Half Empty (First Wives, #2)(83)

She stood inside one of the most expensive department stores in New York, Alice at her side.

“You don’t need to buy me clothes.”

“I don’t need to do anything,” Alice said. “But I’m setting up your accounts and want to make sure everything is taken care of.”

Alice had hired her, flown her to the States, and funded the way for Sasha to watch over and protect an army instead of just her son and his wife.

“I won’t say no, but this is overkill.”

“Is it? I’ve been told you’re the best. Does the best not deserve the pay of kings?”

Sasha knew at that moment there was more to Alice than the woman was letting on. But she held back and played out the woman’s game. “How many people in this room have a weapon?” Alice had whispered.

Sasha had taken half a minute to scan the room. “The doormen, the man at the jewelry counter . . . but those are obvious. The man over there, in the suit, with his wife.” He looked like an ordinary customer, but she noticed the way he made sure his jacket didn’t slide open. “I’m guessing an off duty detective.”

Alice smiled.

Sasha reported three more “customers” that she would consider armed and dangerous.

By the time they left the store, Sasha was overloaded with bags, and an account in her name was filled with more money than she’d spend in a lifetime. Alice had insisted that Fedor and Katrina would frequent many social circles, and Sasha needed to blend.

For a brief moment, Sasha felt as if she’d found her fairy godmother.

Before she let herself open her heart, she looked into the drawn eyes of a dying woman and shut her emotions down. No need to get attached to someone on their way out.

Still, as Sasha watched Zakhar and his now well-dressed thugs leave the store, she felt a little kinship to them.

They were hired and dressed the part.

Too bad they were working for the wrong side.





Chapter Twenty-Nine

Summer had yet to lose its grip on Vegas. It helped that the bright lights of the never-sleeping city warmed the Strip. Not that Wade had much of an opportunity to explore the city.

He remembered touring the city with Gus, Sebastian, and Luke early on in his career. The other members of his band didn’t have quite the name recognition as Wade, since he’d branded himself as a solo artist, but his bandmates had enough claim to fame to warrant a following of their own. Something Wade encouraged at every turn. Truth was, the music they played was Wade’s. From lyrics to composition. Gigs like the one here in Vegas were bread and butter to his band. While they did make some money off the albums, it was the venues that filled their banks.

Wade was prepared to cancel for Trina but couldn’t help but feel happy he didn’t have to, for the sake of his guys.

“Mind telling us what all the Blues Brothers are doing, standing around?” Gus, his bass player, asked while looking toward the closed greenroom door.

“Extra security.”

Sebastian pulled a longneck from the table to his lips. “Have someone stalking you?” he asked with a grin.

Wade adjusted his hat and turned away from the mirror. “More like the girl I’ve been seeing.”

“The one from your party?” Gus asked.

“Yup, Trina.”

The three of them exchanged glances.

“So why are they here?”

Wade glanced at Jeb, who stood by the door. He knew from walking in there were three men outside, ready to escort them onstage when they were called to do so. “Because snagging me to leverage her is a real threat.”

There weren’t many times he found his band speechless.

Now was one of them.

“Her to get to you I understand . . . but you to get to her?”

“She’s that special?” Gus was the only married man in the band. He and his wife of five years had two kids and one of the strongest relationships Wade had ever seen.

“She is. As in, I think she’s it.” Actually, he knew she was it. It was just going to take a little more time to convince her of where she needed to be.

Gus offered a knowing smile and clasped Wade’s hand in a shake that formed a bond. “Congrats, man. I’m happy for you.”

“Guess this means we’re not going for drinks after the show,” Luke, the youngest member of the band, said.

“I’m sure you and Sebastian will find plenty of female companionship to fuel your evening without me.”

Luke removed his hat in an overly dramatic fashion and pressed it to his chest. “We’ll do our best, won’t we, Seb?”

“A sacrifice I’m willing to make,” Sebastian replied, patting his chest.

A knock on the greenroom door directed their attention. “Five minutes.”

Wade turned to the mirror. “That’s our cue, boys. Let’s see if these city folks know a little country music.”



“You have it bad!”

Trina turned down the stereo that filled the room with Wade’s voice and focused her attention on Avery as she walked into the room. She used one crutch and the walking cast the doctor had put her in before they left New York.

Cooper attempted to be a shadow but somehow seemed to fail as he walked by the room.

“I do,” Trina told her friend while she sipped on her glass of wine.