“Want to go to the house and talk strategies and merch when we’re done? I’m sure Dad will feed us again,” I say.
Her face lights up. I feel like shit that she’s so starved for my attention. I don’t do it on purpose. I have a ton going on.
“Sure, that would be great. I would love that.”
I reach to brush a hand over her hair. “I’ll grease your scalp and brush your hair too.”
“Did you drive? You want to ride with me?”
“Yeah, come on.” I don’t have the heart to tell her my car is outside. Jace drove, but it was in my car. I had planned to drive back to New Jersey myself.
CHAPTER 59
Answer Me
Gio
Ny wants to keep the peace. I get that. She’s their master. Discord amongst her and the dolls doesn’t serve me. Okay, I understand, but no one is going to steal from me and think they’re going to get away with it.
From the beginning, one of the most important things to me was loyalty to Ny and respect for us all. You can’t learn from someone you’re jealous of.
I already know who took the ring. My first option was to tell Ny and let her kill her while I watched with joy. That would be a Dario move.
My next option was to allow Ming, Alyona, and Kamiko to torture her. Filleting her thieving hands daily until she eventually dies. Again, not how I move, that’s more Dante.
Which brings me to my third option. Something Gio Di Lorenzo would do. The reason I’m here.
“Damnit, Gio,” Holly huffs as Jace disarms her at the door when she goes to pull her weapon.
I sit in a chair in her apartment, facing the door, waiting for her. I was intrigued when Ny gave her this place a few months ago. It means she’s going to promote her. That makes four out of the twelve I’m looking for.
“How you doing, Holly?”
“I was fine until I found you two in my apartment.”
I look around. “It’s a nice place. Ny favors you the same as the other top dolls. She took you to meet my mom. That means she trusts you immensely.”
“I owe her a lot.” She shrugs. “I love her like a sister. So what’s your point?”
“If you love her, you want to see her happy. That’s what I want too.”
“Okay.”
I move forward in my seat and drape my arms over my thighs. I stare into my palms as if lost in thought, not saying a word. The anticipation in the room builds.
“I need you to do something for me, Holly. A few things actually. First, I want you to tell me what happened to Nyla’s ring.”
She purses her lips, drops her hip, and folds her arms over her chest. I was expecting the attitude. I get it. She’s protective of Ny. She wants to handle this for her master, but I’m not having that.
“Answer me,” I bellow.
She sighs and drops her arms. “After it went missing, I watched the cam footage.
“Ming doesn’t know I know how to tap into them. I watched that bitch Essence steal it right out of Ny’s locker. She doesn’t deserve another pass.
“I heard about what she did before I got here. I erased the footage so no one else would know. I want the ring back, then she’s going to come up missing,” she snarls.
“I knew I liked you, but this is my doll collection. Each of you has a purpose. Let me teach you something.
“Every move has consequences. While I respect the one you wanted to make, you were about to place Ny in danger. At the right time, Essence will play her part and everything she’s done to harm my woman will be paid in full.
“Do you understand me, Holly?”
“Yes,” she murmurs.
“Get me my fiancée’s ring. Make sure no one sees you.”
She nods her understanding. I’m still fuming, but I have other business here. I shift my train of thought.
“You were a nurse, right?”
“Yes, for a little while.”
“Then you understand the pressures of working in the hospital?”
“Yeah, I did it long enough to understand that. The doctors would vent to me. It’s why Donny hated it. I would have coffee with some of the residents and they’d spill their frustration. I’d just sit and listen.”
“Perfect. I need you to do this for a resident I know. Sit, listen, and give her a little push to think about her options. Can you do this for me?”
She lifts her green eyes to look at me. I see a new determination in her gaze. Ah, she thinks she’s failed me and Ny. Good, that means she’ll never fail us again. Mission accomplished.
“Yes, I can do that.”
“Good, her name is Carleen Mitchell. Jace has the name and address of the coffee shop she likes to go to for breaks. I want to know where her head is, so you’ll report to me after every encounter. I’ll let you know when you’re done.”