Page 16 of Nicoletta
Smoke crosses his arms over his chest. “And that is?”
“His image. His reputation.” I point to the paused monitor. “These men aren’t loyal to my father because they’re afraid. They’re loyal because they’re protected.” My gaze sweeps around the room. “You expose what they’re doing, really expose it, and you don’t just hurt him. You destroy all of them. Because every one of them lives by their pseudo image and their standing in the city.
“Their reputation and rank get them into the finest restaurants, sometimes for free. The best country clubs all over the country, court side seats at Lakers’ games, perks most peoplecan’t imagine, all at their fingertips because of who they are, or what people perceive them to be.”
“And when we take that away, we take them away,” Smoke concludes.
“Exactly.”
Bolt meets my gaze. “You’re talking about going public.”
“Absolutely.”
“That’s messy,” Diesel mutters.
“They all belong to exclusive country clubs, sit on multi-million-dollar charity boards, and attend opulent galas.” I point to the monitors again. “You drag this into that world, and none of them will survive. All their connections will go up in smoke because no one, no matter who they are, will associate or publicly condone human trafficking.”
Smoke leans back in his chair. “Reputation over retaliation.”
“It’s the only way to make it count.” I look at each of the men. “Now we just need solid proof. Pictures of what or who is locked in that basement.”
Smoke waves his hand at the screens. “We got this much. Shouldn’t be too hard to pay someone to get some video on their phone. Especially if the price is right.”
“We don’t hit them like outlaws,” Bolt says. “We hit them where it hurts.” His gaze locks with mine. “And you’ll help us do this?”
I nod once. “Yes.”
I’m filled with a sense of purpose. I may never be able to forget my father’s vile actions, but I can try to do something to right this terrible wrong.
Smoke looks at Blood. “Tomorrow, you contact whoever we can still trust up at the Surf Club. Tell them we need photos or a video timestamped, and tell them we’re willing to pay.”
“What about the fights on Saturday night?” Bolt asks.
“We go ahead with everything as planned. Justanother fight night,” Smoke says. “That gives us time to get the intel we need. Then, with that and the footage we already have placing them at the Surf Club, we should be good to go.”
Smoke’s eyes zero in on me. “Any idea how and when we leak this valuable info?”
I’d swiped at my phone as Smoke was talking to the others and came up with two important galas. “There are two events coming up in the next week. One on Monday night and the other on Thursday night. Both at Riviera Country Club. Both well attended. While they’ll both serve our purpose, the one on Thursday is Save the Children, a nationwide charity supporting millions of children around the world—focusing on education, health and, most importantly, the safety of children.”
They all mumble slurs referring to anyone who would hurt a child.
I smile wide. “Kind of apropos, don’t you think?” For the first time, I feel powerful against this horrible situation.
The men nod their approval, and Smoke grips the gavel. “We’ve still got a lot of shit to iron out, but for now we’ll shoot for getting this put together for the Thursday night event at Riviera.”
He slams down the gavel, and the other men all give me a nod or a thumbs-up, which I’m going to consider high praise from outlaws.
Bolt flanks me and leans in as we exit the room. “You were amazing, babe.”
“I’m still in shock about my father’s part in all this, but doing something useful feels good. Now, we just have to put it all together.”
Smoke comes up on my other side. “You figured out how we’re gonna get into Riviera?” He pulls a face. “We don’t exactly look like the country club type, and you got a price on your head.”
“Oh, don’t worry. I already have an invitation, and no one will start anything in front of all those people. That’s the great thing about maintaining a false façade.” I grin at Bolt. “Plus, I can’t wait to see you in a tuxedo.”
Bolt’s jaw drops, Smoke lets out a hoot, and I just keep smiling.
CHAPTER 7
