Duke, page 16
Her body pulsed a wild beat inside her until she felt ready to explode.
She walked into the bedroom—huge compared to the room at Susan’s—and found Duke wrapping a knot in his tie. She wanted to strip his clothes back off and drag him into the shower where less than an hour ago they’d made love under the water. She wanted to crawl under the sheets with him and never face the real world again. She wanted to protect him, protect his friends. Dragging them into her problems would do exactly the opposite.
“Call it off,” she said.
Only his eyes moved to find her. His fingers paused just before he finished tightening the knot. “We’re not calling it off.” Damn, he wore that suit with confidence that matched his tone.
She stopped in front of him and poked his chest. “Your friends are not dying because of me.”
Wearing his usual solemn face, he still didn’t move. “You’re right. They’re not.”
She folded her arms over her chest. “You can’t promise that.”
“I promise you that.”
“Don’t lie to me. Stone said you almost died just last month!” The panic in her voice hitched up ten levels to frantic.
His hands touched her shoulders and ran down her arms only giving her more reason to hide away from him. “Friends stand by friends.” His breath kissed her lips. “If anyone knows that, it’s you. Your mom would agree. No one who is going with us doesn’t agree—I might add—without knowing the possible consequences. Don’t lose your cool now.”
She held her shaking hands between them. “I’m a mess.”
“Finish getting ready. I want to take you somewhere before the club.”
“What? Where? We don’t have time.”
His hands seized her shoulders and turned her around. “Go, hurry up.” He lightly slapped her bottom as he pushed her back toward the hallway.
She wasn’t done arguing yet, but when she got to the vanity, her confusion had stolen away her nerves. She finished her smoky eyes, applied a nice shade of lipstick, and ditched the robe for her dress.
Sneaking away with Duke was the best idea they’d had all day.
DUKE MADE A CALL TO have his car parked out in front of Bowie’s house. He escorted a gorgeous Sage outside. This woman could wear the sweats and T-shirts she’d been wearing at Susan’s all week and he’d find her sexy, but this black number tonight made his blood boil.
“What about the others?” she asked.
He opened the passenger’s door. “They’ll meet us there.”
“Is that a good idea?”
He bent down and kissed her. She needed to remember what she was fighting for. “Get in the car, Sage.”
She half smiled at him before climbing inside.
Duke drove through the city, already having arranged access to the back of the hospital. When they arrived, there was an employee waiting at the door.
Sage gasped. “My mom. Are you taking me to her?”
“Yes.”
She reached over and her hand gripped his far cheek bringing his other cheek to her lips. “Thank you.”
He caught her face with his hand and brought her lips to his. “Anything for you. Always.”
He parked behind the hospital and ushered Sage through the back door. The employee discreetly moved them through the halls, up stairs and into private elevators to the VIP part of the hospital.
When the elevator doors slid open to a floor that looked more like a hotel than a hospital, he heard Sage gasp. “What is this?”
“The VIP floor,” he whispered as they walked down the hallway.
“That’s really a thing?”
He nodded. “This would be where Bowie would get treatment or your dad during his prime.”
She touched his chest. “Who’s paying for this?”
He brought her hand to him lips. “Don’t worry about it.”
“You’re paying for this? How long has she been here? How much is it going to cost?”
The employee stopped and knocked on the door. “Celeste Ellis’s room.”
“We’re going to talk about this later,” Sage said before rushing through the door.
Duke slipped a hundred-dollar bill in the employees hand before followed Sage inside.
Mother and daughter were already wrapped in each other’s arms. By the time Duke walked to the bed, Sage had crawled on it beside her mother.
“Duke,” Celeste said, holding out her hand to him. Duke took her hand and bent down to kiss her forehead.
“How are you feeling?”
“I’m good. This room is a little extravagant. I told you we don’t need spoiling.” He was glad to see she was back to her old self.
“Mom, were not in the clear yet.” Sage had her head propped up on her hand.
“Where are you two off to dressed like that if we’re still not in the clear?”
Sage bit her lower lip. “We think Dean owed a guy money. When he didn’t pay, they offed him. You and I are next to make an example to others who think about not paying.”
“Do the police know?”
Sage shook her head. “We think the people who put a hit on us have someone on the inside. It’s not safe to tell them.”
“Then what’s the plan? To hide indefinitely? Flee the country?” Celeste asked. Duke could swear she sounded like she liked the idea.
“We’re going to pay him.” Sage squeezed her mom’s hand. Duke wanted to embrace both of them and promise everything would be okay, but he gave them their space.
“We’re going tonight,” Sage said.
“How much money are you talking?” Celeste asked looking between her daughter and Duke.
Sage shook her head. “Don’t worry about it.”
“How much?”
“Half a million dollars,” Duke answered and Sage glared at him.
The color drained from Celeste’s face. “Half a million dollars. We don’t have half a million dollars.”
