Dirty Money (Bad Money #2) (9 page)

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Kate

"Your boyfriend is playing a dangerous game, Kate," Victor spoke, pulling Kate from her thoughts as he drove her home.

"He's nothing to me anymore and you know that. Don't refer to him like that again." She glanced at him, knowing he was going to put her in her place soon as well. The time would come, but until then, she would speak her mind fully. She didn't work for him, but he sure acted like it. Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she pulled it out, Marcus texting her that he was waiting for her in her apartment.

"Marcus?" Victor asked and pulled the Lexus into the alley beside the club, driving back until they reached the back door.

"Yes. He's in my apartment."

"Good. I'm coming up. I want to discuss a few matters with you both."

Kate didn't respond, but got out of the car and walked to the back door of the club. She typed in her code and pulled the door open before taking her phone out and telling Marcus to come to the office. Victor followed closely behind her.

She walked into the office and flipped on the light, turning to face him. "Before Marcus gets here, let's me and you get a few things straight."

Victor took a seat, forcing her to move behind the desk to get a full view of him. He tilted his head to the side and studied her, his dark features and tanned skin making him beyond handsome from the average woman's standpoint. If they only knew the evil that lay inside of him. What was he truly capable of?

"You and I are partners. I don't work for you. I'm not your fucking puppet and I'm not your whore. I will be a full partner with you in this venture, but that includes all of your assets as well."

He chuckled. "Interesting. How about this... you prove your loyalty to me and I'll pull you in and empower you beyond your wildest fantasies?"

"I don't want your promises. I want an agreement here and now."

"Half of everything for a full partnership?" He brushed his hand over his lips and nodded. "I'll agree on two conditions."

"No."

"Fine. You do work for me. Everyone does." He leaned forward as a smirk lifted his lip. "Do you not know how to handle a snake, girl? You pet it softly until it lulls to sleep and then you take all that you want within its lair. We do not negotiate or bend. We demand and we expect obedience. Don't be ignorant, Kate. It's not at all the woman I see in you."

"What are your terms?" Kate crossed her arms over her chest and forced herself not to search for the nearest gun and blow his fucking head off. He was in control and she wouldn't be able to survive with it remaining that way. She couldn't pull the rug out from underneath him just yet, but soon. He was a man somewhere inside of the hard shell that sat for all to witness and worship. She would reach him, but until then... she had to coach herself to play by his rules to some degree. He didn't want a puppet... but a fighter.

"I'll give you half of everything and respect you as my partner. You move into the mansion with me. Share my success, my life, my bed."

"Why are you so intrigued with me all of a sudden? I'm no different than any other woman you could have beside you. There are many more that would be a much better fit. I'm not in love with you, nor will I ever be."

"That's exactly why I want you. The chase is the most beautiful part of it all. If I can break you, bend you, drown you in all the things you desire... you will bow before me and beg for more. It's that moment that I'll no longer want you."

Kate chuckled, unable to help herself. He was exactly the man she painted him to be. Some part of her wanted to walk away from the life she had been given and run until death caught up, but the curious part of her won out.

"Tell me you agree with all I'm asking of you." Victor stood and leaned forward, pressing his hands to the desk in front of them.

She needed Jon burned from her heart and expelled from her memory. Victor would be the one to do just that and all the while she would be waiting for the perfect opportunity to stab him while he slept.

"Partners." She extended her hand and he took it, shaking it once before tugging her toward him. He leaned down and kissed the top of her hand before releasing her.

Marcus walked in and stopped, staring at her. "What did I just miss?"

"Kate has agreed to solidify our partnership. She's moving into the mansion with me. Do you want to join us?" Victor turned.

Kate watched Marcus's shoulders visibly stiffen. He didn't like it, as she knew he wouldn't. This journey wasn't about him or Jon, but about gaining her freedom for good - regardless of who had to be hurt in the wake of it.

"Fuck no. I'm not living anywhere but my own pad."

"Suit yourself. Take a seat and let's discuss this trip and the new drug that will be presented to us. Kate is moving in with me mostly to oversee the development and testing of it." Victor glanced back toward her. "I assume you're good with taking on that responsibility."

She swallowed hard and nodded, unable to force herself to commit to anything that would put more death on their streets. She had to figure out how to get the hell over herself. The future was moving forward and she needed to take on her old cloak of indifference if she expected to make it.

"Who's going to manage the club?" Marcus asked, his gaze moving across her face as if trying to discern if she were okay.

"I will be. I'm going to do both and you're going to help me with all of it." Kate took her seat, leaning back and trying to relax a little. Victor wasn't going to strike if he believed both of them to be in compliance.

"Anything you need." Marcus sat down and turned his chair a little so that he was positioned to see them both.

