“Thank you,” Cas says, leaning slightly over me to accept the napkin.
I let the weight of her body against mine reassure me, leaning a little deeper into the bench and pulling her under my arm when she settles back.
“My price is going up by ten percent from next month,” Oliver says.
“Ten percent?” I give him a narrow look. “That’s a steep increase for no extra added value.”
He clicks his tongue. “You’re hurting my feelings, Ian. Of course, I’m offering added value in exchange.”
“Like what?” Leon asks.
“Double the laundering capacity,” Oliver says.
I study the sly bastard. “We’re at maximum capacity at your casino.”
“Yang and Salesi are getting their drugs and weapons into the country via the port of Durban,” he says. “The deals are already set up on that end. I’ll make sure it goes through on this end. They need cash to see it through.”
No doubt bribe money and enough dough to pay for the goods.
“They want us to provide the cash,” Leon says.
Oliver chinks his glass to Leon’s. “Correct.”
“How do we get refunded?” Leon asks.
“Electronic bank transfer plus twenty percent interest when the goods are sold,” Oliver says.
“Which pays your ten percent,” I say.
Oliver grins.
“What makes you think we’ll agree to taking on that kind of risk?”
Oliver holds out his glass for a refill. When the woman has done the round, topping up everyone’s glasses even though we’ve barely touched our drinks, he continues, “You’ll move double the amount of money. That’s what you get out of the deal.”
Ruben chuckles. “That means double the heists. We’ve just robbed Sun City and the Zeitz Museum. There’s no way we can risk it back into South Africa in the foreseeable future, at least not until the dust settles.”
“Think big, Ruben,” Oliver says, spreading his palms. “Think Europe. Think the Louvre. The Vatican.”
“You’re out of your mind,” Leon says with a laugh.
Oliver fixes his black-eyed stare on me. “I’d like to hear what the leader of your clan thinks.”
“Five percent,” I say.
Ruben catches my eye. “I have some European connections. It shouldn’t be difficult setting us up with what we need.”
Leon sits up straighter. “That’s a whole different ball game.”
“Eight,” Oliver says.
“We’ll have risks.” I hold his gaze. “Five or nothing, and I want half of the interest transferred upfront.”
A slow smile curves Oliver’s lips. “You drive a hard bargain, my friends, but since it’s my birthday, I’m in a generous mood.”
“We supply on my terms,” I say. “When and if I have cash.”
“Deal.” Oliver extends a hand.
We shake on it.
I get to my feet, dragging Cas with me. “We’re keeping you from your guests.”
He stands. “Let me introduce you to the ball players.”
Making deals while Cas is present isn’t ideal, but it would’ve looked bad for her if I’d sent her out while talking business. It would’ve sent a message of distrust and disrespect.
I only breathe easier once we’re outside the room. Thank fuck I’m not wearing a tie. A tie would’ve only strangled me. Leon isn’t happy about the deal, but he won’t contradict me in front of our partners. It would show a crack in our cohesion as a team. The prospect of Europe has been on my radar for a while. We’ve exhausted South Africa, and you can only tempt fate in the same place for so long. With Wolfe on our tails, it’s better to extend our scope to new territories.
Oliver introduces us to Yang and Salesi. From the way they drool over Cas, I feel like bashing in a few heads and breaking all their fingers and toes. Only the way she clings to me makes me hang onto reason. Her presence both stresses and calms me. I can’t stand the thought that anything should happen to her, yet I feel safer having her close to me. The event with the baboon has shaken me to my core. It’s my job to protect her, and I’ve done a shitty one so far.
We make just enough conversation to not appear rude before leaving. All I can think about is the gun strapped to Cas’s thigh under that dress. The thought alone makes me hard. The sight is sexier than sin. It’s hot in a twisted kind of way, but it’s our way, and anyone who wants to judge us for that can take a hike.
Despite my efforts to get us home early, we arrive back at the lodge after midnight. At our room, I let Cas in ahead of me. The minute I’ve closed the door, I walk her to the nearest vertical surface. Pressing her front to the wall, I pin her down with my weight. I take her clutch from her hand and leave it on the chair. Then I reach under her dress for the holster, remove it carefully, and put it aside. When her thighs are bare, I slide my hands up the insides until I reach the lacy fabric of her panties. She turns her face sideways to look at me.