Pretty Dirty (Dirty Bad Things Book 2)(30)

“I know what I’m doing.”

I laugh. “No, you don’t. Or if you do, you don’t know the consequences of what you’re—”

“Trust me,” he hisses. “I fucking do.” He shakes his head at me. “And where the fuck have you been the last few weeks man? I could’ve used some of this fucking lawyer wisdom then, you know.”

“Don’t blame me for you being a fucking moron.”

He chuckles. “You’ve been a ghost, Gray.”

“Busy.”

“Bullshit, what’s her name?”

“Don’t turn this around.”

Roman groans. “This isn’t another Michelle is—”

“No,” I snap viciously. He shuts up and I sigh, shaking my head.

“Drink?”

Roman nods. “Yeah, actually.”

I pour us some scotches from the mini bar in the corner of my office and slide a glass this way across my desk.

“So, this Dylan thing. With the fuckin’ porn movie.”

I groan, shaking my head. “Yeah, I know.”

“Can we stop it?”

“Not sure. Nico seems dead set on making it happen. The guy puts the scum back in scumbag.”

“Quinn went and met with the girl — Rose. Dylan’s co-star I guess.” His face darkens. “She’s young, man.”

“I heard,” I growl.

“And not a porn actress or anything. They’ve got her on the hook for some shit, and they’re forcing her as much as they are Dylan. Quinn says it’s going to be her first time.” Roman looks at the floor with rage on his face. “The whole fucking porn is about her ‘losing it’ on camera.” He suddenly swears viciously, and it looks like he might put his fist — scotch glass and all — through my wall, before I reach out and put a hand on his arm.

“Easy, Roman.”

He takes a breath, but I know why this is hitting him deep. Roman’s sister, Delilah, got into some bad people young too. Probably around Rose’s age. Heroin, crack — you name it. And then she went the way a lot of girls with issues and addictions go in this town — porn. Not a real studio either, some shady fucking “just some guys with a camera” shit.

She OD-ed the night after the shoot.

“I’m good,” he finally says, looking up and smiling thinly.

I slowly shake my head. “How the fuck did we get here?”

Roman shrugs. “I drove.”

I snort a laugh. He knows what I mean.

“Life is fucking weird, man,” he growls, sipping his drink. “Who could’ve guessed we’d ever end up back in this damn town?”

We’re silent for a moment, when I clear my throat.

“Her name is Zoe,” I say quietly. “And she’s a cam girl. Or, was.”

Roman raises a brow. “A cam girl? Like, one of those online strippers?”

My brow furrows, but I nod. “Yeah, kinda.”

He shrugs. “Well, shit. Mr. Stanford Law with the internet stripper and Mr. School of Hard Knocks with the boss’s wife.”

I laugh. “So you admit it? About Quinn?”

He grins. “I admit nothing, counselor.”

“Be careful, man.”

He nods, still grinning, when his smile fades into a frown.

“Where’d you meet this girl, and don’t say online. Where’d you really meet her?”

I shrug. “No where.”

“Grayson.”

“What?”

Roman’s look hardens. “She doesn’t live in your building, does she?”

My eyes narrow. “What are you talking about?” I hiss.

My buddy’s eyes go wide, and he blows a stream of air through his lips as he sinks back in my office chair.

“Fuck, dude.”

I scowl. “What?”

“Is she one of Joey’s girls?”

I freeze. “You know about—”

“I don’t know-know, but, c’mon man, I hear things. I know the sick fucker has girls doing shit for him all over this city — turning tricks, stripping, massage parlors. He’s a real bastard. Is she — is Zoe…”

“She’s just a cam girl,” I growl. “It’s a way to make money.”

He gives me hard look. “For Joey Luco.”

I look away.

Roman suddenly whistles lowly. “Holy shit, it was you, wasn’t it?”

“Huh?”

“Joey’s head.” Roman gives me a hard look. “I heard it earlier from some of his guys. He’s saying he fell, but one of them blabbed. Some guy in a ski-mask cold cocked him from behind.”

I take a large sip of my scotch, and Roman slowly shakes his head.

“Gray, you are in way over your fuckin’ head here.”

“Leave it,” I growl.

“The fuck I will. Gray, he’s after her.”

A chill ripples through my veins. “What?”

Roman shakes his head. “Look, I’m just putting the pieces together. One of Joey’s girls—”

“She’s not his girl,” I spit heatedly.

“Fine, you know what I fucking mean. One of them, who he’s housing in your building, ditches out on him. You suddenly meet some sweet, sexy girl who happens to strip on webcam for money. And the next thing you know, some mysterious hero in a mask is pistol-whipping Joey in the back of the head.” He shakes his head. “Fuck, it is her, man. And you have to know, Joey is after her, and when he finds her…”