Consumed (16 page)

Adrian

“Why did we need to meet here?” Reggie asks as he sits in the chair across from me at Whiskey Down, inside MGM Grand. “You’re not exactly my favorite person at the moment.”

“The feelings mutual, but I had another meeting here, and I wanted to talk to you about Victoria and this shooting incident with the drug dealer.”

Our waitress approaches. “Another Lagavulin scotch please,” I say before I glance at Reg. “Want one?”

He smirks. “You buyin’?”

“Bring another,” I say to her.

Reggie runs a hand through his curly hair.

“I’m shocked Victoria shared that information with you.”

“She has no problem opening up to me.”

He anxiously taps the table a few times with his hand and looks away. “OK, let’s get to the point of this meeting. I don’t need to hear about your relationship.”

“Why the fuck did you let her do it?”

“She’s a grown-ass woman, Adrian. Victoria does what Victoria wants. She’ll put you on the road if you start trying to control her job. That I’m certain of.”

“She could’ve been raped, or worse yet, murdered.”

The waitress returns, and we both become quiet. Reggie takes a drink of his scotch. He’s breathing sharply and still tapping with the fingers of his other hand.

After a long minute, he leans in a little and looks me in the eyes. “Let’s get something straight. First, I’m not her personal bodyguard for you. Second, you will not tell me what I do in my professional relationship with her. And last, you should be thanking me. I busted in there and took out that asshole before he could hurt her.”

Once I’ve taken a drink, I lean back against the seat and blow out a breath. All the emotions I’ve experienced and fucking feelings I’ve had to deal with since meeting Victoria are too much.

“Thank you. I don’t know how I’m going to deal with her having this dangerous of a job.”

Reggie leans back, too, and scratches his head.

“I know firsthand that caring for her makes that problematic. I’m not sure I can continue as her partner for that reason. Like I said, Victoria does what Victoria wants.

“I have her back the way I’m supposed to on the job, but I can’t sit here and tell you I’ll keep her from getting hurt. It wouldn’t matter what money you offered me. She’s determined to push her limits, and I can’t control that.”

“I guess I was hoping you would have a solution.”

He shakes his head. “You got a lot of nerve. You swoop in and take her right out from under me, yet you want us to sit here like old pals and have me lick your wounds. I got news for you. Your problems became a whole lot worse today.”

My head whips up. “What do you mean?”

“I thought telling our sergeant Victoria went undercover at Submission would get her out of there and away from any danger, but it appears to have backfired.”

“How so?” My nerves are becoming frayed as the helplessness I feel to protect Victoria mounts with every one of his words.

“They’re sending her into your place to play poker. Apparently, Noah Sanders, who we’re investigating, is a regular at your casino.”

“Noah, the Commissioner’s son?”

“Yeah. You shouldn’t have gotten involved with him, Adrian. He’s bad news.”

“But we believe he’s another connection for us to the drug lords in Juárez, Mexico.”

Reggie shoves a finger toward my face. “And I told you to keep her safe and away from that shit. Now, she’s being sent into your place to play poker with that sicko.”

“Victoria can play cards?”

He takes another swig of his scotch.

“You have no idea how well. The guys at the command won’t even play with her anymore. That woman wouldn’t need her job if she would enter tournaments.”

“So, you’re telling me your boss wants her in there to get close to Noah?”

“Bingo.”

“Well, it’s not happening. Go tattle on her again! Tell your sergeant she’s living with me. That will stop it.”

“I thought about it, but there’s a waitress undercover in one of your lounges. I don’t know what name she’s going by. I’m sorry, but it was kept from me, and apparently she was there before Victoria even.”

“Fuck.”

“Yeah, and I don’t know what, if anything, she has uncovered. If they’re building a case against you, do you want me running to my sergeant and telling him Victoria is shacked up with you? Why can’t you see that being with her is jeopardizing her career and safety?”

Reggie stands from the booth. “I get it, Adrian. I know how easy it is to want Victoria, but you could have any woman in this city. Let her go if you truly care for her, and I’ll see what I can do to keep her out of your casino.”

“I don’t only want her, Reggie; I love her.”

“And you can find love again. At least, I’m banking on that for myself, or I’ve got a lonely life ahead of me.”

Victoria

Stepping into the living room, I see Adrian is on the sofa, sipping a drink from a glass tumbler.

“Dang, you beat me home.” I hold up my bags. “I purchased some revealing articles of clothing you should enjoy removing from my body.”

He gives me a faint smile and pats the empty spot next to him. “Please sit. We need to talk.”

“We need to talk? Uh, I have something to discuss with you, too, but from life experiences, that is one of the worst sentences you could say to me.”

