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“Lennon, can you give me a ride?” Lyric asks, and I nod.
“What am I, chopped liver?”
“You have our car. Use it and go back to the condo. I’ll be there later.”
We head down to the lobby. My legs don’t want to work, but I hold my head high, red handprint and all, as I move toward the counter. I drop the keys down and walk out without saying anything. One of the girls behind the counter chuckles, but a stern look from Lyric shuts her up.
The valet brings my car around, and I tip him as Lyric and I load up. I look over at Ainsley and feel bad. She’s going to be mad at me because every month I help her. I’ve always given her money. She works as a blackjack dealer at the Lucky Dice Casino, which is owned by Andrei’s brother. She doesn’t manage her money very well. She says that she deserves for me to spend money on her because she lived in foster care while I was living it up with my dad. I’ve wanted to tell her she knew her father and should’ve gotten money from him. But her father blamed all his bad luck on Grayson Aldridge, Andrei’s brother.
I take off toward the shelter. The only place I want to be. I don’t want to go to the Melody, where I know I’ll see him. I’ll arrange to have my things at the condo put in storage if I don’t need them at the apartment I have available to me at the shelter.
The shelter, Clare’s House, started out as an old apartment complex. I arranged the grants and everything to have it renovated. I hired the staff. I’ve rented out the new work-home spaces to help bring in revenue. I spend my life there. It’s everything to me. It’s how I honor my mother. She gave her life to protect and take care of me.
“Want to talk about it?” Lyric asks, and I almost startle, forgetting she’s there.
“No. Where would you like me to drop you off?”
“I’ll go with you to Clare’s House. The new cybercafe is cool, and I don’t feel like being around Ainsy right now.” She pauses long enough for me to almost fall back into my head. “He does love you. I think if he really didn’t care, he wouldn’t have punished you for what happened. I’m sorry we got you cut off. I’m sorry Ainsley only thinks of you for money.”
“No. No.” I shake my head. “You both suffered in foster care your whole lives. She gave you up instead of keeping you. I should help you, and I gave you what I don’t need.”
“No, stop, Leni.” I turn to look at her, and for the first time in a long time, I see tears in her eyes. “You don’t owe us anything except love. Just like your father gave you his form of love and ours didn’t.”
I reach for her hand that’s on her leg. “Ly, you, Ainsy, and Sparrow are all I have left. I don’t know if I can ever forgive him for hitting me. I didn’t deserve that. I deserved to be cut off. I deserved to be doubted but not for my job or life.”
“You’re right, you didn’t deserve that.” She laces her fingers with mine, and I feel a bit better.
“Tell me about Dmitri.” She leans back and rests her head against the headrest.
I can’t stop the smile that comes to my lips. “He’s intense. Sexy.”
“Well, duh, I’ve seen him. He’s a fine piece of Russian grade A beefcake.”
I laugh and nod. “He was born here though.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“Of course, you do. How long did it take you to run a background on him?” I chuckle as I weave through traffic.
“I didn’t run a complete one yet. But I will, especially since I’m pretty sure he’s the one having the hacker check into you.”
“Oh shit, sorry,”
She chuckles and shakes her head. “It’s okay. It will come out soon. Just as long as the rest stays secret, I’m okay. By the way, I’ll scrub us from the cameras at the Bellagio.”
“I don’t care anymore.”
I pull into the parking lot adjacent to Clare’s House and park in my spot. Lyric gets out and rounds the back of the car.
“I love you.” She kisses my cheek as she hugs me, and I squeeze her to me longer. “Give it time for your anger to calm down and then talk to him. As for Dmitri, give him a chance. Mac is wrong about him. Don’t have regrets like we do.” I look at her in confusion.
“We know he’s dead. I haven’t found proof, but he would’ve been bugging me to hack the Lucky Dice more if he were still alive.”
“I’m sorry, Ly.” I pull her back in for another hug. She pulls away and walks away from me.
Taking a deep breath, I head into the apartment building, past security, and to the top floor to the one-bedroom unit I’ve been allotted.
Five
