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“To be honest, it was hands down the best sex of my life, and I started falling for you.” She looked away, embarrassed she’d admitted her feelings.
I chuckled and stared up into the crystal-blue cloudless sky. “Glad it wasn’t too difficult for you.” I focused on her, and my gaze narrowed. “I can let that piece go. Sex is sex, it meant nothing to me. You weren’t my type, I just kept you around for a distraction. But …” I pointed at her. “You betrayed me when I let you into the lower level of the club. I brought you in and trusted that it was all confidential. There wasn’t even a hint of concern on your face. That’s what I’m pissed about. And how you warned River about my family was completely uncalled for. You could have found another way.”
My gut clenched at the next realization. “You really were jealous, weren’t you?” I chuckled and turned away from her. Spotting Zayne near the car, I trained my attention on him so I wouldn’t lose my shit and yell at Michelle. She was hiding behind her job, and it wasn’t going to fly with me. I turned to her again.
“I left all of the details of the lower level out of my report. The only thing the FBI knows is that we were sleeping together for me to get closer to you and gather information,” she said, obviously proud of herself for keeping my secret, but mostly hers. Once I’d introduced her to the bottom floor, and the different rooms, all she wanted to do was play. The BDSM room sure as hell didn’t hold any secrets concerning Tim’s weapons deals or Hannah’s murder.
An unsettling energy buzzed through me. I clenched my jaw, willing myself not to tear her a new one. “Did you find out anything that could help me with Tim tomorrow?”
She stood and smoothed her gray slacks. “I’m hoping his threat will bring River home, but whoever took her is playing hard ball. I wouldn’t count on it.”
Michelle didn’t have to say that aloud. I was thinking the same thing. “I’m not either. I would like to make Tim slip up, though. He’s at his weakest when he’s frustrated, so it’s my job to rattle him. The best way I can do that is to tell him what I know without sharing how I learned it. It’s super risky because he could figure out his car is tapped, and we’d lose our only connection to finding my girlfriend.” Girlfriend. She should be my fiancée.
“If you have to play that card, come up with a reason when he asks how you know,” she suggested.
“I saw a ton of papers on his desk and his laptop was unlocked. It’s how I found out that he deals weapons.” I looked at her. This time I actually wanted a response.
“It should work. We don’t want him to be suspicious of your true motives.” She glanced up at me and fluttered her lashes like she did when we were dating. I doubted a playful, sultry expression was part of her job.
“I’ll feel it out tomorrow morning then.” I shoved my hand into my jeans pocket and stared at her. I wanted to see her face for this next part. “Were you shocked when Tim admitted to burning down 4 Play?”
She nodded. “He totally took me off guard.”
I shook my head. “I know that feeling. He called me while I was standing in the parking lot watching my business burn to the goddamned ground. So, believe me when I say that I’ll do anything to take this motherfucker down. And I won’t even lie about it. I’ll enjoy every beautiful second of seeing him fall.”
“Who else knows about this? Brian didn’t mention the club at all. Today is the first I’ve heard of his involvement with the arson.”
“Just my friends, Pierce, Sutton, and Zayne. I trust them to keep their mouths closed. I’m hoping that you’ll do the same. Use the information only when you absolutely need to in order to put the son of a bitch away for the rest of his life.” I propped my elbows up on the railing and leaned over.
“I’ll sit on it until the right time. But what I don’t understand is why? Why would your father do that to you?” Surprise laced her words.
“He wanted to make sure I would work for him. He made the offer earlier that day, then after our breakfast, I got the call that the building was on fire. I rushed over to 4 Play and Tim called me while I was there. He flat out admitted to me that he was behind it. The cops know it was arson, but not who is responsible for it.”
“He’s obviously used to getting his way.” Michelle put her hand on my arm, and I glared at her, moving out of her reach.
Disappointment registered on her features, and she pulled away. “Please be careful when you talk to him tomorrow. Use your instincts. They’re good.”
I huffed. “Apparently not. They were shit when it came to you.”
She raised her hands. “I deserve that, but it’s my job. If I worried about hurting someone’s feelings every time I turned around, I wouldn’t get anything done. So please understand this, Holden. I apologized and kept your secret about the club safe. If you want my help, you’ll stop acting like a total asshole and focus on working together. I’m damn good at what I do, and I have to deal with egotistical men all fucking day long. Do us both a favor and cut the shit.”
And there it was. Shades of Becky at her finest. “If I want your help?” I scoffed. “I’m not the one that showed up at the door to apologize and talk. This conversation never needed to happen. I think you’re simply enjoying the scenery and wanted to have a trip down memory lane. Maybe even hoping to have one last fuck before River is back?”
Michelle stepped away and shook her head. “Good luck, Holden. I hope I won’t be attending your funeral soon.”
With that, she hopped down the stairs and stomped to her vehicle. She started the car and peeled out of Chance’s driveway.
Zayne arched a brow and joined me on the porch, a slight grin pulling at the corner of his lips. “Should I ask?”
I dragged my fingers along my stubbled jaw. “Michelle’s a piece of work. Watch your back with her. I don’t give a fuck if she’s FBI or related to the most powerful family in the world. She’s mentally unstable.”
“That bad, huh?”
“Worse. She came over to tell me she never told the FBI about the lower level of the club and the membership.” I gave a half-shrug. “It’s not illegal, so I’m not sure why she was making a point of pretending like she helped. She invaded my life and lied to me. She didn’t do me a solid.”
“It might not be illegal, but you don’t want to be on their radar either. They could shut 4 Play down and investigate for years and tie up your funds. A lot of similar places are wrapped up in sex rings, drugs, and prostitution. Hell, the FBI might have shut you down permanently because they didn’t like the way you smiled.” Zayne ran his hand through his hair. “So, I’m not telling you to like what she did overall, but in that area, she did you a favor.” Zayne grinned at me. “On top of it, she came over to tell you, so you didn’t stick your foot in your mouth.”
“Why are you smiling about it?” I stared at him, trying to figure out what was going through his head.
