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Underneath that club was a gambling ring. It had everything, from slot machines, to roulette wheels, to poker. Millions of dollars came in each night, and not much money left the place. Their exclusive players were wealthy, and knew how to play, but from time to time, Helios would throw in a newbie just for kicks.
Helios’s sister was the one who would be able to help me.
Rhea Karalis was the same age as me. We’d met when I first came to New York, following an incident in one of their clubs in Los Angeles. Since I was always with Aleksei back then, he’d taken me with him to business meetings.
His meeting with Helios had been unimpressive. However, the night had improved as soon as the cops had shown up to bust them on charges of drug possession. Someone had snitched, and the moment Aleksei and Helios got the name, the man had been murdered and left in a public place—a statement that showed those who dared to oppose them would end up facing the same fate.
Rhea got arrested, and so did I. We’d shared a cell, then I’d bailed her out, so she owed me one. To this day, Aleksei had kept the evidence of her being arrested buried deeply, so Helios had no clue.
“I must say,” Rhea greeted me after I showed the numerous security guards my invitation, “I’m surprised you called me.”
I turned around and smiled. Her tan skin glowed under the lights, her long, wavy black hair falling smoothly down her back. The skirt and the shirt she wore matched and hugged her curves perfectly, though I would’ve expected nothing less from someone who resembled a goddess.
She wore diamond earrings, and a matching necklace decorated her exposed cleavage. She looked like a million dollars. Though, to be fair, she could have worn a trash bag and rocked it. She radiated beauty.
“Sadly, it’s not a social call, Rhea.”
She raised an eyebrow, unable to suppress her smile. “It never is with you. Let’s take a seat—unless you wanted to play first?”
My gaze traveled around the spacious room, but I shook my head. “No. It’s still early, and I’d like to play poker with someone decent.”
She laughed. “Well, Helios is dropping by later—you could play with him.”
That was a bad idea. I’d played against him twice and beaten him both times, but he was a sore loser. To this day, he claimed that I’d cheated, even though that was both impossible and unnecessary. We played for fun, not money. There was nothing to gain by cheating.
Rhea led me towards a booth located on the platform above us, secured by white rails. A big leather couch and a small table sat in the center. Four guards surrounded us as soon as we took our seats.
“I have a thirty-year-old Macallan for you, my lady.” Rhea grinned and snapped her fingers.
One of the guards nodded and picked up a phone. Not even four minutes later, a bottle of Macallan sat in front of me. Rhea had opted for a cocktail.
I smiled. “Why, thank you.”
Rhea was one of the most tolerable people to be around. Although she wasn’t involved in her family business, she was always snooping around. Any information a person might want, she had it. It came with a price, but I had the money to pay.
“I haven’t seen you around lately,” Rhea noted. “It seems like you’ve been otherwise occupied.” She tried to hide her smirk behind the cocktail glass, an intense flame in her black eyes.
“I’m not surprised you’re well informed,” I replied and took a sip of the whiskey. It felt refreshing, almost as natural as water. “I am surprised you’d care enough to find out.”
“Knowledge is power, Ekaterina.”
I finished the statement she always used. “And power belongs to those who take it.”
“Exactly.” Her dimples showed. “I don’t know who wants your brother dead.”
I glanced around. The people below paid no attention to us. It was the kind of place where you wouldn’t be seen even if you left millions of dollars richer. Helios guaranteed his clients exclusivity and confidentiality, and any incidents were kept strictly hush-hush.
Rhea’s eyes were glued to the side of my face, but we sat in silence. I drank two glasses of the Macallan while the place filled and the music grew louder.
Eventually Rhea clicked her tongue. “But you know, don’t you?”
I turned to look at her. “I have my suspicions.”
Her head cocked to the side. “Who?”
I gave her a knowing look and shook my head slightly. “I can’t throw out assumptions based on a gut feeling.”
“Oh, it’s someone big, isn’t it?”
