Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 91389 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91389 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Seamus’s lips tug down. “You need help finding guys that work for you?”
“I need someone to do it discreetly. Let’s just say I have some unfinished business with them and if word gets around that I’m trying to find out where they live, there might be some problems for me.”
He grunts and rubs a finger around his drink. “And it won’t be strange that a man from a rival organization is poking around yours?”
“We’re not rivals. We’re allies now. Or at least that’s what I’ve been told.”
“If I do this for you. If I find your Italians and your Serbians. What’s on offer?”
“Money. Straight payment. I want to keep this as simple as possible.”
“I’m always fond of simple jobs.” Seamus stretches and gives me a curious smirk. “But why me and not someone else?”
“Because you’re an outsider enough that you don’t give a shit what I’m up to, but an insider enough that it won’t seem too strange that you’re asking around. Besides, we’re family now, and it’s what family does, right?”
He nods to himself like that makes sense. “Sure, we’re family. I’m interested. Send me more information on the Serbians and I’ll get started on Roc and Vito. We can talk about final numbers later, but I’ll be reasonable.”
“I appreciate that. And I know I don’t have to say it, but we never had this meeting.” I finish my drink and stand up. “Feel free to avail yourself of the goods on the house. I’ll let Rodrigo know that you’re my personal guest.”
Seamus laughs and shakes his head. “I appreciate that, but I’d rather not give that Tommy fuckhead blackmail material.”
My eyebrows shoot up. “What now?”
“You don’t know?” He throws back his beer and pushes to his feet. “Those fucking rooms are all bugged. I bet he’s got cabinets of shit just lying around waiting for the right opportunity.” He bumps my elbow with his as he walks off. “I’ll be in touch.”
I watch him go, annoyed with myself for not realizing sooner. Of course, Tommy’s got most of the building wired out the ass. With his client list, there have got to be more than a few members worth extensively filming and shaking down. That might help explain how he’s been making so much fucking money.
Because it’s more than obvious that Club Cage is earning too much.
I’ve been back for a week now, and I can already tell that the numbers Tommy’s reporting to Simon are way too fucking high. Either he’s lying, which is stupid, or he’s doing something he’s not talking about.
I’d bet my life on the latter.
Which is why I need Claudia to get in that damn office.
Chapter 8
Claudia
The hammering club beat mirrors my racing heart. I’m a little winded from dancing for the last half hour, but also from the distinct feeling that I’m being watched.
Which I definitely am. There are more than a few guys staring at me as I shake my ass in the cage, but I’m used to those. It’s part of the job, and while I don’t love it, I can at least tolerate it.
It’s not the clients that bother me. It’s the thought of Angelo out there in the crowd somewhere.
I don’t know why I keep obsessing about that man. He’s not going to materialize from the darkness, walk over here, and sweep me off my feet like I keep dreaming he might. There won’t be some romantic kiss, no hot as fuck sneaky sex sessions in some private booth, no secretive messages left taped under bar stools. He’s just some gangster that wants to use me for his own selfish purposes, and if I let myself get swept away by how good he looks, I’ll end up getting screwed.
Because he doesn’t care about what I want.
He’d happily sacrifice my job. I’m just some random girl to him.
But even knowing that, even telling myself a hundred times an hour that Angelo Bianco is absolutely no good, I keep imagining his hands on my body. His mouth on my mouth.
Ten thousand dollars is a lot of money.
And Angelo’s right, I could probably get into Tommy’s office without any problems. I have to go in there sometimes to fill out paperwork or to grab files for him or whatever. It’s not like it would be incredibly unusual if I popped in for a few minutes, say one evening while he’s out with my sister getting dinner or whatever, just to update my time-off requests. I could rummage through his desk, flip through his files, and be out of there before anyone suspects a thing.
I’m Tommy’s favorite, after all. Nobody would second-guess it.
But if it did go wrong, I’d lose my job, and Tommy might even take it out on my sister.
Ten grand just isn’t enough for that much risk.
Still, Angelo’s up to something. The guy’s supposed to be the owner of this place, but Tommy still acts like he’s in charge. There’s a power struggle going down and Angelo wants to use me to get at Tommy, which is kind of tempting. I mean, taking Tommy down might help Serena—she might even leave him if he can’t provide her with money and clothes and drugs.