Game Of Risk (Risqué #3) (14 page)

‘You know who Drew is. Jansen, Layla’s brother. The guy that hangs around with Serendipity. Not everyone is known by just one name like you,’ Flick said and tsked. ‘You just keep working, thug, and I’ll handle the gossip.’

‘There’s really no gossip,’ Ruger said.

‘Sure there is,’ Flick said. ‘So is it just sex or…’

‘I don’t know what it is. I think she’s great and she can handle my family.’

‘That’s a bonus.’

‘But she doesn’t even have a fixed address and I’m supposed to be getting out of this game. I don’t know where I’m going to end up either.’

‘You’re getting out of the game?’

‘Now that Colt and Blaser know, I think it’s only fair to them. I don’t want anyone to get hurt and Bri did get hurt. If that happened again…’

‘I understand,’ Flick said. ‘So what do you want to do? Have you thought about it?’

‘No. I’ve never been a “future” kind of guy. I just do what needs to be done in the now.’

‘You’ll have to think about it now. You’ll have to earn money somehow.’

‘I’ve got enough to keep me going for a while. But you’re right, it won’t last forever.’

When he had worked for Victor, he knew both Rushe and Jansen as criminals, and formidable ones at that. Ruger had left before Flick got mixed up in the mess, so he hadn’t met her until after the fact. But in the circles that he ran, he’d heard tales of the couple and the terror they could conjure. Since getting to know Flick personally, he was pleased, and surprised, to find that she was actually a sweetheart and not at all scary.

Though the power she wielded over Rushe, and the love she had for him, had caused death and destruction. Ruger could tell by looking at her that she wasn’t at all ashamed or remorseful of that.

‘You’ll figure it out,’ Flick said, patting his hand. ‘You could figure it out with Layla. Maybe you could come up with something together.’

That was an idea, but one which relied on him opening up to Layla about the possibility of a future and Jansen had told him that idea made Layla run a mile. While Ashcroft and his men were a threat, Ruger couldn’t take the risk of scaring her away.

‘What do you know about the Ashcroft situation?’ Ruger asked.

Serendipity had been cagey and hadn’t revealed much. Ruger couldn’t blame her. She didn’t know him at all and she was living under siege. For all she knew, he could’ve been an imposter and she’d said as much to his face.

‘That all the stories are true and that he’ll do whatever it takes to maintain his lifestyle. He’s not a man afraid of law enforcement,’ Flick said. ‘He thinks he’s all powerful and so he underestimated the threat that Jansen and Serendipity caused.’

‘How long do you think this will go on? I mean, what’s the end game?’ Ruger asked.

‘Serendipity is close. She’s been shopping around for a while and now she has a buyer, a newspaper wants to break the story and although Serendipity has only given them tasters, they’re concerned for her safety. It’s going to be bumpy for her.’

‘Like it isn’t already,’ Ruger said. ‘For all of you.’

‘When Ashcroft heard that Jansen’s girlfriend was writing a story and that she was close to selling it, he must have panicked and sent his man in. The one who gave me this,’ she said, twisting her arm.

‘He sent the guy in to take all of you out before the story could get be exposed,’ Ruger said.

‘Yeah,’ Flick said. ‘The guy demanded her notes, and her computer, he took everything that he could get his hands on, Jansen’s files and his photographs.’

Which he would’ve gotten away with had he not started firing. The bullet that hit Flick had sealed the shooter’s fate and Rushe had snapped his neck. At least that meant that Serendipity and Jansen didn’t lose any of their evidence.

‘What did you do with the body?’

‘I didn’t deal with that,’ Flick said, and it made sense because she would have been too busy bleeding all over the floor.

Ruger wasn’t sure what had made him ask the question because he didn’t want to know. Having information like that made him a target and that was the last thing he wanted to be while he was protecting Layla. Maybe he’d asked them because Blaser had asked him, so his brother had put the question in his head.

‘Time for you to go,’ Rushe said and marched to the couch to haul him onto his feet.

‘There’s no need to get physical,’ Ruger said unsure as to what had caused this change in the man who had been previously silent.

‘He knows where we are,’ Flick said, getting to her feet. ‘If he was a snitch then the cops would be all over this place.