Dropping my bags, I walk over and reluctantly take a seat. I’m sulking already, evident from the frown I’m wearing.

Adrian gives me a tender kiss and strokes the length of my hair. My hands go between his, and my heart jumps on the treadmill. “You’re scaring me. Did something happen to someone?”

“Victoria, I’ve been needing to tell you something for a while, and I couldn’t find the right time or the words.”

I swallow and stare at the pained look that has paid me a visit on several occasions. It is more distraught this time and making me nauseated.

“There are things happening at this hotel and casino that are not legal.”

I instinctually attempt to pull away, but he keeps a grip on my hands and closes his eyes. “God, please don’t already retreat from me. Let me explain.”

“Oh, no, I don’t know if you should tell me. I mean–you have to tell me, but I’m a cop, Adrian. A cop!”

“Victoria, I know, and I’m sorry.”

“Dammit, say it. I have to know.”

He exhales slowly and opens his walnut colored eyes that I desperately need to see light in again.

“It’s the lounges. We don’t report the dues we receive from members to play in there or their winnings. So, the players don’t have to claim their high stakes winnings on their own taxes, either. Tax evasion. That’s it.”

“That’s it?” I ask mockingly. “Oh, my god.” Yanking my hand free, I rise and begin pacing. “Prison, Adrian. You go to prison if this comes out. You’re talking about significant amounts of money.”

He hangs his head. “But it’s for a good cause.”

“I don’t care if the money feeds every starving child in America. It’s illegal. A federal crime, and I’m living here with you.” I cover my chest with my hand and try to get some air.

“I can’t believe this is happening. I thought there could be something going on but nothing this monumental. The media that would come with your bust. The prominent people involved. And I would be taken right down with you.”

My finger slings out toward him. “Why didn’t you tell me when you found out I was cop? Why didn’t you tell me then instead of letting me fall more in love with you?”

The fucking tears he’s always able to incite spring forth, but my anger battles with them.

He stands and comes toward me. “Stop,” I say.

“Please, don’t leave me, Victoria. I’m sorry I kept it from you. It was only because I was terrified of losing you. You’re everything to me.”

“Risking my career and freedom is how you show your love? By deceiving me?”

He grabs his hair with both hands. “You have no idea how many times I’ve attempted to tell you. I tried not to fall in love with you, too, but I couldn’t stop it. It was selfish, I know.”

My anger loses its battle and the tears march on. The look of anguish on his face and the feeling of my heart splitting in two is more than I can bear.

“Even if I can forgive your deceit, I can’t be with you. Oh, my god, my father suspected this, and then I trusted you.” I swipe the tears from beneath my eyes and grab my purse. “You’ve succeeded in breaking my heart worse than any other in this world. Congratulations.”

Adrian

“There he is.” I hear Theo’s voice, so I open my eyes and glance to the clock. Four in the afternoon. “Adrian, what happened? Are you sick?”

He’s standing at the end of my bed with Blanca next to him. She’s in a pink skirt and matching suit jacket, but her blonde hair is down and curled today, the style reminding me of Victoria’s.

“What the hell are you doing here looking like that?” I ask her while pointing.

“What the hell? Don’t talk to Blanca that way.” I see him inspect my surroundings. “Are you drunk? Why haven’t you answered your phone today? I couldn’t even reach Victoria to check on you, so we had to let ourselves in.”

“Don’t fucking say her name. Never again.” I sit up in bed and reach for my bottle of scotch.

“Shit,” Theo mumbles. “Blanca, you should go. I got it from here.”

“Adrian, do you need anything? I can take care of it for you,” she says with sympathetic eyes and a smile.

“No, Blanca, but thank you,” I manage out a bit slurred.

“What happened?” Theo asks after she leaves us alone.

“I told her the truth about the lounges, and she left me.”

“Fuck, why the hell did you do that?”

“Someone else is undercover here. Long story,” I say before I bypass my glass and drink from the bottle.

Theo swipes it from me, spilling it on my bed.

“God, you look like shit. When did this happen?”

“Last night.”

“Have you been drunk for almost twenty-four hours?”

“I don’t know. Have I?” I fall back onto the bed and cover my chest with my hand. It reminds me of Victoria, so I squeeze my eyes shut tightly, the pain not numb enough for me to handle.

“Let me help you into the shower. You’re eating and sobering up. Then, we’re discussing how to fix this. I’m not letting that woman, or anyone else the police have stuck in here, ruin our lives.”

“I don’t care anymore. And our good pals over at the FBI can save the day.”

“You better fucking care. I have a wife and kids to think about, and Mom and Aggie need us now more than ever.”

Theo shoves my legs off the bed. “There is only so much the FBI can do if the cops gather enough evidence against us, so stop talking like a drunk fool and get your ass in the goddamn shower.”

