Downfall(61)

I rolled to the side with a groan. Pushing myself up, I discarded the condom and looked at the phones on the metal nightstand which was too cool for this barely used room. The Boss had unique taste, that was for sure. Orley’s phone lit up, but the number on the screen read private.

Normally, I’d just answer the call, but after making the promise to no longer make any unilateral decisions without her, I grabbed the ringing phone and waved it in her direction. “The caller ID doesn’t recognize the number.”

She pushed her tangled, sweat-dampened hair out of her face and squinted at the display. She waved a hand in the air dismissively. “Answer it. It’s probably a telemarketer.”

I swiped the screen and poked the speaker icon so we could both hear. “Yeah?” I failed to see the point in being polite if it was a robocaller.

“Who is this?” Surprisingly, the voice immediately brought Orley upright in the bed. She clutched the sheets to her chest and pushed hair out of her face. I noticed her hands started shaking and her eyes blew wide.

I cocked an eyebrow and looked at the phone in my hand. “I think that’s my question. Who the fuck is this?”

The voice was disturbingly calm and cultured. I had a sinking feeling I knew exactly who was on the other end of the line.

“The thing about hiding amongst a bunch of destitute degenerates is that it only takes a little cash to find out the information one might need. A generous tip was all it took to get this number from one of those young girls who work at that disgusting excuse of a restaurant where my daughter works.” He was so damn smug. I wanted to shove my fist down his throat and rip his heart out of his chest with my bare hands.

“She’s not your daughter, Channing.” The sarcasm in my tone was thick enough to cut with a knife.

A fake laugh echoed out of the tiny speaker. “No, but Noble is my granddaughter. She belongs with me.”

Orley stifled a shriek and shoved a fist in her mouth to muffle the sound.

“I think I’ve made it pretty clear I’ll do anything it takes to bring her home.” The threat wasn’t even implied, it was right there in my face.

“You’re a murderer. No amount of money changes that. One day you’ll have to answer for the things you’ve done.” For Lester. For Orley’s mother. Channing Vincent had a huge wake-up call headed his way.

“That is highly unlikely. I’m not surprised you’re unfamiliar with how things work in my world. Have you ever had more than two cents to rub together, young man? Have you ever had anything handed to you?” He laughed that annoying, superior laugh again. “By the way, how is your mother? She likes that facility she’s in, correct? Wouldn’t it be such a shame if someone were to buy the place and shut it down?” I swore angrily under my breath and tightened my hold on the phone. I knew exactly what he was trying to do: bait Orley and cause me to do something rash and foolish so he could finally get me out of the way. “Don’t delude yourself into thinking you and I are on the same level. You can’t even see where I’m standing, you’re so much lower than I am.” He scoffed slightly and I could almost see him fixing his tie and looking down his nose in my direction. “Tell Orley I’m coming for Noble. I don’t care who or what stands in my way. I want my granddaughter back. I don’t care what happens to her mother, but the little girl is mine.”

The call went dead and when I looked over at Orley, she was crying. When our eyes met, she lowered her head and tried to cover the sound of her sobbing into her folded arms.

I threw the phone on the floor and launched myself across the bed so I could pull her into my arms. I kissed the top of her head and rocked her back and forth. “Don’t let him scare you. He wants you to do something stupid. He wants you to run so he can isolate you. He wants you alone and scared.”

She sniffed and slowly reached out to wrap her arms around my waist. “What about your mom? What if he does something bad to her?”

“Not gonna happen. That’s just what he wants you to think. He believes you’ll take Noble and rabbit the way you did before in order to keep the people around you safe. If you disappear, if I’m not around to keep an eye on you, he’s going to make his move and you won’t have anyone to watch your back. You have to trust me, Orley. I’ve got people who make your old man look like a kindergarten teacher working on a way to neutralize the threat. I don’t care if I have to sell my soul to the Devil, or if I’m chained to this city and the men who run it forever, I promise that asshole will never get his hands on you or Noble. You have to believe me.”

She sighed and tightened her hold. “I want to, but it’s hard. I watched him get away with murder, literally.”

“The rules are different in the city. Money isn’t the end all be all of things. Here, you have to be smart and ruthless to be at the top of the food chain. Channing asked if I’d ever had anything handed to me, and the answer is no. I’ve worked for every single thing I’ve got. He doesn’t understand that I’m not the only one here who has the same story. The guys he’s about to go up against aren’t for sale, and neither am I.”

She lifted her head and gave me a salty, wet kiss that tasted like tears. “There’s one thing you didn’t have to work for. One thing that was handed to you without any hesitation.” Her voice had a rasp to it that was sexy even though she still looked devastated.