The Revenge (The Insiders Trilogy #3)(29)

His eyebrows arched even higher, and his phone buzzed from me. He took it out, reading my text.

Go along with it. I’ll explain there.

He nodded, putting his phone back and raking his hand through his hair. “Yeah.” Fitz opened his door, his head coming inside. “Are you sure about Octavo?”

Matt dipped his head down, his mouth pursed as if he were bored already with this questioning. “Yeah, man. What’s the problem? Kash knows the owners. We’ll be safe there.”

That was the point. Kash knew them. Kash did not own them. And for full disclosure here, I didn’t know who owned Octavo myself. What I did know was that there was some form of mutual respect between the owner and Kash. He mentioned the owners, saying there were two of them, and I could tell from his tone that he was cautious about both. So, for what I wanted to talk to Matt about, I knew his only employees would be the guards, and they would stay a respectable distance away. That meant I could actually talk to him, without having anyone else, like Torie, dropping by, or any of Matt’s friends. Or mine, now that I thought about it. I knew Melissa had taken to hanging out with Torie and Tamara at Naveah, too.

Fitz continued to stare at Matt.

“What’s the problem?”

No response from Fitz, but he straightened, and a second later, he got back inside while Matt’s guards left. “They’ll follow us there. ”

Matt nodded, as if he’d been expecting all of this to happen.

When the car pulled away from the curb, he glanced down at me and both of us shared a look. His elbow nudged mine and he grinned.

Have I mentioned how much I love my brother?





SIXTEEN

Kash


We arrived at the warehouse, and I was about to step outside when my phone rang.

It was one of Matt’s guards.

“Something wrong?” I answered, putting the phone to my ear.

“Bailey and Matt are going to Octavo.”

“Why?”

“Neither would say, and we weren’t told this until Bailey pulled up to Naveah. She texted Matt, and he went outside to her.”

“Where are you currently?”

“Following Bailey’s vehicle.”

“And they didn’t say why they were going there? Whose idea was it?”

A moment of hesitation. “They’re both saying Matt’s idea.”

I waited.

He didn’t continue.

“But?” I prodded, inclining my head.

“But Matt usually tells us when we’re changing locations ahead of time. He didn’t say a word. Fitz was the one who said Bailey claimed Matt wanted to go to Octavo.”

Ah. That I understood, and he was right. Matt usually was decent about cooperating with the guards—at least he had been since Bailey’s second kidnapping attempt. So if the idea hadn’t come from Matt, then it came from Bailey and they were both lying, which meant she didn’t want me to know. Or she didn’t want extra hearing ears at Naveah, and neither idea sat well with me.

I sighed. “Just do your job, and guard them both. Let them proceed how they want.”

“Are you sure?”

No, I wasn’t sure. And no, I didn’t want this to happen. But if something was going on with Bailey, I did what I always did. I watched, and I loved, and I would try to keep her safe until I had to swoop in myself.

“Yeah.” My words came out clipped, because fuck, I wasn’t happy about this new development. “I have to go, but keep me updated on their movements.”

“Will do, boss.”

The call ended. I put my phone back in my pocket and got out of my SUV.

Josh and Scott both stepped forward.

“Everything’s ready.”

Scott added, “Everyone is here, too.”

“Harden made the trip okay?”

Josh nodded. “He did. He’s the only one inside. Said he didn’t dare try and get any more of his men with him.” He paused a beat, sharing a look with Scott. “Your guest is prepped.”

Good. Finally. It was time.

On that note, I went inside.

I looked at Harden. He lowered his head, a greeting. I returned the gesture, then I went forward. In the middle of the warehouse was a lone man, strapped to a chair. He was gagged and blindfolded. I stepped forward and took the blindfold off.

Bailey wasn’t the only one keeping secrets.

“Hello, brother.”





SEVENTEEN

Bailey


Octavo was a dark club. That’s the best way to describe it.

The outside was nondescript. It was a black building with a red neon light that said the name of the club in simple lettering. A single silver door. A bouncer. A red velvet rope that sectioned off the line waiting to get inside.

When we pulled up, we went to the head of the line.

Fitz got out. The doorman saw him and nodded. The velvet rope was already being lifted as we were getting out, and with Matt leading the way, we went inside. Fitz trailed. Matt’s guards weren’t far behind. There was a black bar set up as soon as we stepped inside, with red neon lights highlighting the bottom of the bar. That was the theme of the entire place.

Black.

Red neon color.

There were silver disco balls set up in the hallway, but as soon as we got a drink from the first bar, Matt’s guards were inside and waiting for us. A woman came down from a back hallway, clad in a black leather top and pants. They molded to her form. She wore black stilettos and her hair was slicked back. She looked like an assassin .