His question about the location of the body would be something that a cop, or someone working for a cop, would want to know. Rushe must have seen a red flag when he asked it, but it just seemed like a logical question to ask, either that or it was his dumb adolescent brain who was excited by the notion of such a thrill.

‘I’m working for you guys,’ Ruger said. ‘I came here to help because we’re all in this together. I have Layla at my brother’s place and I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe. I left her there under the care of my brothers but it’s driving me crazy not to be there with her. If something happens to her while I’m not there—‘

‘What?’ Rushe asked, grabbing his jacket and yanking him forward.

‘Put him down,’ Flick said with a tinge of annoyance. ‘Think of what you’ve done to protect me in the past. You know how it felt to leave me open without you at my side. It didn’t matter how many times I told you that I was ok, or that I could take care of myself. You still didn’t feel right about it.’

‘That’s different,’ Rushe said, glaring again before releasing Ruger.

‘Different?’ Flick asked.

‘I love you,’ Rushe said.

‘Yeah, but how long did it take for you to admit that to yourself or to me? Maybe Ruger doesn’t know it yet, but it doesn’t make it any less real.’

‘I’m not in love,’ Ruger said, considering what it would be like to care for a person so much.

Rushe and Flick might be an unconventional couple who lived in an unconventional way. But it worked. Rushe adored her and she was crazy for him. The most dramatic stories that circulated about them were always related to the couple fighting to save each other’s lives or to be together.

Since leaving Layla, she had occupied all of Ruger’s thoughts, and his fear that something lethal could happen to her while he wasn’t at her side tied him up in knots. Maybe it was love, or maybe it could be, but he would never be able to answer those questions until he got himself back to her side.

Lyssa and Colt’s townhouse was amazing. Set over three floors, it also had a basement. Lyssa used the first floor of the house to practice, but the other floors were for living in. Before its partial transformation, the bedroom allocated to Layla had been the main guest bedroom, but it now contained the various items needed to convert it into a nursery. That Colt hadn’t chosen to put Blaser in this room, given its nursery accessories, was understandable. The sight of baby things could stress out the strip club owner or overwhelm him since he was expecting a child of his own.

The first night she had spent here had been great fun. The reality of the prospective danger in her life seemed like a distant threat when she was ensconced in the bosom of this family. After Lyssa helped her to settle in, they talked and cooked together, then the men came in to eat and Layla had spent a pleasant evening listening to stories of Ruger.

If he’d been present, he would’ve hated every minute of the conversation. But she was so grateful for this chance to get to know him from the people who knew him the best. Bri hadn’t come over to visit, so Blaser had spent portions of the night on the phone and texting, keeping in touch with his love.

Today, Layla had woken up with no purpose and she hated days like that. The men were busy with their trade and Lyssa had patients to see downstairs. Layla had been instructed to stay in the townhouse, away from the windows, and was given a panic button by Colt to press if anything happened or danger found her.

Layla didn’t like to be fenced in, and the idea that these thugs were getting away with penning her in really pissed her off. She’d spent some time Internet window shopping, because she had no way to buy anything. She wasn’t allowed to use her cards and had no delivery address. Her Miami address was her billing address, but she doubted she would ever be returning to that apartment.

Thinking about distractions like dinner and dancing and dating, she fell into old habits and started to look up ads for the local area. Coming to a new town wasn’t anything new to Layla. She had a routine she followed every time she arrived somewhere new. Going through that usual routine of researching apartments and job vacancies, she sought something that could excite her about starting over.

Not too long into her search, Layla came across an interesting posting. Reading the advert for maybe the tenth time, she was taking notes when she heard Lyssa coming up the stairs at lunchtime. Printing off the advert, Layla then shut down the computer.

‘What do you think of this?’ Layla asked, striding into the kitchen and smacking down the printed advertisement beside Lyssa’s salad plate on the kitchen table.

At first, Lyssa didn’t respond, she just read the advert and carried on eating. When she was finished, she looked up. ‘It’s great. Are you considering it?’

‘It’s premises and it has an apartment above.’ Layla put her hands on the table and in a curved descent, she sat in the chair opposite Lyssa.

‘Yes, I see that,’ Lyssa said. ‘It’s in the Warner neighbourhood.’

‘Yeah, that’s why it caught my eye,’ Layla said, reaching over to whoosh the advert across to her side of the table so she could read it again. ‘The owner died suddenly. There’s a fully ready salon, and it says the apartment’s been vacant for a while, but I could fix it up.’

