“The Coltons don’t?”
Lewis looked around the coffee shop. “From the work I’ve done, whatever anyone wanted, the Coltons delivered. Anything.”
“How bad?”
“Bad, Ruby. I mean really bad. We’re talking kids, the slave market, and even snuff.”
“Snuff?”
“Where it’s sex and death combined.”
“Oh, wow.” She was shocked.
“Yeah, from what I’ve read, the Coltons went too far, and several of the Denton women that worked for them, ended up being killed.”
“You really can find everything out, can’t you?”
“I’m the master of knowledge. I’m sure it’s the only reason we remained friends.”
“I love you like a brother,” she said, reaching out to take his hand. “You mean everything to me.”
“Then do me this favor. Stick with the Dentons. You belong to Oliver, Ruby. You deserve happiness, and I know he can be the one to see you happy.”
“Lewis…”
“No, don’t Lewis me. I know, okay? I get what you want to do to avenge your brother’s death. I get it, and I understand it, but I know what those people are capable of. You’re my sister, or as good as my sister, Ruby. I don’t want to consider you getting hurt, and knowing what those bastards do, I can’t help you, if you go looking for trouble.”
She had never known Lewis to react like this so he must have been really scared.
“Promise me.”
He held her hand so tightly, and she couldn’t not promise him. “I promise. I promise that I will do everything to stay safe.”
“I mean it, Ruby. If I even think that you’ll go back on your word, I will make sure that I don’t give you any of the details you want.”
She took a breath, and nodded. “Let’s put all of this morbid stuff aside, and just have a nice lunch.”
“Sure.”
He filed away the two folders she’d given him. There was nothing more to be done. She had lunch with Lewis, and as she left the café, she watched him climb into his car, and drive away. Wrapping the jacket around her, she started to walk toward the casino where she knew that Oliver would be waiting. It was only an hour’s walk away, and it gave her a chance to clear her head. She couldn’t stop thinking about Lewis’s warning. She’d never known him to be so determined for her to not search for the men responsible for killing her brother.
The walk went by too soon, and before she knew it, she was outside of the main casino. She was used to taking long walks. It was the only thing she did that helped to clear her head.
Standing outside of the casino, she stared up at the main building. Even during the day it was so busy. She didn’t know how people could do it, gamble away their life.
“You okay?” Gideon asked, surprising her by coming up behind her.
“Aren’t you supposed to be in there?” She pointed at the casino.
“Nope. We’ve all got our own stuff to do. We’re not supposed to be there all the time.”
“Oh.”
“You thought we were some kind of gang that has to do everything at the same time?”
She shrugged. “To be honest, I didn’t really give it much of a thought.” All she had been able to think about was Oliver, which was not like her.
Who was she kidding? Just recently it was exactly like her.