"We're flying out in two days. Everything is ready to go. I'll be taking three guards with us and my brother Zak will be attending the meetings from Russia. He still runs my operations over there and is one of the only men in the universe that I trust. I hope to add you to that short list soon." Victor glanced to Marcus, who only nodded.

"What is this new drug you keep referring to?" Kate glanced from her best friend to Victor.

"It's a synthetic drug that combines the lust of ecstasy with the illusion of acid. It's taken via the mouth much like the pills I've shared with you, Kate." He brushed something from his pants leg, his eyes moving quickly from Marcus to her.

"And you expect us to try this out?" Marcus asked, lifting his arms and tucking his hands behind his head.

"Yes. The three of us will try it first with my brother standing guard to ensure nothing goes wrong." Victor sat up as if preparing to leave.

"I don't do drugs anymore, Victor. I'm not comfortable with doing them no matter the reason." Kate shook her head as the air suddenly seemed so hard to breathe.

"I understand, but as the head of this empire, I'm not willing to give anyone anything that I've not tested myself. I'm not a murderer unless I have to be. It's only prudent that we find out how the product works. It's been tried on others and found to be a huge success. We will be sampling it before taking it on. You want a full partnership, then you try the drug too."

"How lucrative is it and what are the side effects?" Marcus asked.

"It's more precious in value than crack-cocaine. The only known effects are hallucinations and the driving need to fuck like procreation was your only purpose in life." Victor stood. "Are you comfortable with more than one partner?"

"I don't know. I've never thought about it." Kate shrugged, trying hard not to show the level of panic that rushed through her.

"And here I thought every woman's fantasy was fucking two men at once." Victor chuckled and moved toward the door. "Marcus and I will take care of you, but I'd like for us to become familiar with one another before allowing the drug to push us into something that's deliciously forbidden."

"Kate and I are more than familiar with each other. I'm not sure I'm good with sharing her with another guy." Marcus glanced over his shoulder, his calm almost reassuring to her as she pursed her lips and glanced at Victor.

"The drug will remove all of our inhibitions. I'll see you both at nine on Thursday. The plane is in terminal P and the lot number is twelve forty-six." He winked at Kate and walked out, leaving them in stony silence.

Marcus finally broke it. "Why the fuck is his lot for the plane the same as our codes for the doors?"

"He's playing a game with us. He's powerful and wants to show us so that we don't ever doubt it." Kate sat up and let out a long groan, tugging at her hair carefully. "How do we keep getting into these fucked up situations?"

"Who knows?" Marcus stood and moved around the desk, pulling her up by her arm. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. "Did Jon hurt you at the station?"

"No. He tried to tell me that you offered me up as the reason for the boy dying."

Marcus snorted. "Of course he did. Dumb ass. You didn't fall for that shit, right?"

Kate glanced up at him, reaching up to brush her fingers along the side of his head. "Of course not. There's just me and you again."

"As it should be." Marcus leaned down and licked at her mouth. "Come upstairs with me. You need a release."

"Not now. I want to finish cleaning up the club and wrap up all the paperwork we have."

"Suck me off then. It will make you feel better." He lifted his eyebrows.

She swatted at him and moved back before picking up a clipboard and walking to the door. "Suck yourself off."

"Fuck. If I could reach it I would have done that years ago. Crazy woman. Don't you think all men have thought of that one?"

Kate laughed, grateful for the reprieve he gave her. They had a million things they needed to discuss, but he wasn't making her have those conversations just yet. She needed to process everything before giving life to her fears.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Kate

Two Days Later

The rest of the week had gone by without too much activity. A young cop had come by to follow up on the interview with Jon and seemed shyer than anything else. Kate went easy on him and told her story again. They would most likely be sued by the parents of the kid if they gave two shits about him, but it was simply part of the deal. The club had plenty of insurance not to be too worried about it. The loss of another life sat heavy on her, but she pushed it aside and tried to focus on the future. If she were going to play the part of a notorious drug dealer, she better start acting it.

Her skirt was tight and black, her heels high and shirt silky and white. She made sure her red lipstick was in place once more before walking down to the street level from her apartment. Marcus waited at the curb in his sexy black mustang. She slipped into the car and he lifted an eyebrow, whistling through his teeth.

"Fuck girl. You’re beautiful on an average day, but you look like sex incarnate this morning. Trying to cause a detour on our way to the airport?" He winked and pulled the car out onto the empty street.

"Just playing the hand dealt to me." She buckled and crossed her legs before shifting her gaze to the street they rode through. Trash and food littered the ground amongst other things. She shook her head, wondering what in the world would cause someone to be so filthy. Drugs. Alcohol. Everything she was involved in. It took people far from being who they were created to be and threw them into a panic to become. To become bigger. To become better. To simply become something.

