Page 37 of Honey, Honey
“Holy shit, yes,” I murmured, making a beeline for the doors, sparkling water in one hand, my fruit platter in the other. There was a chaise lounge out on the balcony centered in a space that looked made to relax. It would be chilly with the rain from the day before but it could be freezing and I would have still spent my afternoon on the balcony. I toed off my shoes on the way and made myself at home. Whatever I was going to pay for this night of luxury, it was probably going to be a lot, so I might as well make myself at home. Zeus always collected, and I wasn’t naive enough to believe my little slice of paradise would come at no cost. I would pay for this luxury down to the pomegranate seed, but I couldn’t think of any better way to rack up a debt to Zeus than on a balcony in Tribeca treating myself at sunset.
Chapter Thirteen
LAW
“Well, well, well, look at what the cat dragged in…”
“That’s a terrible saying, Connie.”
She lifted one delicate shoulder in a shrug with a sunny smile. “A lot of things are terrible sayings, but that doesn’t make them any less true.”
I raised an eyebrow at her but said nothing, walking across the anteroom to her desk. “I’m glad you’re in a good mood,” I said. Connie was...lighter somehow. She was a calm and collected woman, but I knew she was prone to severity. I’d seen her joke and smile, been on the receiving end of both from time to time, but Connie was usually business. If she was making use of bad sayings and smiling at me there was a reason.
“What can I say? I woke up on the right side of the bed today.”
“There’s a reason. What is it?” I asked without disguising my curiosity. There was no need to hide anything from an old friend like Connie, and even if I tried she would figure me out if she had the motivation to do so. And besides, I had fuck all to hide here. The Cairn was one of the few places I let my guard down, and Connie was chief among those that I chose to be myself with.
If I was curious about her good mood there was no point in hiding it.
Connie leaned back in her chair, a huge monstrosity of angles and iron that I knew she would claim was avant-garde but just looked...uncomfortable. She somehow sat as unbothered and serene as any one had the right to. She shifted, one hand going to the iron armrest and drummed a red painted nail against the metal with a light tap.
“Oh, maybe because a person of interest has checked in. You know how I have my favorites.”
“Is that so?”
She nodded. “Well, she’s a favorite of mine but she’s caught Zeus’ eye. So you know how that goes.”
My eyebrows went up. “Zeus?” I asked, unable to hide the surprise in my voice. “I thought he was just a front to keep the masses in line.”
“A front? Like he isn’t real?” She asked, and I knew it was time to hide a little something from Connie. When Zeus came into play, there was always something to hide even when it came to a man like me. I was no fool.
“Never really crossed my mind that he was real,” I lied.
She smirked. “Now why would you think he isn’t real?”
“No one has ever seen him, that’s why.”
“Oh, plenty of people have seen him. But they’re all smart and follow directions like good boys and girls.” She rose from her seat and motioned for me to follow her. “This way, Law. I’ve got your rooms ready.” She was clearly done with our conversation.
Interesting.
Who the fuck had ever seen Zeus? The club had been around since the 80’s and I’d heard Zeus had never been spotted, even though this was his domain. It was a classic mob move. Keep the King hidden while the pawns kill themselves to gain clout, lose their real momentum to small wins and petty ploys that wouldn’t get them a damn place while they convinced themselves they were real players. The King would watch it all unfold from a safe distance while his people took care of the day-to-day.
It was a game of strategy. One that was only successful with the right people working for him and I knew Zeus had that in spades. He had Connie, for one. The woman was formidable, smart and capable. She was more than enough to keep the idea of Zeus alive and looming over the club members. She was the perfect person to serve as a reminder of the absentee king none of us had ever seen or heard from.
“You know, come to think of it...you might like our VIP as well. She’s a sweet thing.” Connie was still walking ahead of me, not bothering to see if I was following, so I let my face show my surprise at her words.
“Who are you talking about?”
“Now, if I told you that would ruin the surprise, wouldn’t it?”
I shrugged. “Depends. You know how I feel about surprises.”
She laughed and pushed open a set of doors leading me down a hall I knew well enough. It was the wing I normally stayed in. All the doors here were a dull gold color, these were the rooms reserved for only the most connected of members. The utter lap of luxury available with full service and the power of the Cairn’s own concierge to make your every whim possible. I saw the room I normally stayed in come into view and began to automatically slow but Connie did not. She kept right on walking as if she hadn’t noticed a thing, but I knew she had clocked my slowed steps when she spoke.
“We have a very important guest in that room this weekend.”
“Oh, is that so?”
