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“I will pay a fair salary, and I‘m sure we can find a way to get Auggie and Lizzie on your insurance.” I throw in, hoping to sweeten the deal. I know how much insurance for them will help her. She looks at me with hope shining in her eyes.
“That would be so amazing! Would you hire me, for real? I don't have any experience other than working here.” Her hand gestures tightly, indicating the hotel.
“That's ok. I don't either, but Xavier has a lot of business experience, and he has promised to help me. Plus, if we only work days, we can take classes in the evenings!”
“Sign me up too!” Faye pipes in enthusiastically, “but first I need to get my GED.” She finishes a little sadly.
“She's been on the run from the mob since she was sixteen.” I volunteer the information to Ellie, who sputters on the coffee she just sipped.
“For real?!” She exclaims looking back and forth between us. Faye bobs her head and looks embarrassed.
“Yeah.” She says, indicating the fading bruises around her neck, “this is what happens when the mob catches you.”
“Isn't Xavier involved with…” Ellie lets her words trail off.
“Nah,” I tell her with a decisive shake of my head, sending my once again blond tresses bouncing against my shoulders. “His family, yes. X, no.”
“Travis would never be moving us here permanently if it would involve his business in anything shady.” Her fingers lightly touch her throat, “This was the work of an evil guy who worked for an even worse guy.”
“Annnd that means until all the bad guys are accounted for, Faye and I don't leave this building without a babysitter.”
Ellie starts to say something when Lawrence, douchebag of the century, rudely storms toward our booth.
“Elinor!” He snaps, narrowing his beady eyes to glare at Ellie. “Your break was over 5 minutes ago! There are deliveries that need to be made NOW!” Considering that Ellie only sat down a few minutes before, we all know that he’s lying.
“Sorry, Lawrence.“ Ellie says meekly, quickly scooting out of the booth. “Talk to you gals later.” She follows her boss toward the kitchen, head hanging in shame as he loudly berates her as they wind through the crowded cafe.
“That guy is such a dickhole!” Faye grumbles, scowling after them. “Can't X fire him?”
“I’m working on it,” I tell her, “He just needs to be on solid ground so Larry the Loser can't sue him or something.”
“Isn't treating other employees crappy enough?” She asks, frowning as she wrinkles her nose in disgust.
“It would be if they all weren't so scared of being fired before he is. No one will speak up about him. He sexually harasses all the pretty girls, and when they shut him down, this is what he does to them.” It's what he did to me, to
o. I told Xavier when I realized what was happening to Ellie, but without proof, there isn’t anything he can do. He did make the hotel manager, Lawrence's boss, aware of the problem. So it's just a matter of time.
“It will be ok, Faye. His number is up, he just doesn't know it yet.” She gives me a grim look that I know means not soon enough. I feel the exact same way about schmucks like ole Larry. He is pathetic.
“Anyhow, happier topic?” I smile, trying to lift the pall that descended on us with Ellie's departure. “When do we get to go dress shopping? X told me Travis asked for the number to call St. Anne's…”
My well timed question does the trick, and Faye’s face lights up with elation. “As soon as we get back from New York. We should only be gone four or five days. Travis promised he would take us to the dress shop, so please bring Xavier along to keep him entertained. We should try to get Ellie a day off to come with us too. Maybe Blake will tag along…”
We both giggle at that. Every time Blake and Ellie are near each other, they ignore each other so pointedly, that it's obvious something is going on with them. They just won't admit it no matter what we say to them. Stubborn!
Chapter Eighteen
Xavier
Travis called with the news I had been hoping for. They found the fucking ledger. It was in the pool house where Faye had witnessed the murders from. Under it actually. He said that they had gone through everything in the house and the small outbuilding with no success, almost deciding that it was a lost cause when Travis noticed a loose floorboard in the small bedroom. They had to pull up a small section of the floor, but it paid off when they found the hidden book.
Travis sent pictures of the first couple of pages from the old leather ledger. Just those few pages provided enough information to know exactly what we are dealing with. There is at least a decades worth of information inside. Names and dates of murders, drug and gun deals and details on so many young women, and even guys, who were bought and sold. My dad was mostly involved in the gun trade, but drugs and trafficking people have always been Dominic's preferred way to make money. Looking again at the list of names, I swear to myself I will see him burn to the ground for this. So many lives destroyed by the men in my family.
I know in my gut that this was ultimately what he had planned for Ana, and Faye just because she happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Once they no longer served any purpose for him to use against me, they both would have been disposable. Just the thought is enough to make my blood boil in my veins. I'll kill him myself if the opportunity arises.
Calling Agent Weaver, the FBI special agent who I’ve been feeding information about my family since I moved to Las Vegas, I fill her in on the existence of the ledger. It quite possibly will be the evidence she has been needing to make a move against Dominic. Weaver knew my family connections but had done her homework and knew I was clean of any illegal activities. All it took was one conversation for me to know that I wanted to work with her to end my family legacy of criminal behavior.
I’m the first Cerelli in generations who hasn’t wanted to make my money illegally. A real misfit. Every business I have ever been involved in has been strictly on the up and up. My family legacy of destroying lives to get rich ends with me. I want to pass my name on to my children and for them to be proud of what we have accomplished. I promised my mother the day I was sent away to school that I would learn how to be a good man. It was the last thing she ever asked of me and I have spent my whole life trying to live up to her expectations of me.