"What're you thinking about?" Marcus took her hand and held it tightly in her lap.

"Nothing really. Everything is good with the club now and Jeffery is going to take care of stuff for us while we're gone." She glanced over at him, taking in how good he looked as well. Reaching over, Kate ran her hand along his thigh, squeezing softly as her fingers brushed by his sex.

"Watch it, girl. It's been a few days. Seeing you look like that has me wanting to tell Victor to take a hike." He smiled, the expression softening his hard disposition, but only slightly.

"Let's fuck tonight. We can light up and just lose ourselves in it." She brushed her fingers over his cock again, cupping him and tugging a little. He lifted his hips and sucked his bottom lip into his mouth.

"Yeah. I need you." He reached down and removed her hand from him, clasping it and pressing it to his thigh. "I'm not going to fit in these pants much longer if you keep it up."

"I like the thought of that."

"Tease." Marcus put her hand back in her lap and turned on the radio. "Any word from Jon?"

"Not a peep. That's a good thing though. I need distance between us so I can start to heal."

"I agree." Marcus turned onto the freeway and pressed the gas, the car taking off like a bullet. They were likely to get pulled over, but he didn't seem to care. She couldn't say that she did either.

"I assume we're all staying in the same hotel room in LA."

"Yeah. Victor mentioned to me something yesterday about getting a suite. I'll be there with you though if you need anything. I can stick right beside you."

"I'd like that. I do hope to seduce him at least once, so no need to be there for that."

"Oh yeah? Why?"

"All part of the plan." Kate glanced over toward her best friend. "He seems to think he's going to eventually find me on my knees begging him to love me."

Marcus let out a short, loud laugh. "That's rich. He doesn't know you at all."

Kate popped his leg before reaching up to turn the air conditioner on. "I'm not that much of an ass."

"You're not an ass at all. You're simply one of those women that don't need anything. It leaves the men in your life lost as to how to deal with you."

"You have a hard time knowing how to deal with me?" she asked, shifting in her seat to watch him more closely. What was he getting at exactly?

"Nope. I just keep it simple. Drugs, sex and support. That's all I'm good for."

"That's not true, but I'm not sure I can get into a deep conversation right now. I'm still trying to convince myself that I can pull this off. I'm just not the hard cold bitch I used to be."

"Sure you are. Just access her. Jon fucked you over and life has handed you nothing but heartache and suffering. Fight back." He glanced over at her and smiled.

He was trying to make her feel better, which seemed to be working, strangely enough. He pulled off the freeway and turned sharply to pull them into the airport.

"Did we fuck the other night?" She flinched as the words came out of her mouth. She hoped like hell he would lie to her. He was good like that, leaving her to not have to question their relationship on top of all of the other ones in her life.

"Not for a few weeks. Not since before Jon." Marcus turned and rolled down the window. "Why?"

"Never mind."

"Dreaming of me again?" He chuckled and turned to talk with the guard as she sunk down into her seat. He was a good man. Far better than she deserved for sure.

Victor wasn't on the flight, but had left word that he would meet them in LA later that day. A driver would be waiting on them once they got off the plane. Kate dipped in and out of sleep, a soft white blanket covering her legs and fluffy white pillow under her head. The flight went quickly thanks to her elongated nap. She and Marcus rode to the hotel in the heart of LA in the back of a black limo, Victor far outdoing himself.

"You okay?" Marcus took her hand and lifted it to his lips, kissing the backs of her fingers.

"Yeah. Just a little apprehensive, but I'll get over it."

"What time is this party?"

"I would assume tonight. Let's have lunch with Victor if he's free and then I'm going to lay down for a little while. I never fly well."

"Sounds good to me, baby." Marcus moved closer and wrapped his arm around the back of her shoulders. He was breaking some of the rules they had set up for themselves when they first got together as friends with benefits. She didn't care. Her heart was scarred. There was no worry about becoming more than they had always been. She had nothing left to give anyone.

Kate walked into the large ornate hotel with Marcus beside her. The bellman moved their small suitcases in behind them and Marcus tipped the guy before moving up to the counter. Kate walked around the lobby, taking time to enjoy the beauty of the place. It was chilly outside, as if spring was a cover-up for an extended winter. LA wasn't cold by any means, but much chillier than New Orleans.

"There you are." Victor's voice surprised her.

Kate turned and locked eyes with him. "I thought you were coming later tonight."

"No. I actually flew in on a late flight last night. I wanted to make sure everything was perfect for tonight. We have quite a few investors coming to join us. Should be fun." He extended his hand to her. "Come on. I'll take you and Marcus up to the room. We can eat something if you guys are hungry."

"That sounds good. I'm honestly exhausted. I'd love a nap before we start the festivities."

