Deciding to check out her apartment and look for any clues to who these fuckers are, I drive into the city. I park around the back of the building and quietly enter through the fire escape. Once inside her place, I see what Tony meant; it’s fucking ransacked. My blood boils knowing that she has someone after her.
I go through her belongings and check out all the little trinkets she didn’t pack. I’m betting from her present situation that she couldn’t take these things with her, so I’ll have my guys clear out her belongings tomorrow in dressed full moving gear with equipment just in case those fuckers come around again. In her bedroom, the remaining clothes are scattered about, including those in her hamper. The man in me knows it’s terrible, but I steal a pair of her panties, bringing them to my nose. Yep, fuck me. My dick jerks and comes to life under my slacks. I tuck them in my pocket for later and go about the place.
Once I’m satisfied that I’m not going to learn anything else, I drive back home and make preparations for tomorrow. There’s a lot to do before I nab my queen, including make sure she has everything females need.
A knock at my door stops the plans, and I find it’s my cousin, Domani with his brow raise and frown on his mug. “You didn’t come to dinner, so I’m assuming you’re still dealing with our little problem?” he says, looking around my entryway for my little woman.
“Not quite.”
“She’s not here?” he tosses out with an air of concern.
“No. Come on in.” I walk into the foyer, and he follows, closing the door behind him. “She’s in a women’s shelter on the Southside.”
“What the fuck is she doing there?” I get that tone because he’d never leave Aria in that kind of situation, but our girls aren’t the same. Her family provided for her, but my girl doesn’t have any family it seems or if she does, they’re dead to me. I’ll never respect anyone who treats my woman so poorly.
“Hiding out,” I answer, running my hands over my face because I know where his mind is leading him.
“Do you think she ratted us out?” I can see his temper building because there’s a lot on the line if she does, which I know she won’t. Call it gut instinct, but my woman wouldn’t do that to me. I felt the attraction vibrating between us. I might not know women, but I can read the body language of my targets as they face their potential demise.
“No. She had someone creeping by her place looking for her. Enrico’s getting me what I need on that, but she packed and left her place in minutes after getting home.”
“So whoever they are, they were coming for her. Do you think they were tailing her before this evening’s fuckup?” He’s still pissed about my error and reminding me of it.
“No, but they were expecting her at the end of her workday, so I’m guessing that’s why they didn’t get there until well after she fled the apartment. They trashed the fucking place so whatever the reason she ran, I doubt it has to do with us.”
Dom shakes his head, frustration written with the grimace plastered on his face. “Something isn’t adding up. She’s in a shitty neighborhood, trying to sell solar panels, and then some fucks are at her door looking for her.”
“What are you thinking it’s about?”
“I don’t know, but I don’t like it. I want you to handle this asap, and no more fuckups.”
My phone interrupts his angry command. I check it and see it’s fucking important. “It’s Enrico.”
“What’s up? I’m gonna put you on speaker because I have Dom here with me too.”
“Okay. So I ran the tags on the fuckers that were outside her place, and they belong to a Mr. Paul Gordon, the owner and manager of the solar company that chick works for.” So her boss that sent her to the slums was also the asshole hunting her down. Why?
“Where have I heard that name before?” I rack my brain, trying to think of it.
“That’s the thing. I nosed around and found out that he’s running an underground strip club with some added benefits, and most of the chicks there ain’t there of their own volition.” Rage hits me full steam and I punch my wall, making a giant hole through the fucker and bloodying my knuckles up.
“I remember where I heard it. I’m gonna kill that fucker,” I roar, seething like a lion ready to defend his pride.
“In time,” Dom says, taking my phone from my hand and silencing any other rant with a slice of his hand across his throat. Then, he speaks directly into the phone. “Enrico, great work. Keep an eye on his operation. See who else he’s working with and if I have to talk to one of the families about it.” If anyone’s working with that asshole, it’s the Denali Family. Those assholes have been pissed since Dom put them in their place years ago.