I entered the run-down house, and Dex Sullivan was aware of my visit. I’d texted him earlier that I’d meet him here with the profits from White Fox, enough cash to fund the makings of a new empire. It was everything he’d ever wanted.
Dex Sullivan wanted to be a king.
Except, the wannabe king was nowhere to be found.
“He’s in the hot tub,” James stated, coming from a back room. He barely looked at me, grabbed a beer from the refrigerator, and left through the back door. I followed after him.
Dex’s arms were sprawled out on each side of him, head resting back against the tub, and eyes closed. I cleared my throat, and he lifted his head. Mischievous eyes met mine. “Nice of you to finally show up here, Oliver.”
“You didn’t leave much of a choice,” I scoffed.
He held up a finger and fisted something below the water line before pulling up a hand full of blonde hair. The woman it was attached to spun around to face me and curled inside his arm—my mum.
I turned my head. “Mum, get out.”
“Anything we discuss can be discussed in front of her.”
“Like how you killed her son?”
My mum twisted her head, and Dex laughed. “I did no such thing. We both know I’d never hurt my best friend.”
“I’ll leave your package inside. We’re done here, mate. I don’t owe you anything anymore.” I turned to leave.
“Mia Jett,” Dex called out, and I froze.
Turning around, I flexed my shoulders back. “What did you just say?”
“You promised me White Fox.”
“I’m giving you what’s left of White Fox.”
Dex squinted his eyes. “No, what you’re giving me is fucking chump change. I want power. I want the same fucking prostitution ring that used to control this territory, the same ring you owe me. You know who reigns over east of London now? The fucking Links. Imagine my bloody luck when the bloke I currently work for is now my competition.” My brow raised, and he continued, “The deal was White Fox, and the only way I can have it is if you kill the boss of the Links. You have to kill Ghost.”
Dex had lost his fucking mind. Ghost was untouchable. No one knew who Ghost was, hence the nickname. His identity has been hidden for years. “What you’re asking is impossible.”
“I’m not asking you. I’m ordering a hit with no questions.”
“Have you gone mad? What makes you think I’d do this? That I’d kill for you?”
Dex held up three fingers. “Mia. Rose. Jett.” He smiled. “You’d kill for her, wouldn’t you? If I’m not mistaken, you already have.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“When your mum mentioned you went off to Dolor, I did a little digging and found a police report that you stabbed a young woman in the neck with a pencil after she attacked your girlfriend. Bravo, baby Oscar. But I found your weakness.”
I slid my gaze to Mum, who dropped her chin, eyes fixed on the water. “I could just kill you, call it a day.”
“But, you won’t.”
“Yeah? And what is stopping me?”
“Killing me doesn’t protect your girl,” he snickered as if he knew me. “You see, if anything happens to me, I have a man waiting to put a bullet through the back of her head. It shouldn’t take much effort to find her. Surely, just follow your love-sick heart around.” The single threat turned my blood to lava, and my heart plunged into my stomach at the thought. “Don’t look so glum, Oliver. It should all work out.”
The fury rising caused my hands to shake, and I crossed my arms over my chest to conceal my weakness for Mia, and the lengths I’d go for her. I didn’t have it in me to kill another human. Murder was a job for Ethan. Not me. “I’ll do it. I’ll kill Ghost,” I lied, buying myself time to figure this out.
“I know you will, and I have a little friend here to help. Consider it my gift to you and your way in with Ghost. She was quite forthcoming when she found out she’d be working with you. I think you have yourself a fan.” Dex blew out a whistle, the door behind me opened, and seconds later, fingertips gripped the side of my arm.
In my peripheral, blonde hair soaked my vision. Leigh. “What are you doing?” I whispered to her. She was innocent in all this.
“Leigh claims she’s a virgin,” he laughed, and my head jerked back toward him, “No, seriously. I can’t believe it myself either. And rumor states Ghost fancies pretty young virgins.”
“She’s a child,” I gritted out.
“I’m seventeen,” Leigh argued.
I turned to her and clutched her shoulders. “This is ludicrous. You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into.”
Dex interjected, “Calm down, Oliver. You’ll kill Ghost before the exchange happens. Leigh will be safe, but you have to check her.”
“Check her for what?”
Dex lifted his palm from the hot tub. “Well, her virginity, of course.”
“Oh, fuck off.”
“Either you will, or I’ll make James do it, and I’m afraid James may take more than what’s needed. Trust me, baby O, you don’t want your virgin corrupted. She’s your easiest way in, and with or without her, Ghost still has to go.”
I grabbed Leigh’s hand and yanked her back inside through the door, slamming it behind me. “What the fuck have you done?”
Leigh’s hand rested over my bicep, and she looked up at me through sincere eyes. “I want to help you.”
“You could get yourself raped or killed. You don’t know what these people are capable of. And how did you end up in this mess?”
Leigh seemed insulted, and she dropped her arm. “I was looking for you! The last time I saw you was here and Dex promised you’d come back if I helped him. And you’re back. You came back.”
“Check that pussy, Oliver,” James called out, coming through the door with a gun in his waistband.
I snapped my gaze at him. “Are you his bitch now?”
Ignoring me, he slapped a pill over the counter and shoved an open beer into my chest. “This is to help you through the night, mate.” And I contemplated my options, which was close to none. I slammed the pill into my mouth and chased it with the beer. James slapped my shoulder before leaving, and I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand.
“You really want to do this?” I asked, turning to Leigh and raising a brow. “You’ll let me touch you? You’ll let me drag you into this mess? Risk your life? All for what?”
“I trust you. You won’t let anything happen to me.”
We walked into the bathroom, and I locked the door behind me and took out my phone, scrolling through Google search. “Take off your bottoms,” I ordered Leigh, typing a question I’d never thought I’d ask into my phone and wondering how the fuck I was going to explain this to Mia. “How was your day?” “Great, babe. Had to check a girl’s hymen, how was yours?”
After reading over the two-finger test with vision already blurring, I turned back around and glanced up from my phone to see Leigh standing shyly, completely naked. A perky set of breasts stared back at me, hard pink nipples, and teenage curves. “You didn’t have to,” I clutched my hipbones and dropped my head. “Never mind, just come here.” I tucked my phone back inside my pocket.