‘You said you were a cosmetologist. I think it’s a great idea, if you think that you can take it on.’

‘Her son is renting it while he decides what to do with it, business and apartment, it’s only a one-bedroom, but the pictures online make the place look huge.’ Her eyes scanned the words on the paper and she could feel them glittering. This was a chance to build something for herself. She had always loved hairdressing and had only left it because of her relationship demise. On starting the course, the goal had been to own her own place, and now she had a chance at achieving that ambition. ‘He might consider selling it to me if I can make it work.’

‘I guess this means you’re hanging around.’

That statement made Layla stop reading and plant her hand on top of the paper. ‘I hadn’t thought about it like that.’

‘I think it’s an excellent idea and I have faith that you can pull it off. It’s less than a mile from Pru’s house, and she’ll certainly send business your way. She has a lot of influence in the community.’

‘I couldn’t ask her to do that.’

‘You wouldn’t have to,’ Lyssa said. ‘That’s the kind of thing that she does for family.’

‘I’m not family.’

‘Not yet. But you are seeing Ruger.’

‘Do you think this will freak him out?’ Layla asked.

Most men were commitment-phobes, but Layla wore that badge too. If she took this on, she was telling everyone that she was sticking around and Ruger might take that to mean that she was cosying up to him and expecting their flirtation to work out.

‘Ruger is smart,’ Lyssa said, finishing her lunch and taking her plate to the sink to wash it. ‘You have to make a decision based upon what you want and that doesn’t have to include Ruger. Yes, we all think you’re great and it’s obvious that Ruger adores you, but you shouldn’t pass up a chance at something you want to make a go of because you think a man might take exception to it.’

Lyssa had a terrific way of cutting through the bullshit and getting right to the point. An opportunity like this was rare. The price was low because the owner wanted to rent the place out quickly. Layla could take over the business and have somewhere to stay so that she wouldn’t be sponging off this family anymore.

‘I don’t know,’ Layla said. ‘I don’t want him to think I’m making assumptions. How awful would it be if I signed on for this and then we broke up next week?’

‘People who live in the same cities and neighbourhoods the world over get together and break up. Who cares if you have an ex in the town? You’re not going to be the only ex of Ruger’s around here.’

Layla didn’t like that thought, but Lyssa had a point. If things didn’t work out with Ruger then she would have her own sanctuary that wouldn’t rely on him or his family. She had lost her job in Miami and had pretty much decided that the climate down there wasn’t for her anyway.

Just because she broke up with a man didn’t mean she had to leave the state. Though that was her usual MO, she was sure that Ruger wouldn’t make things awkward or difficult.

There was always the chance that things would work out with Ruger and if they did then this was her foothold in the community, her chance to make money, and to make a home for herself here with him. Atlantic City was around five hundred miles away, and being closer to Drew than she had been in a while was a plus. Close enough that they could get to each other by car in a day in case of emergency, but far enough away that she wouldn’t have her big brother breathing down her neck.

‘Can I borrow your car?’

‘I don’t have a car,’ Lyssa said. ‘But I can call Colt and he can take you over.’

‘Isn’t he working?’ Layla asked.

‘He had work to do this morning, but he called to say that he would be back in an hour or so. Why don’t you call the number on that advert and you can check out the place? Colt and I were going to Pru’s for dinner tonight anyway. If you could make the appointment before that then we could all go over together, what do you think? I’d be honoured to come and see the place with you.’

Layla would be more comfortable having a female perspective. It was unlikely that Colt would know much about a beauty salon. Taking Lyssa’s advice, she used Lyssa’s phone to call the number on the advert and make an appointment.

Trying not to get her hopes up too high in case it didn’t work out, Layla was thrilled to get an appointment in a couple of hours. Colt would be home and Lyssa would be free. For now she had no way to get in touch with Ruger, and she didn’t want to harass him while he was dealing with such a precarious situation anyway. But when he got back, he could be in for a real surprise.

The place was perfect. The shop was set in a row of others with the apartment access at the back. The other stores would mean she had passing traffic, though there were no other salons so there was no direct competition. Colt talked to the son of the woman who had owned the shop and found out that their mothers had known each other. Ted, the deceased woman’s son, and Colt had gone to the same high school, though Colt was five or so years younger than Ted.