“I do,” Duke said. “We have the money, we have the meeting and tonight, you both will have freedom. I promise you.” Whether or not he had to kill Santos with his bare hands.
The fear behind Celeste’s eyes didn’t look convinced.
“I won’t let anything happen to the woman I love.” She winked at Sage and saw the approval as Celeste smiled slightly.
“I do believe that,” Sage’s mother said. “I wouldn’t trust any other man for the job.”
She had no idea how those words gave Duke the extra fuel he needed to make sure they all walked out of the underground fight alive.
AS MUCH AS DUKE DIDN’T want to, he had to cut Sage’s visit time with her mother short. They couldn’t be late to the fight if they wanted to make an entrance that Santos wouldn’t miss.
“Thank you, Duke,” Sage said on the drive across the city to the five-star restaurant. “I needed that. If anything goes wrong tonight, I wanted to see her one last time and tell her I love her.”
He held her hand between them and squeezed. “No one is dying tonight. We have a plan and I’ll be at your side or watching you every second I’m not with you.”
She squeezed his hand. “I know and I wouldn’t trust any other man for the job.”
He gave her a reassuring smile even when he wasn’t convinced himself. Anything could go wrong once the doors to the no rules room closed.
When they turned down the street, Duke asked, “Do you remember the plan?”
“Yes.”
“Hawk will escort you. Talk through him. If you need to relay something to me, do it through Hawk. All speculation will revolve around Stone returning to the fight. Bowie is his other half, Hawk is his corner on the ring, I’m Bowie’s bodyguard, and they won’t know whether you’re with Bowie or with Hawk, but you’re not here with me.”
“I got it.”
They pulled to the valet parking and Duke turned to her. “But I will never take my eyes off of you. Don’t forget that when Santos requests you to his table. I am there to protect you. Bowie has Stone and I’ve seen Hawk fight for himself. I will not let anything happen to you.”
“Thank you.” He kissed her before the valet opened his door.
Bowie, Stone, and Hawk waited for them inside the restaurant at the bar. They’d all dressed the part wearing designer formal wear indicating they could drop ten grand without a second thought.
Bowie took the lead, being their “in” and did all the talking. Duke’s familiar shield of awareness bound to him as he tracked behind the group, watching the environment. Stone escorted Bowie and Hawk escorted Sage, just as they’d discussed. Duke found comfort in being the man no one paid attention to. He was just the bodyguard, considered no one important. It gave him his own lead to count the number of security personnel they had manning each entrance and exit, where surveillance cameras were planted and which were fake, and which were real.
They were escorted to the back of the restaurant and through a fake door disguised as an arched glass display. Down the hallway beyond, they loaded into an elevator and descended.
Duke had never thought he’d be back here. After years of attending with Bowie’s father who had been a champion fighter in the underground world, and then escorting Bowie when she’d been dating Stone and he’d followed in her father’s footsteps, he’d spent more than enough time risking his life.
The doors opened and the smell of sweat and death filled his nostrils. Their shoes tapped across the shiny marble floor. Black, leather half-moon sofas and coffee tables descended down six levels to the fighting ring, which was cloaked by a thick red curtain until the first fight commenced.
Bowie purposely walked around the entire ring, flaunting Sage for Santos to see before she chose an area to sit. They all took a seat as Duke stood at the edge of the area, just as he always had: listening, watching, protecting.
He stole a glance at Sage, proud of how in control and at ease she looked. She needed to remain calm and together. As if sensing his thoughts, she looked up at him and smiled her own reassurance and promise this would go as planned.
“Don’t make eye contact if you don’t have to,” Bowie told Sage. “Laugh now, like I said something funny.” The two women laughed and Bowie leaned over to whisper something Duke couldn’t make out in her ear.
“Santos is behind us,” Stone said. “And Malcolm Voci is across from us, so keep your eyes away from him.”
“Why?” Sage asked.
“He’s the biggest loan shark in the city. If you even look at him wrong, he will kill you.”
“Sage Ellis.” A man touched her shoulder and Duke clamped his jaw tight to keep from knocking him out.
Sage lifted her head to meet the man’s stare. “Yes?”
“Ronald Santos has requested your presence at his table.”
Hook, line, and sinker. Duke prayed this was about to go down smoother than he’d visualized.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“SAGE ELLIS.” RONALD Santos’s old, crooked eyes raked down Sage’s body. She had to admit, she looked drop dead gorgeous in the champagne-colored spaghetti strap dress with more sequin than Sage weighed. Bowie had offered an incredible wardrobe selection.
And yet, with Santos taking pleasure from her choice in dress, she wished she hadn’t chosen one with a slit up to her thigh.
“Looking fine as usual.”
Luckily for her, he couldn’t feel her heart pounding so hard she hoped it didn’t rip through her chest, or feel the trembles she tried to keep under control, or hear her mind racing a million miles an hour since she’d stepped away from Duke. She felt like she was doing this alone.
