Page 135 of High Reward

Owen leans back in his chair and looks at each of us. “There are some connections. Definitely Bratva, but a new generation. They operate more like corporations now, less street violence, more economic warfare.”

Hunter paces behind Owen. “I spent years running those bastards out of my city. They almost killed Skylar, almost killed my wife. Now they think they can just walk back in through the front door?”

“Through multiple doors, actually,” Owen corrects. “They’ve diversified. Construction companies, real estate firms, tech startups. Griffin’s been setting up the chess pieces. And Las Vegas isn’t the only city he’s interested in.”

“You mentioned in our conversation the other day that Price has a connection to Kara Lindon and Bryce Cameron going all the way back to our days at Yale. What do you make of that?” I ask.

Owen types something and the screen changes. Photos of Kara and Griffin at a charity function pop up on the screen. A function I was at seven years ago. The night Grace met Kara. Goddammit.

“And Bryce?” I ask.

“Similar connections through the country club Bryce and Matteo used to golf at. From what I can tell, he just used those connections to get closer to us. I’m assuming he blackmailed them both somehow. Bryce, at least. Kara, I think he may have seduced.”

“Are we positive Sampson killed himself?” Luke asks quietly.

My gut twists into a knot. This is far more sinister than even I could have imagined.

“There’s always a possibility he didn’t,” Owen says. “But the note was in his handwriting, and there’s no evidence of anyone else in his room at the time the shot was fired. I’ll continue digging, though.”

“Price has been to the club, correct?” Hunter asks.

I nod slowly and Hunter points at Owen. “I want my wife out of there now. Use the bunker underneath the Elysium if you have to. It wasn’t part of the Meridian Holdings contract.”

Owen already has his phone to his ear, and I push away from the table to stretch my legs. “Are we sure moving is wise?”

“There’s no reason for me to trust that the club hasn’t been compromised, and I’m about to royally piss him off.”

Before I can caution against whatever he’s thinking, the door opens, and Nadine steps in without a word and hands Hunter a thick file.

“How much work have they done?” he asks her as he flips the folder open.

“The cameras in pits four, five, and six at Sapphire. A crew is coming today to do the rest of the pit cameras.”

“Cancel it.”

Nadine raises an eyebrow but doesn’t argue, just backs out of the room to do his bidding.

“You’re really going to cancel an eighty-million-dollar contract without talking to your lawyers.”

He pulls out his cellphone and dials a number.

“Austin, can you find a loophole in a contract for me? Nadine will have it in your inbox in the next two minutes.”

He puts the phone back in his pocket and dares me to say anything else with his silent stare.

“I think the rest of us should follow Hunter’s lead,” Matteo says. “If the club has been compromised, and Harper being drugged suggests it has, we’re sitting ducks. We’ll up security in our homes and use evasive maneuvers to travel anywhere.”

“The bunker has plenty of space if you feel you or your partners are in danger,” Hunter offers.

“Hunter should be at the summit.” It’s the second time Matteo has dropped a quiet bomb in as many minutes, and I turn to stare at him where he stands, still leaning against the wall.

“What summit?” Hunter demands.

“My father warned me the Russians were trying to worm their way back into Las Vegas. His solution is to have the Serrano Cartel move in first. None of us want that, so instead we’ve called for a summit. Representatives from all our families will be meeting at The High Card in a few days.”

Hunter nods. “Agreed. I can help. But I’m not getting into bed with your families. I work with the four of you because you’ve proven yourselves and you keep your money laundering out of my casinos. I want nothing to do with the rest of your kind.”

“We don’t want anything to do with them either, mate. Why do you think we ended up here?” Owen asks dryly as he ends his phone call.