“No.”

“Fine.” Theo leaves the room, so I find my bottle again and take a long drink. Shit, it’s almost empty like my depressing life.

Simon

“Theo said Adrian was drunk off his ass,” I say to Zev as we ride up the elevator to Adrian’s penthouse.

“I’ve never seen him that wasted before. Hey, Noah Sanders called me. That Sadie chick. Noah wants a date with her, so you need to make it happen.”

“Hell, no.”

“Why not?”

“She’s off limits. Oh, shit, I wonder if Victoria is in there. She already called me the other night wanting to kick my ass.”

“For what?”

“Uh, I sort of dicked Sadie over, and Victoria is her sister.”

Zev rubs his forehead. “The cop?”

“Yeah, Adrian’s Victoria.”

“Fuck, then Noah doesn’t need to be messing with her, and neither do you,” he says. “She’s a stripper?” One of his eyebrows lift as if he finds this amusing.

“No, she was trying it out, but she’s not stripper material.”

“She looked pretty sexy to me.”

“Don’t fucking go there.”

“Ah, shit, you too?”

The doors opens, and we stroll to Adrian’s.

“What?” I ask.

“You like her.”

“Yeah, but I won’t let her around our bullshit.” The penthouse is unlocked when Zev tries to turn the knob, so we go inside. Hearing yelling from Theo, we charge down the hallway.

Adrian is only in boxer briefs, stumbling around his room, which reeks of liquor. “Without Victoria, I’m nothing, Theo,” he says with slurred speech before spotting us. He holds a bottle of booze in the air. “What the hell are you two doing here?”

“You won’t listen to me, so I called them.”

Zev chuckles. “Holy shit, you’re really plastered.”

“Give me the bottle, and get your ass in the shower before we all three put you there,” Theo orders.

“Do what he tells you, Ace. None of us want to see your junk,” I add.

“Juice Box doesn’t plan on it anymore, either,” he slurs.

“Oh, man, you’re toast.”

“Zev, that’s not helping,” Theo says, scowling at him.

“If this is over a woman, I’m never letting him live this down.”

“It is over a woman. She made me stupidly happy, but all this …” Adrian says, swinging his arms over his head, “took her away from me, so I don’t care about any of it anymore.”

“Damn, Victoria left you?” I ask.

“Someone else is undercover here,” Theo says, “and Adrian had to tell Victoria about the lounges. That is all I can get out of him that makes any sense.”

“Holy fuck, are we getting busted?” Zev asks.

“She won’t be the one to tell,” Adrian says. “That I believe, but I don’t care anymore.”

Zev charges at Adrian, and grabbing him by the biceps, he shoves him up against the wall. “You better care. I’m not going to jail because you grew a fucking heart and fell in love.”

Theo swipes the liquor bottle from Adrian’s hand while he has a chance.

“I love her.”

“Nope. Not allowed in this business.”

“Theo has Karen,” Adrian whines to Zev. Fuck, this is a pathetic sight.

“She was grandfathered in. There’s a difference. Recite the pussy rule. I want to hear it.”

“No.”

Releasing one of Adrian’s arms, Zev grabs his jaw instead. “Say it.”

“Pussy is good for only three things. We stroke it, eat it or put our dick in it,” Adrian struggles to say.

“Exactly, and if we can’t put our cock in it, then its owner is a cunt.”

“Man, leave him alone. He’s drunk and had his heart stomped on,” I say.

“Says another brother who is newly pussy-whipped.” Zev never looks my way. I swear he needs damn therapy. “Adrian, I’m going to say this once. Get in the fucking shower.”

Adrian shoves Zev off of him. “I’m not too drunk to forget you can be a real asshole. I love Victoria, and I’d rather have loved her for only a little while than be the cold, heartless dick you’ve become.”

“This cold, heartless dick is here trying to prevent his brother’s death from alcohol poisoning.”

“Get out, philosopher Xavier. I don’t need your help,” Adrian says before he staggers into his master bathroom.

“I’m outta here.”

“Run off like you always do, Xavier, but one of these days, you’re going to have to face some things,” Theo says to him.

“Whatever.”

Theo stares at me with obvious disappointment, but for once, I don’t believe it’s directed at me. “Will you help me change his sheets?”

Taking off my suit jacket, I lay it over a chair. Theo leaves the room to find a set of sheets, so I begin stripping off the old ones and think about what Adrian said to Zev.

The heartache he’s feeling is exactly what I’m trying to avoid. If I had to guess, Victoria is hurting as badly if not worse.

I don’t want to put a woman through that, especially not someone as special as Sadie, but I guarantee I already hurt her if she misses me even half as much as I miss her. She’s likely pissed, too.