The only thing that concerned Layla was the size. The actual salon was much bigger than she had realised. There were ten stations, but as a one woman show, she wouldn’t be able to handle that many clients at the same time. Ted reassured her because he said there were a couple of younger women who were training and they could come in and help out. Although they weren’t fully qualified and were still at college, it would be good to have the support.

Upstairs, the one bed apartment had a separate kitchen and bathroom with several closets, a couple of which, Layla noted, could be knocked together to make another bedroom. It was something to log if she did decide to stay around and maybe buy the place later. Ted was open to this too. At the moment, he was renting the place month-to-month while he sorted out the paperwork, but he did have a view to sell later on.

His mother had rented out the apartment a few times, but the last tenant had left a few months ago. The place needed a good clean and dust, but it was fully furnished and Ted was leaving it that way.

‘This feels too easy,’ Layla said when she was alone with Lyssa in the living room of the upstairs apartment looking down on the happy, clean street below.

‘Maybe it’s just meant to be,’ Lyssa said. ‘If you don’t feel comfortable, or you don’t want to do this, then we can walk away. Ted won’t cause any trouble.’

Trouble wasn’t what Layla felt here, already it felt like home and she had the help of Lyssa and Colt who were one of the nicest couples she had ever known.

‘It feels right.’

‘Then sign on the dotted line,’ Lyssa said, joining Layla at the window. ‘It can be undone if you change your mind. I’m sure that Ted will be reasonable. If you can afford the deposit then there’s no problem. Ted has shown us the books and the salon certainly generates enough revenue and his mother worked it alone with the help of the younger ones. I think you can do it too. I don’t see any reason why not. The client base is already there and Pru will certainly help you. I think that she’ll be over the moon when she hears about this.’

They were supposed to have dinner at the Warner house that night. Colt and Lyssa were supposed to at any rate, so Layla was just tagging along. If she signed up now then she could make the announcement at dinner, because this wasn’t something that she could keep a secret until Ruger returned.

For one thing, she had no idea when Ruger would be back. For another, this was a small community and as soon as they all knew that the salon was occupied again, she was sure that there would be plenty of faces pressed to the glass, desperate to know who this stranger was who had moved into their town.

‘Ok,’ she said turning around and widening her smile. ‘Let’s do it.’

‘Ted said that you could move into the apartment right away. Colt and I can help you bring over your things. Ruger wants you to be safe though, so it would probably be best if you stay with us until Ruger is back.’

‘I want to stay here,’ Layla said. ‘If I’m honest, I need some space, and who would think to look for me here? If it’s that big a deal then Colt or Blaser can stay in the bedroom and I’ll sleep on the couch.’

‘Uh, no,’ Lyssa said, putting an arm around Layla. ‘You can sleep in the bedroom and they’ll take the couch. But before we make decisions about moving in, let’s deal with the paperwork.’

Lyssa was insightful but practical too and Layla hoped that they could find a way to maintain a friendship even after she and Ruger broke up.

Going down the stairs, they discussed the formalities with Ted and Colt in the back shop, where all of the salon supplies were kept. The coffee machine and small refrigerator signalled that this doubled as a staff room too, which would explain the leather loveseat in the corner.

After everything was signed, she tugged out her check book and leaned on the counter to begin writing, but Colt’s hand caught the pen in hers before she could reach the paper.

‘What?’ Layla asked, peering around from her bent position. ‘What’s the problem?’

‘You can’t write a check, Layla.’

Her ties to the Warner family made her a promising prospect for Ted. One thing they hadn’t told him about was the hitmen on her tail. ‘I can,’ she said and straightened up. ‘If I don’t, I’ll lose out on this opportunity.’

Lyssa searched in her purse and produced a checkbook which she handed to Colt. ‘We’ll take care of it,’ Lyssa said. Colt plucked Layla’s pen from her hand and began to fill out a check.

‘I can’t ask you to do that,’ Layla said, watching Colt as he wrote.

‘You can pay us back when everything’s straightened out,’ Lyssa said, giving Layla’s hand a squeeze.

Drawing in a long breath, Layla couldn’t argue with the sense of what the couple were saying. But she had to give voice to the niggling suspicion that kept cropping up in her mind every time she thought about breakfast at the hotel.