Duke is with you.
Santos nodded his head at one of his men who came over and gave Sage a pat down, a little touchier than appropriate, which seemed to get a sick rise out of Santos.
“Please, sit.” He waved at an empty seat across from him and Sage sat down. “What do I owe the pleasure of this visit?”
“You requested my presence, so why don’t you tell me.” She needed to dig out as much information on the situation as she could. Needed to know he was responsible for the shootings without having to come right out and ask. She wanted to walk away from this table alive.
“Don’t play coy with me girl. Either you open your purse, or Scotch will do it for you.” The man who searched her—apparently going by the name Scotch—took a step closer.
Sage unsnapped the button on her purse.
Stay cool.
“I’ve heard my dad owed you half a million.” She took out a hundred-thousand-dollar stack of bills one at a time and lined five in a row on the low glass coffee table as she spoke. “That’s five there, plus you’ll want interest.” She pulled out another hundred-thousand and set it down.
Ronald nodded and his guy walked over, picked one bundle up, flipped through them and moved on until he’d finished all six piles and nodded his approval to Santos.
“I believe that’s it. Unless you had another idea.” He licked his lips making Sage’s insides roll with disgust. She wasn’t sure how any woman had sex with this man.
She stood. “I want your word that my mom and I are safe. No more random shootings. No more snipers.” She set down four more bundles. “This is one million dollars if you let us walk away.”
“How about you stay and have a hit.” His finger touched the table where four piles of cocaine were neatly rowed out. “For the good old times.”
Sage’s body pulsed for the white powder, but that wasn’t her life anymore.
“Do I have your word?”
He leaned back in his chair and folded his fingers together on his lap. “I’ll do you one better, just because I like a woman who pays of her family’s debt.” He snapped his fingers and the man at his side handed him a phone. “I’ll tell you exactly who shot your mom.” He twirled the phone around his fingers. “It’s right here. I can take credit for your father, he owed me, but your mother’s blood isn’t on me.”
“In exchange for what?”
“You’ve laid out a million dollars on my table. Money I’m sure your father didn’t leave to you in order to clear your mother’s name. This time, I’ll give it to you.” He curled his fingers for her to step in.
Against her body’s trembling objections, she moved in until his mouth was against her ear and the name out of his mouth sent chills down her spine.
IT ONLY TOOK SAGE’S venomous look to alert Duke that Malcolm Voci had been responsible for Celeste. The biggest loan shark in the city. Dead had undoubtedly owed him money too.
“Get Bowie and Sage out of here now,” he barked at Stone. Things were about to get ugly.
Duke made his way to Malcolm’s table, walked past his guys—who didn’t seem very alert if Duke was able to pass without incident—and gripped the suit-wearing, cigar-smoking prick around the throat.
Duke caught his men move out of the corner of his eyes. He caught Malcolm nod signals to them.
“Are you sure about that? I could snap your neck faster than they could pry my body off of you. Call them off.”
He shook his head at his men and they backed away. Malcolm’s face relaxed but Duke could feel his quivering fear.
“What can I help you with?” he asked.
“You put a hit on Celeste and Sage Ellis.”
“I have a business to run. If I don’t get my money back, there are consequences.” He didn’t have to outright say it. “It’s not personal.”
“It’s personal to me. Give me an amount. Any amount, but I want it paired with Sage and Celeste’s safety.”
Malcom’s devious smirk was what people feared. “Why would I wager with you?”
“Because you know I can kill you right here, right now, and you know I won’t let go until we’ve made a deal.”
His smile widened. The sly smile of a man who never lost. “You’ve opened an endless amount of possibilities for me.”
“And I’m a man of my word.”
“I will take your service.”
Duke didn’t care what it cost him as long as Sage walked away safe.
“Name the day, place and time.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
SAGE WATCHED ALL her father’s belongings being auctioned off. His furniture, his clothes, his awards, and collections.
Her mother sat next to her, the scent of her newly inspired patchouli perfume breezing around them. Celeste had her own auction number too, but neither of the women raised an arm to bid. Instead, they shared satisfied looks of appreciation. Appreciation they were together, appreciation that Dean’s items weren’t their responsibility, and appreciation the money being raised was going to charity. Dean may not have left Sage his estate, but he’d done the next best thing. He’d chosen a charity to donate the money to kids who couldn’t afford music lessons and equipment.
In all his life, this had been the best thing he’d ever done and the only thing that had lived up to the pedestal his fans put him on.
Sage could think of better things to do than this, like helping Ally and Linda set up the party for their new line, but she needed two pieces from her father’s estate. They waited until the auctioneer held up Dean’s first guitar, better known as The Beast. She raised her number to bid.
She knew Duke was tying up loose ends with his father and she wanted to give him something that would make him smile afterwards.
DUKE FLASHED HIS VISITOR pass at the guard through the glass. He was buzzed into the dim waiting room with no windows or outside light.
