Page 30 of His Lair
“The next one is in my head anyway,” Joel whispers, appearing to come to terms with his untimely demise.
“A little birdie tells me you two were talking about how Russo here was going to find out you were in cahoots with the fucker who took a shot at Giuliani’s wife,” Emmanuel says.
“That true?” I ask Joel.
“Fuck you, both of you. Go to hell!” Joel screams.
I draw my own weapon from behind my back. “I plan to, but not before you,” I tell him and then pull the trigger. I drop my arm and glance over at Emmanuel. “How’d you know that?”
“Got a tip,” he says.
“You find that woman?” I question him.
“Nope.” He shakes his head.
“I’ll run over the CCTV. I want to know who the fuck is going rogue in my casino.” Running a frustrated hand through my hair, I walk out of the stairwell and into my apartment. I planned on spending tonight in bed with Lailani. I didn’t want to be dealing with this shit.
But as soon as I saw that mug in my sink, inmykitchen, I knew she was back. It’s been six months since she’s been around. I have no idea where she is. I’ve searched every floor, watched the footage from the cameras I have throughout the apartment. All she did was smile as she made coffee and sat at my counter to drink it. She left only five minutes before Lailani walked in. Which is too fucking close for my liking.
“What do you think she wants?” Emmanuel asks. I didn’t even hear him follow me inside.
“The woman from the stairwell? Who the fuck knows?” I grunt. I really am not in the headspace for this right now.
“No, your mother,” he clarifies.
I pick up a bottle of whiskey, pour two glasses, and then hand one to Emmanuel. “Probably what she always wants. Money.”
“You know it’s not your problem,” he says.
“She’s my mother, despite being useless at the role,” I tell him.
“Still, you’ve done everything to help her. You can’t continue to help someone who doesn’t want to help themselves,” he reminds me.
He’s right. I know that. I can’t turn my back on her, though. Sheismy mother and the only parent I ever knew. The only family I ever knew. I just need to find her, give her what she wants, and make her disappear again.
“I gave a woman an access card. She came in to wait for me just minutes after my mother left.” I drop down on the sofa and breathe in a lungful of air.
“What do you think your mother would do if she saw a woman in your apartment? Pretty sure she knows you’re not a virgin?” Emmanuel smirks.
“Who the fuck knows what that crazy bitch would do. She’s not someone I want my girl around. Ever. Let alone if she’s strung out,” I grumble.
My mother has always had a drug problem. I get the hypocrisy of the situation. I make money by dealing in drugs. I might push the stuff, but does that mean I want my mother addicted to the shit?
No, it doesn’t.
The thing is, I’ve never known her not to be. I’ve tried and failed over and over to rehabilitate her. I’ve put her into so many rehab facilities that she continues to check herself out of. I bought her a house a couple of hours out of town, in the hopes it’d be harder for her to maintain a supply. It wasn’t. The only plus for her having that house is she doesn’t come around here. Unless she wants more money.
“You think she’d try to hurt her?” Emmanuel asks.
“I don’t know what she’s capable of when she’s high. But I do know she’ll use whatever weakness she thinks I have to her advantage,” I reply, although he already knows that.
“This woman, she’s a weakness?” His brows rise in question. “Because I’m pretty sure you said you weren’t seeing anyone, and that it wasn’t serious with that someone you weren’t seeing.”
“She’s not a weakness because I won’t allow her to become one. Whatever she is, she’s not fit for our world, and I refuse to be the reason she gets hurt.” I get up, walk over to the bar, and refill my glass. “Another?” I ask Emmanuel.
“Why not.” He holds his empty tumbler in the air.
I shouldn’t be here. I swore I’d stay away from her. The only way to keep her off everyone’s radar is to maintain my distance.When I walk up, Vic (the guy I have watching her place) gives me a nod. And then positions himself across the street.
