“You need to level with me.”
She hadn’t. She’d run off in tears to tend to her sister in Helena, promising to call me as soon as she knew Leta was all right.
What could I do? Tell her not to go? I’d run to my own sister in a second if she needed me. Especially now, since I hadn’t been there for Riley when she had needed me. All those years… Roy and I never knew. In fact, we’d been envious.
Reality had a way of kicking you in the nuts. Big time.
The ten o’clock show of Best of Sin City was about to begin. Terrence had gotten me the best seats in the house. God himself only knew what he’d paid for them, but that didn’t matter. I was a fucking billionaire.
Jazzy music from the pit, and then…
Up went the curtain.
I found Zee instantly. She was in the back, but still she stood out. And wowza. What a body! And those high kicks!
And…
Fuck me.
Those tits.
Big and luscious and her nipples were bright red. Yeah, it was probably makeup, but damn… Already I was hard.
Seducing her wasn’t going to be an issue at all. So I wasn’t a huge fan of the black hair. The rest of her was fucking perfect.
My gaze never left her for the entirety of the show.
I’d texted Zee earlier to meet me at the theater entrance after the show was over. I expected to wait a while, as she needed to change out of her costume and all.
She was earlier than I expected…and she had a friend in tow.
Zee wore black skinny jeans and a royal blue silk camisole. I never noticed clothes on a woman, but this ensemble was perfect with that black hair. Her lips were painted red, and all I could think about was her red nipples during the show.
Damn. I wanted to bite them. Really badly.
“Good evening, Zee,” I said.
Her cheeks pinked. “Hello, Mr. Wolfe.”
“Reid.”
She nodded and then cleared her throat. “Reid, you remember my friend Maureen. Mo.”
“Nice to see you.” I took the hand Maureen held out.
She blushed and smiled with mega wattage. “My pleasure, Mr. Wolfe.”
This time I cleared my throat. “Reid. Mr. Wolfe is that bastard who died.”
Maureen’s eyes widened a bit. Had my words been too crass? Probably. Within seconds, though, she was back to smiling.
Zee looked down at her feet. “I invited Mo to come to dinner with us.”
Fuck. Really? How was I supposed to seduce the woman when she had a friend tag along? I could tell her our reservation was for two—truth—but as a Wolfe, I could change that easily with no problem at all.
I forced myself to smile. “How nice. I’m sure she’ll be a lovely addition.”
Mo’s smile dazzled at my words, and her cheeks blushed further. “I’m so glad you feel that way. I didn’t want to be a third wheel.”
“Of course not.” Except that you are, but no matter. I’ve seduced women in the middle of crowds before. This wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle.
“Where are we dining?” Mo asked.
“Here,” I said, “at the Mosaic.”
Four eyes widened at me. Yeah, the Mosaic was posh and expensive.
“I’ve never been there,” Mo gushed.
“Have you, Zee?” I asked.
“No.” She didn’t meet my gaze.
“Then you ladies are in for a treat. Please…” I held out both of my arms.
Mo linked her arm through mine right away. Zee was little more timid, but soon her hand rested on the inside of my elbow.
“It’s not often I get to escort the two most beautiful ladies in the show to dinner,” I said in my best Wolfe of Manhattan voice.
Mo giggled. Zee stayed silent.
The maitre d’ greeted us when we entered the restaurant. “Mr. Wolfe! So wonderful to have you with us tonight.”
I disentangled my arm from Mo’s and went for my wallet. I pulled out a hundred and handed it to the man. “We’re going to need a table for three instead of two.”
“Not a problem at all, Mr. Wolfe.” He slid the bill discreetly into his jacket pocket. “Right this way, sir.”
We followed him to the back of the restaurant where a private curved bench booth had been set for two. “Only a moment, and we’ll have another place setting for you.”
“Thank you,” I said. Then, “Ladies?”
Mo and Zee slid onto the curved bench. Nicely done. Now I could choose which one to sit next to, which, of course, was no choice at all.
I slid in adjacent to Zee.
The additional place setting appeared within about ten seconds, and then the sommelier arrived.
“Do you have any questions about our wine list, Mr. Wolfe?” she asked.
“I’m afraid I haven’t had the chance to peruse it yet. We just got here.”
“Excellent,” she said. “If you do have questions, my name is Eleanor, and I’m at your service.” She bowed slightly and then left us alone.
I was used to obsequiousness in restaurants. The servers were all out for Wolfe tips. The thing was, they didn’t have to kiss my ass. I always tipped well for good service. That was all I ever expected.
My old man used to like having his ass kissed.
All this time, I’d known he was a bastard. Never in a million years, though, had I considered that he might be a psychopathic criminal as well.
What he’d done to this woman next to me…
She was so strong. She didn’t even know how strong she was.
She turned to me, still with red cheeks. “Thank you for…for having my shoes repaired.”
“You’re very welcome. It’s the least I could do.”
“But the other stuff,” she continued. “The other five pairs. I’m afraid I couldn’t accept them.”
“Of course you can. I want you to have them.”
“I’m sorry. I’ve already shipped them back to the return address.”
My stomach dropped. Why did I care so much? I’d sent out a personal shopper with Zee’s shoe size on a whim. This shouldn’t bother me.
But it did.
“I told her she was nuts,” Mo said.
“You’ll have to excuse Mo,” Zee said. “She’s a shoe whore.”
Zee’s description shocked me a little, but Mo brushed it off.
“I admit it,” she said. “I love shoes, and those were some beauties.”
“It was very generous of you,” Zee said, “but it was just too much.”
“I’m sorry you feel that way.” I picked up my menu. “What are you ladies in the mood for tonight?”
Nice save, Reid. Why was this bothering me? I’d sent the shoes as a way to woo Zee, but now I realized I truly wanted her to have them. Why?
Was it because…?
Guilt? Guilt for what my father had done to her?
Maybe, though what he did wasn’t my fault in any way. If Roy and I had known what he was doing all those years, we would have stopped it. Tried our damned best, anyway.
But as Riley told us, he most likely wouldn’t have let us.
Derek Wolfe held all the power.
No longer. The bastard was dead and cremated. but his partner in crime—Father Jim—was still very much alive.