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I nodded.
“My ex-fiancée was killed, while presumably working at the Stag Club, the sex club Donata mentioned.”
“Ex-fiancée?” Enzo turned to Donata.
“Yeah.”
“Alright.” He shifted his attention to me. “What happened to her?”
“I think it’s better if I showed you.” I pushed back my chair and stood. Donata did the same and rushed to my side. We waited another beat for everyone to catch up, and then, I escorted them to the office where I kept Ava’s murder board. “She was killed two years ago. Her car crashed into a tree. The case was closed within days. They said it was an accident. She was under the influence, going too fast, the usual bullshit used to cover up a murder.” I gestured toward my carefully curated evidence.
“How do you know it wasn’t an accident?” Rex walked up to the wall. “BecauseI’m pretty sureshe was killed is not going to hold up in court. Not even with the Dons.” He smiled at Donata.
“Oh good. Finally a smile.” Donata shook her head at him. “Luca hired a private investigator who managed to get him the examiner’s report before he got spooked and quit.”
“Got spooked? Is that code for the mafia got to him?” Santino asked.
“I think so. But Luca swears there was no reason for the mafia to come after her. She was a teacher by day and a waitress by night. She had no money. It makes no sense for the mafia to bother with her.” Donata stopped talking and turned to me. “What? It’s all there.”
She pointed at the news clippings and all the sticky notes I’d plastered around Ava’s photo. Most of them had hard evidence written on them, but there was a lot on there that was pure speculation and conspiracy theories.
“I’m glad you did your homework.” I wrapped my arm around her waist then realized that it was probably too much PDA for her friends.
When I tried to pull away, she kept me in place. “They know.”
“So you and Mr. Gallo, huh?” Santino crossed his arms over his chest. “I never thought I’d see the day. When you’re right, you’re right.”
“I’m happy.” She beamed at me.
“I can see that.” He grinned at her. “You two seem like a good match. He’s a magnet for trouble. And you? You’re straight-up trouble. So what’s the plan? How do we nail the asshole standing in the way of your happiness?”
“Well.” She winced. “We have a plan to come up with a plan. For reasons that are not important, Don Gallo has invited us to a gala at the Stag Club. I thought we could divide and conquer. If we go separately and ask around, I think we might find something we could use to prove he’s running a sex-trafficking ring.”
“It’s good to see you haven’t changed at all.” Rex chuckled. “I’m going to need way more information than this murder board, like current events. How about we start with how you got caught up with a sex club for the rich and depraved, that is possibly killing women?”
If we wanted their help, and we did want their help, we were going to have to tell them everything. I gestured toward the sofa. “Have a seat, guys.”
CHAPTER25
The Stag Mansion
Donata
When midnight hit, our limo pulled up to the Stag Mansion. Before we left Luca’s brownstone, we had agreed to drive and arrive separately to draw less attention. I didn’t say it, but a young woman showing up to a sex club with four incredibly hot guys was probably not the best way to keep a low profile. The pre-plan was simple: talk to as many patrons and staff as possible, gather the information we were each assigned, then meet up in the ballroom to discuss a real plan. This was a long shot, but it was all we had.
The mansion looked the same as the last time I was here, though the vibe was less kink and danger and more glitz and glamor. Just as Don Gallo had promised, the old bouncer wasn’t at his post, presumably because he’d been fired. The guy who replaced him was more courteous and treated me like a guest, not a poor girl begging for scraps.
How did I not see the difference before? The bouncer was a real asshole to me for no reason at all, other than he thought I was there forbusiness.
“Ms. Salvatore, welcome.” The new guy offered me a quick nod before he turned to Luca. “Mr. Gallo.”
Yeah, we were all friends now. He escorted us to the bottom of the steps and explained that only the ballroom was available to guests tonight. In other words, we couldn’t go snooping in the kink rooms like I did last time. I was okay with that.
“How about a drink?” Luca slid his arm around my waist and ushered me upstairs. “You look like the cat who drank the milk.”
“I’m nervous. The last time I was here was a real shitshow.” I offered him a smile.
“I’m not leaving your side.” He pressed his lips to my cheek. “You look beautiful.”
