Page 77 of His Lair
“I think John has done something to Sammie’s mother,” I tell him. “He was in my father’s suite, acting cagey when I brought up meeting his new bride.”
“He’s a dirty cop, Lailani. He’s always cagey.”
“I should have let him get the drop on me. Take me to their meetup spot. I could have found out what they’re planning.”
Why do I think of these things after the fact?
“Don’t ever let anyone get the fucking drop on you, Lai,” Emmanuel growls. “I’ll get some guys to sort this out. Is there a reason we’re not telling your fiancé about this?”
“Fiancé? Funny, I don’t see a ring, do you?” I hold out my left hand.
Emmanuel smirks. “According to Sammie, you’re engaged.”
“He’s a dreamer. And I don’t want him worrying about me today. He has enough to deal with. I can handle whatever they throw at me,” I explain.
“I’ll have Paz nearby.”
“I don’t need a babysitter or a bodyguard.” I laugh.
“I know,” Emmanuel says but that’s all he says. Which means Paz will still be nearby. “What are your movements for the rest of the day?”
“I was going to find out what room Sammie’s mother was in and check on her. Then I have an appointment at the salon.”
“The salon?” E lifts a questioning brow at me.
“I have a wedding to attend.” I smile. “And I want to look my best.”
“Pretty sure you could wear a paper bag, and he wouldn’t care.”
“Probably, but I have a dress just to be safe. And heels,” I say. “I’m going to take these things up to Sammie’s apartment and then check up on Miss Russo.”
“I’ll see to Miss Russo. You go to your salon appointment. You do look like you just rolled out of bed.” Emmanuel bends down and digs through the dead guy’s pockets. He takes his phone and wallet. I don’t need to look at either of those things to know this is one of Santiago’s men. The tattoo of a lion’s head on his head tells me already.
“Thanks.” I scowl at E.
“Anytime.” He walks out of the room, leaving me with the dead guy.
As soon as I collect all my things, I head up to Sammie’s apartment. I know that Emmanuel said he’d check on his mother, but I need to check on her myself. I need to call my dad too. Tell him to watch his back.
I pick up my phone and press on his name in my contacts. It rings out, so I send a message.
Me:
Dad, call me when you get a moment.
He’s probably busy either drinking at a bar or trying on the suit. Or John is going to do something and use my father against me. Now that he knows I have a connection to Sammie, I wouldn’t put it past him. Shit.
I quickly open my laptop, log into the cell phone tracker app I had installed, and track my dad’s phone. Seconds later, the little dot on the screen is telling me he’s still in this casino. I log into the CCTV system next and scan the different floors, starting with the main one. He’s here somewhere.
After fifteen minutes of searching, I finally spot him. He’s in a men’s suit shop in the mall department. I relax a little. I’m being paranoid. He’s fine.
Satisfied that my father is okay, I pull up the casino’s guest registry and find what room Miss Russo is staying in. There are no cameras inside the suites. But after scanning the ones in the hall on her floor, I spot three of Sammie’s goons hanging around trying and failing to blend in.
I shake my head and laugh. This is going to be fun. It’s like taking candy from a baby. Too fucking easy.
Chapter Thirty-Three
“What do you mean she’s not there?” I yell through the phone.