"That can be arranged too."

She took his hand and walked toward Marcus as he turned to them. His blue eyes moved from Kate to Victor as he nodded.

"What's next on the agenda?" Marcus asked, reaching for their bags.

"Let's stop by the room and drop your stuff off and then we'll grab a bite to eat." Victor moved toward the elevator, Kate and Marcus following him.

"I'm going to lay down. You guys go eat without me." Kate got in the elevator, releasing Victor's hand. He wanted to play house, which she was good with, but not having slept well the night before left her on edge and feeling a little rawer then she would ever admit.

"You not feeling good?" Marcus reached over and took her hand.

It was almost comical how the two of them were having a cock fight without saying a word. A chill ran through her at the thought of being pressed between them naked and sweaty. She had never imagined herself as a woman that would be comfortable having two partners in the bedroom and she still wasn't sure. If it was anyone it would be Jon and Marcus, never Victor.

"Just tired. I want to make sure I'm awake and ready for tonight."

"That's a good idea. My brother Zak is here, but busy working in the small office we have in the suite. That's not going to disturb you, I hope?" Victor pressed the button and slipped his key into the panel. They were headed for the top floor, the penthouse no doubt.

"I don't mind. I just need a dark room and cold bed to slide into."

"You want company?" Marcus wagged his eyebrows, causing Kate to chuckle. He was too cute and a solid staple in her future. She squeezed his hand and let it go before moving off of the elevator behind Victor.

"I'm not thinking there would be much sleeping. After Victor's sneak attacks with this new version of ecstasy the last few days, I'm not myself at all." She stopped behind Victor as he worked on getting the door open.

Marcus moved in behind her, sliding his arms around her center and pulling her back against him. The thick press of his erection caused her tummy to tighten. She didn't need much to get her going when Marcus was around, but he had always been her only source of pleasure. It seemed that the past was repeating itself in their future.

"I do apologize for that. I'll not do it again." Victor moved into the large living room and turned down a short hallway, knocking on the door at the end of it. "Zak. Marcus and Kate are here. Come out and meet them."

Kate walked in and slid her shoes off before bending over to pick them up. Marcus's hand slid over her ass as he passed and walked toward the large bay windows that opened up to a city-wide view.

"This is beautiful," he mumbled.

Walking toward him, Kate let her eyes move across the wide span of his shoulders, down to his narrow waist, and finally the swell of his ass. He was built for sin and with Jon out of the way, he was about to get more than he could handle. Her heart would heal whether it wanted to or not.

"I bet it's even more stunning at night." She stopped beside him and pressed her hand to the glass, her heels dangling in the other one.

"It is. I love this hotel for this view alone." Victor spoke and Kate turned to watch a scary mother fucker walk from the bedroom. He couldn't have been much taller than her, his body covered in tattoos, his hair down to his shoulders and a grimace on his face. He was good-looking, but in a street sort of way. Victor couldn't be related to Zak. There was no likeness at all.

Where Victor was tall, sexy and smooth, Zak was a pure representation of a drug lord.

"I'm Kate." She stopped in front of him and extended her hand. Zak took it and lifted it to his lips, the softest, most sensual voice she had ever heard in all of her life answering her.

"Pleasure’s all mine, beautiful." He tilted his head and seemed to study her face, but his eyes never moved lower.

Interesting.

"Zak, this is Marcus. He works for me and Kate." Victor reached out and brushed his fingers along Kate's arm as his brother released her. She couldn't help but follow the dark depiction of souls drowning into his shirt. Her fingers itched to trace the images, but she wouldn't dare.

"Nice to meet you, man. You're going to have our backs for the next day or so?" Marcus moved up and shook the guy’s hand.

"I am. Anything you need of me. Just ask." Zak's gaze shifted from Marcus back to Kate. "Especially you. If you feel like something is off... tell me and I'll fix it."

Victor patted his brother's back roughly. "Zak is our go-to man in Russia. He's revered by most and feared by all."

Zak chuckled, the action softening his hard disposition, but only slightly. "You flatter me."

"Hardly." Victor turned to Kate. "Let's get you in the bed."

"I can find it myself. Just point the way." She smirked and glanced over at Marcus. "See you in a bit. Don't have any fun without me."

"Never. It's not possible." He smirked and turned to walk back to the window view. He was a dreamer and yet life had stolen his dreams. Kate wasn't surprised at all with his need to see the big picture wherever they were. It was the closest he would ever come to dreaming again.

"Come with me." Victor reached for her bag and nodded toward the large opening at the other end of the room. Kate followed after him, glancing back once to see Zak watching her closely. He didn't advert his attention as she locked her gaze on him, but smiled softly. There was something so insanely menacing about him and yet he wouldn't hurt her.

She was almost sure of it.