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Chapter 4
Grayson
Kai was away for the next few weeks for me, which meant I had to deal with my third-in-command, Florian. He was Kai’s younger brother, and while he was perfectly capable of running errands, he was too young to keep a level head. He often lost his cool, making him an unreliable companion. Still, he’d have to do until Kai returned.
That day, Florian’s duty was to report back on Skull. I hoped for the man’s sake he’d heeded my warning, but something told me he’d done anything but. As Florian returned to the penthouse, his grim expression told me everything I needed to know.
“No luck?” I asked, and he shook his head.
“I was inside Le Cabaret. He was still bullying the girls, demanding their money.”
“Did you see my girl?” I demanded. Another shake of Florian’ head.
“I think she had the day off. How would you like us to proceed, Sir?”
“We’re going to face that bastard once again,” I said after a moment’s pause. “We’ll wait until his shift is over. I want you to come with me.”
“Of course, Sir.”
“That’ll be all.” I turned my attention back to the files I was working on.
“Another thing, Sir.”
“Yes?”
“Here is the list you requested.” Florian handed me a manila envelope. “In there you will find photos, names and a brief bio on every one of the women being sold tonight, along with what they are auctioning off.”
“Perfect. Thank you, Florian.” I dismissed him with the wave of my fingers, and he left me alone with my thoughts and the envelope, staring at me from my desk.
As the door shut behind Florian, I wondered whether I should even bother looking at the list. My thoughts were still with the stunning Kitty from Le Cabaret. But I needed a distraction badly, so I ended up picking up the folder, filing through the photos.
The women were all breathtakingly beautiful. Of course they were—otherwise they’d never have gotten in. I went through file after file, flipping through one woman to another, their names all blending together. Reese. Gianna. Capri. Amicia.
The last one made me stop in my tracks. I hesitated with my hand on the page, then covered up the top part of her face to make sure. Yes, it was her. My Kitty in the flesh.
I couldn’t believe my luck. How I’d been hoping for a new toy, lusting after the beautiful dancer, only to have her fall in my lap like this. It was almost too easy.
Now I knew without a doubt I’d have to pay a visit to the auction. It was the perfect opportunity to get what I wanted. My Kitty still had no idea who I was, and that I’d been watching her closely. She’d be in for a nice surprise.
But first, there was something else I needed to do.
***
Le Cabaret was even seedier in the morning light. It was past four a.m., the most popular girls at the joint were long gone, and the place was filled with questionable characters when Quentin, my driver, pulled up in front of it.
Florian and I got out of the cover, walking toward the building without exchanging a word. We’d already discussed what was going to happen. Florian may not have been as level-headed as Kai, but he was an important cog in my machine.
As soon as we walked into Le Cabaret, we caught the attention of one of the guards, a thirty-something man who resembled Skull, with his shaved head and garish tattoos.
“We’re closed,” he told Florian. There was a woman draped on his lap and another serving him drinks while he slapped her nearly bare, firm ass. But as soon as the man’s eyes zeroed in on me and he realized who I was, he was off his chair, almost too eager in his efforts to make me feel welcome. “Oh, Mr. Kline… Welcome. I’m so sorry for my rudeness.”
I waved my hand dismissively, my eyes scanning the place to find Skull.
“Are you looking for someone, Sir?” the bouncer asked.
“A man named Skull,” I told him. “We’ve got some unfinished business.”
“Of course. I’ll find him for you.”
“We’ll wait for him behind the club,” Florian said, and the guard nodded before disappearing into the backstage area of Le Cabaret. We made our way toward the back exit, and on the way, a woman draped her arm over my shoulders, giving me a seductive look.
“Care for a dance, handsome?” she purred.
“Get your hands off him,” Florian hissed. “Don’t you know who he is?”
The girl, a pretty young thing with a pale pink wig and dark blue eyes, smiled at me before a look of recognition crossed her face. It almost made me sad that she’d recognized me. It meant she knew too much about the corrupt, dark side of London.
“Now now, Florian,” I said gently, suddenly empathetic toward the girl. She was so young. “It’s alright.” I gently pried her arms off me, and she gave me a sheepish look. “Why do you work here?”
