“Luke came by. He often does. He never pays for what he wants, but his requests, they were … specific.”
Logan folded his arms. “Go on.”
He noticed how afraid Louisa looked.
“You’re scared.”
“He’s always been your friend. When he comes by, he boasts about how he can have anything he wants, but this was different. He was mean to some of the girls. He hit them.”
This made Logan pause.
“Hit them? Did they want to be hit?”
“No. This wasn’t a spank or some play, Logan. He slapped them around the face. The guys, they didn’t know what to do because you have the orders your friends were to be taken care of.”
“Not like that,” he said. He didn’t like this. This was twice now Luke’s name had been brought up. His best friend was supposed to be taken care of, but he wasn’t supposed to take the piss.
“Is that all?” he asked, annoyed.
“No. He wanted a woman who hadn’t been here very long. A woman with standards who could pick and choose. His request was, he wanted a rape fantasy.”
Logan kept his arms folded and didn’t say a word.
“You’re not mistaken?”
“No. Julie was the one on duty. She has never liked Luke and would always avoid him. She’s hurt, really bad.”
“Where is she?”
“I sent her home. I asked one of the guards to go with her. Luke left satisfied and said he’d be back.”
“I want Julie’s address.”
Louisa nodded.
“When Luke comes in again, or any of my friends, alert me immediately.”
“Riley and Marvin are never a problem. They always have a little fun, and the girls adore them. They’re good guys, but they come and go so fleetingly. It’s like they forget they can have anything they want. They sometimes ask about you, but it’s more of a passing thought.”
“But they don’t like Luke,” he said. There was no need to dwell on Marvin and Riley. He’d already figured out they were losing touch, like friends do. Only, he’d been trying to keep it together. What he didn’t know was what he was keeping together and the why of it. If they wanted to move on, he wasn’t going to stop them. In fact, it would do him a favor.
“They don’t like being hurt, and Luke, he likes to hurt, Logan.”
Running a hand down his face, he turned toward the television screens. There were plenty of security cameras in the building. He liked to use whatever he could to keep the men who hated him in line.
Blackmail was such a dirty word, but it got the job done.
“Then make sure you make me aware when he’s here. I will take care of him.” There was nothing more he could offer, not right now.
“He seems to think that’s not the case,” Louisa said. “He believes he’s above everything. He had no respect for you, Logan.”
This was not the first time he’d been made aware of this.
“Don’t even begin to judge him, Louisa. You don’t know why he does the things he does.”
“You can’t trust him.”
“Again, you seem to think I’m asking your opinion on the matter. I’m not.”
“Someone has to watch your back.”
“Noted. But watch your place.” He glanced at the screen and saw Ava sitting at the bar. Hunter stood close to her, watching. She sipped at a drink, looking around wide-eyed.
“Who is she?”
“Someone from my past. Someone who will not have any harm brought to her.”
“You’re being rather possessive of this woman.”
“She’s mine, Louisa. She belongs to me. Make sure the word gets out that if anyone hurts her, they will answer to me.”
He was under no illusions his enemies were all around him. He’d made plenty of them, but he also knew how to handle himself. No one would ever be able to take his place. He’d made sure of that.
Not only did he have strength, but knowledge. There was nothing he liked more than bringing the power to their knees and watching them squirm.
Chapter Ten
No matter how many times Ava looked around her, she knew exactly where she was. A brothel or a whorehouse. She didn’t know which term was the correct one, but that was what she saw. Men and women, all in the mood to fuck.
Hunter acted like it was an everyday occurrence to see … this.
“It’s cute seeing you embarrassed. You’re all red,” he said.
“This is my first time here.”
“I imagine. I don’t see much of this going on in Crow Valley, that’s for sure.”
“I guess the city caters to everything.”
“Everyone has a sin, Ava, a weakness. In the city, it’s not so easy to deny. In your small town, stuff like this goes on. The only difference is, it’s hidden a little better.”
“Money in exchange for sex?”
“And silence.” Hunter shrugged. “If only walls could talk, huh?”
“I don’t care what they would say.” She stared down at her drink. “So first we go to a bar where the guy tells me Logan’s nickname is death. Then we stop off at a bank, and something happens there. We’ve made many stops, all of which everyone has looked completely petrified of him. Whenever he’s around people stare but hope never to get his attention. Now we’re here.”