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It wasn’t until later that day, after I headed right back to bed and slept, that I realized we were next to Octavia.
I’d woken later in the afternoon, heard the music, and went to see what was going on. There were floor-to-ceiling windows that surrounded the entire apartment, all sides, so by the kitchen area, I could see a line of people on the street waiting to get into the nightclub, winding around the corner. From the front side, there were flashing lights and the traffic was nuts from cars stopping and speeding through. A few large security guys were milling around.
“Windows are blacked out. They can’t see in.”
Ashton had come into the kitchen, wearing what he’d worn when we first came.
“You haven’t slept?”
He had slight bags under his eyes, his hair messed, but in a whole sexy way, and he yawned, coming toward me now. He rubbed a hand over his face. “No time. Trace and I have been in meetings all day.”
Right. Meetings. For a Mafia war. Made sense . . .
“Can I ask what’s going on?”
He leaned against the counter, his eyes gentling as he took me in, up and down. I had changed into some black leggings and a black hoodie, clothes that he already had waiting in the closet for me. He shook his head. “We’re moving in a thought-out plan, but one to cut down on innocent lives lost. If that helps?”
My mouth went dry. Innocent lives.
Like mine. “Oh.”
“Molly, I need to ask about your father. What did he say on the phone call?”
I flinched, just remembering the conversation. “He’d heard about you and me and was pissed. Basically, he wanted you to know that he won’t do shit if you fuck me over. His words, but I cleaned them up a bit.”
“Had he found out anything about Kelly’s killer?”
I shook my head. “No, but he said he was onto something else, something big. He wouldn’t say anything more except to keep my head down because whoever or whatever it is, they had deep pockets. Legal pockets.”
Ashton frowned. “Legal?”
I nodded. “Well, he said pigs, but yeah. Legal.”
He continued frowning before clearing his throat. “I’d like to put a program on your phone. The tracker will be directly connected to my phone. It’ll locate where your dad is when he calls again.”
“Not just his call, though. Right? It’ll locate other calls too.”
“Is that a problem?”
I opened my mouth. Normally, I’d say hell yes because Shorty Easter installed a good paranoia about the government tracking me, but this wasn’t the government. It was Ashton. He had reason. I’d had four guns pointed at me within a short amount of time.
I shook my head. “No. That’s fine.” I took my phone out, sliding it to him on the counter.
He caught it, but his eyes remained on me. “Are you doing okay?”
I nodded. “I’m good. I mean, we’re in the lap of luxury for places to hide out in.” I gestured to Octavia. “Though, I’m confused about that place. Doesn’t a different mob family run that?”
“Cole Mauricio. They’re active in Chicago, but Trace’s family and mine have an understanding with them.”
“Do they know we’re neighbors?”
“No, but they’ve agreed to reach out if any of the Worthing family shows up. Trace and I have a chain of restaurants in Chicago, and we do the same, or did when they were in their own war.”
Gah. My mouth went dry again. “Will they be pissed that you’re literally right next door to them?”
He shook his head.
My phone beeped at that moment.
He murmured, “You have a text from Pialto.”
That had my mouth going dry again. “About Easter Lanes?”
His grin faded, but his eyes were still soft on me. “You don’t need to worry about your bowling alley.”
“I am. I’m losing business if Glen’s not keeping it open during my peak days.”
“Glen’s not doing anything with it right now.”
“What?”
“I told him to board it up and take a trip. So he’s safe.”
I snorted. “To Glen that means holing up in one of your family’s casinos and gambling the whole time. His definition of ‘take a trip’ is different from yours.”
“I’ll have my men locate him, and if he’s not safe, we’ll make him safe. Does that work?”
I nodded, surprised. “Thank you for that.” And on to the other matter. “What do you mean I don’t need to worry about Easter Lanes?”
“Just that you don’t have to worry. We closed it down during this time. That’ll affect your business, so whatever revenue you’re losing, we’ll reimburse you.”
“What?”
“It’s business, but ours is affecting yours. I don’t want that to happen.”
I—had no clue how to take that. “I want you to reimburse double what I’m losing.” A businesswoman was a businesswoman.
Ashton cocked his head to the side, his eyes sparking. “Deal. Also, it’ll be Trace who will handle this. It’ll be between you and him.”
