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I laughed, ignoring the sensation of anger boiling my blood. The moment I showed my hand was when he won, and I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. It was easier to be the cold person my ex claimed I was. “If he did, you should thank him. You’re damned lucky Mr. Guidry didn’t come after you for the completed project plans you stole. I was there. I found the evidence against you. The accusations would’ve stuck. On second thought, don’t talk to Wade at all. He isn’t your business anymore. He belongs to me now.”
“Is that what you tell yourself?” He gave me a slow once-over, mouth curling in disgust. “Sawyer will take any cock offered to him, as long as it comes with a promotion.”
“Well then, I guess yours is out of the competition, since you can’t get a job.” I smirked at the downright furious expression that passed over his face. His nostrils flared, and his already tight jaw twitched. He took a step back, hands curling into fists at his sides, and I took pleasure in the sight before me. After what he’d done to the boss, I would take any win over him.
“You think you’re so clever, don’t you, Guthrie? First you got my job, then you got my piece of ass.” Xadrian’s eyes darkened. “But you’ve got nothing but my sloppy seconds.”
“Then why are you here?” I asked, genuinely amused at his every attempt to insult me. I didn’t let little men like Xadrian get to me. Usually. His digs at Wade were toeing a line, though. I had pride in things I owned, especially my sub. “Why did you ask to fuck him if you didn’t want him anymore?” I gestured around the apartment. “If this is what you want, Xadrian, then you really are desperate.”
Xadrian took a step toward me, but I raised my palm, effectively stopping him.
“Touch me, and I will destroy the last remnants of who you are.” I lifted one finger. “First, I’ll go after you for assault and you’ll be arrested with a criminal record.” Another finger went up. “Second, I will sue you for emotional damage, and Wade will be at my side, watching every minute of the final descent of your downfall.” I turned my hand so the back was faced toward him and raised another finger so the three middle ones were up before flipping him the bird. “And third, I will talk to my friend. You might know him. His name is Massimo Sabbatini. He has a famous family around this city. Now I can’t promise what they’ll do to you, but it probably won’t be pretty. It’s good to have connections like Massimo.” I winked.
His hesitation was the only answer I needed. I stepped back and opened the door.
“It’s time for you to leave, Xadrian. If you attempt to contact Wade again, you will regret it.” I held out my hand. “Keys.”
His face flushed red in fury, but he didn’t argue. He yanked the keys out of his pocket and threw them at me, and they bounced off my chest. With a glare, he stormed past me, knocking his shoulder against mine, and I let him have the free shot because he really didn’t have anything else left. His harsh footsteps echoed in the hallway as he stomped down the concrete stairs, and I chuckled as I closed the door again and went to pick up the keys from the floor.
Now that I was alone, I took more time to study the apartment. I walked over to the few photos on the wall. The first photo was of two boys, no older than ten. One of them was clearly Wade, with his big hazel eyes, short golden hair, and a wide familiar smile. The second, though, was obviously a relative, probably the brother if I had to guess. Wade had his arm wrapped around his brother’s shoulders and they stood close together, and while Wade was all grins and happiness, the brother was morose with haunted eyes.
The second photo was strangely plain, merely a small house in the middle of what appeared to be a farm. It was probably more appropriate to call it a shack, but it was clearly old and one gust of wind could’ve brought it to the ground. In front of the house was a bed of petunias, and there was something peaceful about it, regardless of how old the place looked.
I frowned and my curiosity grew. Sighing, I tugged my phone out of my pocket and found the number Massimo had sent me. I tapped on Adrian’s contact and placed the phone to my ear. A few moments later, he answered.
“Adrian Valentini.”
“Adrian, I’m not sure if you remember me, but I’m Massimo’s friend, Albion.”
He snorted. “Right. The Dom friend. What can I do for you?”
I stared at the photo of the house and something told me it had meaning. “I know you have your security business, and your main services are bodyguards and security measures for homes, but I was hoping you still did some PI work.”
He stayed silent for a moment before he hummed. “What kind of work are we talking?”
“Background check. As much information as you can get on someone.” I kept walking around the living room and stopped in front of the bookshelf. The books were dusty, as if he hadn’t picked one up in a while, and they were mostly classics. Edgar Allan Poe and Charles Dickens. I ran my fingertips along the spine of a well-worn copy ofA Christmas Carol.
“I usually don’t do background checks.” Adrian’s bored tone made me wince, but I didn’t let it offend me. Every Sabbatini I’d met—or in this case Valentini—had a wall up, and whether it came with the territory of being asuspectedmobster or not, I didn’t know. “But seeing as you’re Massimo’s friend, I can make an exception. It won’t be cheap.”
“I have the money,” I answered without hesitation.
“My kind of client.” There was a smirk in Adrian’s voice now. “I’ll send you to a secure payment portal and give you the amount I’m willing to take for this job. All money must be received before I send my guys out to do the work. They’re former military and good at recon and finding out secrets some may not want anyone to know. I won’t waste their time, and I expect you not to waste mine.”
I held in the urge to laugh at his directness. He was definitely Massimo’s cousin. “I’ll send through the cash as soon as I have the details.”
“Good. You’ll hear from my personal assistant, Kiran, within a week. Good night.” The phone call ended.
I kept wandering, taking in the frayed furnishings with displeasure. No, this wouldn’t do. I refused to let Wade stay here.
My phone buzzed, and like I’d promised Adrian, I immediately transferred a large sum from my bank account to his business.
Albion: Done. The name of the man I want information on is Wade Lee Sawyer. I’ll send the rest of the details I have by text first thing tomorrow.
Adrian: Good. You’ll hear from us soon.
Satisfied, I walked toward what I assumed was Wade’s room. It appeared the apartment only had one bedroom because the only other door opened into a small, decrepit bathroom containing a cracked toilet bowl and a narrow shower cubicle.
I opened the door to the bedroom and walked in, unimpressed and downright irritated with what I saw. The space wasn’t much bigger than the bathroom and only had a single bed with a tall set of drawers. There was no closet to hang his suits and no window to get fresh air. The puke-colored paint on the walls was peeling and I didn’t trust it not to be contaminated with lead.
