A Dirty Business (Kings of New York #1)(51)

“Kelly. Justin.”

“Justin is protected. And while she’s with him, so is she. You’re not, and I’m not talking about your safety. I’m talking about my uncle asking questions about you, and then about your aunt, and then her husband. Are you following where I’m going?”

My chest felt like it was caving into me, but damn. Yeah. I was following.

I clipped my head to the vehicles. “Which one is yours?”

He led the way to an SUV, and as he got into the driver’s seat, I got into the passenger side. I was pulling my phone out as he started the engine.

“Who are you calling?”

Kelly picked up just as he was asking. I raised my voice, trying to talk over him. “Hey!”

He grimaced but pushed down the accelerator as we sped off.

“Where are you?” Kelly dropped her voice to a whisper. “Okay, can I tell you how freaked I am right now? Justin is amazing and all, but this family of his is terrifying. They’re terrifying. I did this already with my ex, and you see how that ended up. He cheated on me with seventeen women. I mean, yeah. My ex doesn’t have the family connections that Justin does, but they were still well off, and they had expectations. I don’t like families that have expectations. I’m a no-expectation girlfriend from now on, or I’d like to be, but ugh. Jess. It’s Justin! Why does he have to be so amazing? Also, where are you? They have free martinis here, and they’re free! Did I already say that they’re free? I’ve had two already. I’m going to be drunk before Justin gets around to introducing me to his aunt, and then what’ll happen after that? She’ll not be impressed. I’m sloppy and sad when I drink martinis. Where are you?!”

“Um.” That was a lot to digest. I shared a look with Trace, who I was seeing was on his phone too. “I’m—uh—I got a call, and I have to head back to the city.”

“What?! What’s wrong? You need to leave? I can grab Justin.”

“No, no, no. I’m, uh, I’m already leaving. I got a car and I’m going back.” So, lying. Me. To my best friend in the whole world.

I was going to hell.

“You got a car?”

“Someone came in with an Uber, and I grabbed it when they were leaving. It worked out perfectly.”

“I guess that makes sense.”

“Yeah. So. I’ll see you later then?”

“I think Justin really is going to ask our boss if we can have the night off, so it might not be till tomorrow. Please tell me you’re going bowling on Sunday? You’ve missed too much. They’re missing you.”

The whole concave sensation in my chest was happening again, this time from guilt. “I’ll be there. You’ll be with Justin until then?” I sensed Trace watching me and knew he’d overheard the last part of my conversation.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen after, so yeah. Just in case. If anything we’ll go back to his place. We have a lot to talk about.”

I softened my voice. “Are you going to be okay?”

She sighed. “I think so. It’s just scary. Falling for someone always is.”

“Yeah.” I glanced at Trace, pain slicing through my insides. “Whether we want it to happen or not.”

We said our goodbyes and hung up.

“Your friend is okay?”

I pressed my lips together first before answering. “They’re going to ask Ashton for the night off from work.”

Trace snorted. “He’ll give it to them. He’ll get a kick out of it if they ask him in front of Viv.”

“You know Viv?”

“I know of Viv. She’s been after Ashton since college. He’ll enjoy the show of it. I’m betting that your friend Justin won’t be working at Katya long anyways, and I’m guessing he won’t want his girl working there if he isn’t.”

I tensed. “Why are you saying that?”

“Because he’ll have figured out by the end of the night, if he hasn’t already, that Ashton gave him the job because of his family connections, and also because he saw us leave together.”

“What?”

He frowned at me. “He’s aware of who we are, who our family is. It’s why he’s working there. His brother put him up to it. He’s eyes on us. Or I’m guessing that’s the situation. He can work, get paid, get his tips, meet a nice girl, and if he happens to hear something or see something, he’ll pass it along. But nothing like where he’s going to search out for something to report. Your friend is too smart for that, and his brother wouldn’t want to needlessly endanger Justin. And also they don’t really think they’ll get anything, or there’s no way his brother would sign off on letting your friend work in one of my businesses.”

I was feeling gut punched but pissed at how I hadn’t figured any of that out, and I should’ve.

“He told me his brother was a detective too.”

Trace glanced at me. “You’ve been distracted.”

Still. I was disappointed with myself. I should’ve known. “He saw us leave together?”

“He did, but Ashton is the only one who knows anything, and he won’t say a word.”

“Kelly knows.”

“What?”