11
LEONE
“Idon’t think, um … I don’t …” Zoey wrings her hands.
“I’m kidding.” Sophia wraps an arm around her shoulders and hugs her tightly. She may say she’s kidding, but the look she’s giving me is no joke.
“My meddlesome queen.” Nick smiles indulgently, then turns to me. “Let’s discuss business so we can get back to these scheming women before Zoey turns up in a wedding dress.”
Just the thought of her wearing a bridal gown makes my heart leap about two miles ahead of itself. She’d be a perfect beauty, and I wouldn’t waste any time in pushing her skirt up to her hips and–
“You have a kitty, too?” Zoey kneels to pet the cat who’s weaving through her ankles.
I follow Nick as the women coo over the furry interloper at their feet.
“What is it with women and cats?” he scoffs lightly, but I don’t miss the amusement in his tone. “Sophia has always had a soft spot for animals, but with cats, it’s another level.”
I shrug. “Zoey is the same, though her cat is an absolute beast. He drew blood on one of my guards.” I can’t stop the chuckle that rolls from me.
Nick eyes me curiously as we enter his office. He pours us drinks. “This Zoey, she’s the one you rescued from the club?”
“Yes.”
“And her sister is the one with sticky fingers, right?”
“Yeah, Marvin made it clear Xanadu is the one who took your money. Apparently, he was blinded by love.”
“Now he’s blinded by death. The fool.” He scowls and hands me a drink. “Whatever trouble he was in, he should’ve come to me with it. Now I’ve got two problems instead of one–the missing money and some piece of shit who thinks he can spill blood on my turf with impunity.”
Squeals echo down the hallway, and we both turn.
“Oh my God, look how fluffy!” Zoey calls.
“That’s Ribbon, my new kitten. Nick got her for me as a surprise. Isn’t she adorable?” Sophia’s heels click as they pass, likely following the kitten toward whatever fun it’s chasing.
Nick smiles absently, his gaze on the door. Like me, he wants to go out and watch the women. I admit, I could do nothing but look at Zoey and be perfectly content. It’s the bizarrest thought, but it’s true. Just being near her makes me feel comfortable in a way that I’ve never experienced.
“You have that look.”
I realize Nick’s attention changed to me while I was thinking about Zoey. “What look?” I take a drink of my whiskey.
“The same one I must’ve had when I first realized Sophia was meant to be my queen.” He looks at me over the rim of his glass. “You’re lovestruck, old friend.”
I open my mouth to deny it, but no words come out. Love isn’t something I’ve even considered. It seemed like something a fool would chase after, a fleeting thing that had zero permanence. Then again, when I think about Nick and Sophia, I have to admit their love is so real it’s almost a palpable presence. And if I look even closer, I have to admit that the way I feel about Zoey … Well, it might not be too far off.
“She’s quirky. Different. I don’t even know her that well, to be honest. But she’s got this way about her, you know? And she’s so loyal to her sister. She’s had a lot of bad luck in her life, but she still sees the bright side.” I try to put Zoey into words and find myself falling severely short.
“You don’t have to tell me. I felt the tension between the two of you the moment you walked in.” He raises a brow in question. “Have you two …”
“No.” I pull at my collar as heat ripples along my skin. “But she’s mine, all the same. I told her I’d help her find her sister … for a price.”
He grins, the dark look on his face giving him the appearance of some fearsome beast, perhaps a shark, perhaps a tiger. “A price? I can imagine.” He laughs into his drink. “In that case, let’s find this Xanadu sooner rather than later. I want to see what comes of Zoey’s payment to you.”
“You’re getting a real kick out of this, aren’t you?”
He shrugs. “I’ve found my queen. It’s long past time for you to find yours.” He puts his glass down. “Now. As for information on the trigger man and Xanadu, I’m afraid my leads haven’t produced much. However, I did interview some of the workers at the club. It seems that Xanadu had a stalker, and she was terrified of him. I don’t know what that has to do with her stealing my money, but it might have everything to do with the gunman at the club. Maybe her stalker wanted to get rid of the competition, but he created another problem for himself when he realized there were witnesses. Did Zoey mention a stalker?”
“No.” I place my empty glass on the tray beside us. “I get the feeling Zoey’s sister sheltered her from a lot of bad things, including her line of work, stealing the money, and whoever was after her.”