important as his face was all bunched up, and he gestured a lot. I thought he’d leave. He didn’t. Not immediately. And for sure, not back to LA. He pulled out of the parki
Chapter 111Cephus’ POVVito notices the direction of my gaze, catches a glimpse of the fucker’s grin, and smacks him with the back of his hand.The man groans.“What’s your name?” I ask, taking off my jacket and draping it over Katie’s shoulders.She looks up at me, her eyes glinting with disbelief as if she’s never had a man in her entire life doing that for her.My focus moves swiftly to the tattooed man tied to a chair in the middle of the room.One of the guys walks out and shuts the door behind him.It’s only me, Vito, Louie, and Gianni in the room.“Name?” I thunder.The man looks at me like he can’t grasp the meaning of my words.Louie smacks him upside the head, and he reacts, pulling at the ties.That’s all it takes, and the three men in front of me violently push him back, his head lolling from their jabs.I lift my hand, and they stop.“He won’t talk if his jaw is broken,” I say.Huffing, annoyed, they step back.“Name, motherfucker,” I say again.The woman seems frozen in