Page 107 of Property of Rattler

Leaning down, I say to her. “You know where I am if you need me.” Then to Dee, I add, “They don’t leave this room, you got that?”

He gives me chin. “Got that.”

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

RATTLER

“Prez…” I hover at the entrance to his office, hoping for an excuse not to go in. I’m worried as fuck about leaving Ames alone with her so-called friend. I don’t trust that bitch further than I could throw her, and at present, that wouldn’t be very far.

“Know what you’re thinking, Brother. But come sit. We got this covered.”

“I’ll help you,” Genie comes around from where he’d been standing behind Prez’s desk, and supports my arm while Freak also provides assistance by removing my crutches.

I sigh once I’m seated. Then I realise what I’m hearing.

It’s Satin’s voice, and she’s coming over clearly through the speaker on Bullseye’s desk. “You’re not safe here,” she tells Ames.

“I’m safer here than anywhere,” Ames replies.

“No you’re not.” Satin’s voice lowers, but we can here her clearly. That bug Dee had to have planted is obviously top-notch. “I had a visit from a man called Rodion Volvok. He explained everything…”

“The Russian?” Ames says it in the way she might have said the bogeyman, and she’s not wrong.

“He’s a lovely man, Ames. I…”

There’s a loud gasp, then Ames indignantly interrupts. “It’s true? You set me up? You took that night off because you knew he was coming?”Good girl, I think to myself. Challenge Satin on her lies.

“What? No. I did have period pains the night you got involved with that asshole, Rat.” I clench my fists, but quickly get back to listening. “Hell, girl, can you imagine what it’s like swinging yourself around the pole when your stomach’s trying to kill you? And as for stripping, when I get it heavy like that, I’d have to have been wearing pads.”

That’s too much information for us men. We all grimace.

“When did you see him then?”

“After you disappeared. He found out my address and came to visit me. Ames, he was so worried about you. Malachi was only trying to find you so he could introduce you to him. When he heard you thought your brother wanted to kill you, he laughed and said that was ridiculous.”

I growl, hoping she isn’t drawing Ames in.

She isn’t. My woman’s next words confirm it, her tone abrupt. “I know what I heard, Satin. Malachi needed my money.”

“Your inheritance. Yes, Rodion mentioned that. Ames, he hated my place when he saw how you’d been living. He wants to meet you, and oh boy…” she breaks off.

Freak complains, “I wish we had visual.” He gets chin lifts of agreement.

Satin continues, “He’s fucking hot. I’d be all over that if I had a chance.” There’s a pause, but Ames doesn’t fill the gap. After the pregnant pause, the stripper continues. “He said Malachi was remorseful that he’d chased you away, that you’d had no choice but to degrade yourself working at Royals.”

“I was waitstaff.”

“You were, yes. But you should have been at college, studying for your degree. Malachi wanted to give you that life back.”

There’s a feminine snort which comes from Ames. “If that’s what the Russian told you, he was lying. Malachi needed my money for himself not for me. And killing me was one way of getting it.”

“He’s your brother, Ames. He would never hurt you. He loves you, and that’s why he was doing what he thought best.”

Freak leans forward. “Satin has no fuckin’ idea he’s dead.”

“Volkov must know he’s missing by now,” Saint remarks.

I gesture at them to be quiet, Ames is talking again. “I know he had an alternative plan for me…”