Fergus Bartolli, head of the Bartolli family, had been using the club to blackmail Senator Robins with photos of him having sex with a very young-looking girl. Photos where she looked drugged and out-of-it.
Duke had certain desires in the bedroom, but nothing like that fucking disgusting ass-wipe, Robins. He needed to be in control. These guys were the same. Most of them were Daddy Doms. It was how Razor met Reyes, at a BDSM club that catered for those who practiced age play. Razor had brought Reyes into the club. Eventually gotten rid of Smiley, their old President and started cleaning up the club.
Reyes liked his woman to be his Little girl. Didn’t mean he was a pervert or anything. It was all consensual. Duke knew of a ranch a few hours away where most of the men there were Daddy Doms as well.
It had never appealed to Duke.
At least, he didn’t think it did. A pair of lush pink lips and wide blue eyes flitted through his mind. What did his next-door neighbor have to do with anything? He shook his head.
“Duke?” He glanced up and realized everyone was staring at him.
“Yeah?”
“What you think?” Reyes asked, surprising him. He didn’t always ask for others’ opinions.
“I think it just makes me more curious as to what the fuck is going on,” he drawled. “I ain’t one to be scared off by some pussy who can’t even show his face but instead has to send secret messages.”
“What if those photos of him with the girl were taken in Washington?” Razor asked.
Reyes unlocked his drawer and pulled the photos out. Duke looked down at them. Mother-fucker, that girl looked young. “There’s nothing distinctive in the photos to be able to tell when they were taken, but I’m thinking it was here since he’d have more eyes on him in Washington.”
“But his wife lives here,” Duke mused.
“Maybe he’s got another property?” Razor guessed.
“I’ll look into it,” Jason told them.
Reyes nodded. “Then we continue. Spike, you have the next watch?”
The big man silently nodded.
Reyes glanced around at them all. “Anyone who doesn’t want to continue doing surveillance doesn’t have to.”
Nobody spoke up. As he’d suspected they wouldn’t.
“All right. Then everyone fucking be careful. Keep an eye out for anyone you think could be watching you and call for back-up if needed.”
2
“You. . .you can’t fire me!”
“Just did, sweetheart,” Ronny told her callously. He leered at her. Her insides crawled. God, she hated him. He was a worm. No, that was mean to worms. He was a ferret. Or a rat. No, wait both of those animals could make nice pets.
He was a cockroach.
And the cockroach had just fired her.
“But. . .but. . .I work hard, I’m good at my job, I—”
He waved his hand. “Nothing to do with that. Although you did take too long on the Anderson job.” He’d assigned three hours for a job that would usually take two days. She’d gotten it done in one day and worked extra hours without pay to do it.
Darn it. She clenched her hands into fists as anger pulsed through her. Was she really going to let everyone push her around for the rest of her life? Or was she going to stick up for herself?
The other night, when that asshole from next-door had basically accused her of trespassing and opening his mail, she’d ran home with her tail tucked between her legs. Not even the mysterious pizza that had turned up later, already paid for, made her feel better.
She’d thrown it in the bin without eating it, taking a quick shower before falling into bed. Not that she’d slept. No, she’d spent most of the night tossing and turning, thinking about that arrogant biker jerk.
“Then why?” she asked.