A Dirty Business (Kings of New York #1)(68)

“And why would he ask that?” Her pitch went up a notch.

“Because he’s an itch that I’ve not been able to fully scratch and get him out from under my skin.”

“Oh, no. Jess.”

I hit my turn signal and headed for the interstate. “You know I work at Katya on two of my nights off.”

“Yeah, for extra cash. What does that have to do with Trace West?”

“He’s one of the owners.”

She sucked in a harsh breath. “Who’s the other owner?”

“Ashton Walden.”

“Are you kidding me?! Walden? You know that family owns cops, like a lot of them.”

“I know. If it means anything, I didn’t know who the owners were until a couple months ago.”

“You’ve been there for three years. How did you not know?”

“Because the owners came up as a standard LLC.”

“That place has always been a little shady.”

“What nightclub isn’t?”

“Yeah. That’s true.” She groaned. “I’m going to bypass the awkward conversation with my cousin because knowing him, he’ll just wait and corner me at our next family holiday anyways. He likes the live-and-in-person interrogation. I’m texting him.”

“You’re going to send off his radar.”

“You’re not saying anything we don’t already know. You don’t have to narrate the stupidity of this to me, but I’m still doing it. You’re going to be my daughter’s godmother one day.”

I almost hit the brakes, almost. “You’re keeping her? And her?”

“I don’t know if it’s a her or him, but I’m envisioning a her, and you knew I was keeping her the day I missed work and sent Reyo instead.”

I did. I knew my partner. “You’ll make a great mother.”

“Yeah, yeah.” We both heard her phone beep, and she let out a sigh. “She’s in Katya right now, and apparently she’s been on the phone with a burner number they’re trying to trace fast. So my guess is that big brother Trace found her. You’re off to the races to get her first.”

I had what I needed, and I hit the turn signal because this was my exit. “Thank you, Val.”

“Hey.”

“Yeah?”

“You rough her up, how will they retaliate?”

“You’re asking the wrong question. They should be hoping that I only rough her up.”

She groaned again. “Just be safe.”

She’d been telling me earlier to be smart. My partner knew me, knew we were long past that.

“I’ll try.” I disconnected the call and sped up because I did know one thing.

I was getting to Remmi West first.





CHAPTER FORTY-SIX


TRACE


Anthony was in a frenzy. He met me at Katya’s front door, looking eighty instead of his near forty years. The guards were with him. Something was already in the works.

“She’s a good person. She’s a great bartender, and I consider her a friend.”

I stopped in my tracks. “What are you talking about?”

He didn’t answer, just stepped aside.

Ashton was coming out of a door. “Trace. Back here.”

That didn’t sound good, and Anthony’s jaw was firm as he looked away, pointedly walking out of the room. Ashton didn’t look much different, but he nodded toward the door. “She beat you here.”

I cursed. “When did you get here?”

“Ten minutes after she did. We need to ask how she found Remmi so fast, because she shouldn’t have.”

I sailed past him but gave him a look. “Are you joking? With her resources?”

He flicked his eyes up to the ceiling, raking a hand over his head. “Then we’re all sorts of fucked if she called in favors.”

“We’re way beyond that.”

I shoved through the door; it led to another back section and another set of closed doors. Some of Ashton’s men were trying to get in, which said a lot because Ashton didn’t usually bring his guys. He preferred to travel alone or use my guards, but he’d kept all Katya staff out of this section. That was smart.

Tim turned around, seeing us coming. “She’s barred the door, and we’re hearing hits going on. We don’t know what she’s doing in there.”

Jesus. This had gone from bad to worse, and now it was epically worse. If my sister was harmed, I wasn’t sure what I would do. Remmi was blood. Jess . . .

“Move aside, guys. Let him try.”

I pounded on the door. “Let me in, Jess.”

Nothing.

Thumps. Or what could be slapping sounded.

But there was nothing else. No cries. No screams. No yelling.

Something wasn’t right here.

“You have feeds in there?”

“No.” But Ashton sidled up next to me, an iPad in hand, and he hit a button. “But watch that.”

It was the security feeds showing Jess walking inside. She was moving calmly but with purpose, and when she hit the hallway leading to Anthony’s office, Remmi stepped out. She saw Jess and froze, and suddenly Jess rushed her. She grabbed her, twisted her arm behind her, placed another hand on the back of Remmi’s shoulders, and she marched her right through the next set of doors.