Jaxon’s phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out and frowned at the name.
“What?” Ian asked.
“It’s Thomas.”
“Who’s Thomas?”
“My boss at the Swan Palace, the guy who manages the club for Yuri.” Jaxon tapped the screen. “Hello?”
“Wilson, I need you to come up here for a bit, and bring your boxing gloves or whatever the hell it is you wear.”
“Why?” Jaxon asked slowly. He glanced at Ian, who watched him with an intensity that could be unsettling.
“You want to keep working here, don’t ask questions. Bring a change of clothes.”
The call cut off.
“What’d he want?” Ian asked.
“To come in early, bring my gloves and a change of clothes.” Jaxon had an uneasy feeling about this. It wouldn’t be the first time a club owner had retained a bouncer as more than just security. Usually this was the point that Jaxon left a job, but he didn’t have the moral luxury here.
“You goin’ in?”
“I have to.”
“You don’t have to do anythin’. We could call this in right now. You know Owen would jump on it.”
“Then what about Michelle?” Jaxon grimaced. “I’ll do it.”
“You need back up, call. Don’t be a Lone Ranger.”
“Do you even know who the fuck the Lone Ranger is?”
“Course I do.” Ian grinned. “I’m goin’ to check on Taylor, then get back to the office. The puppies are shittin’ up a storm.”
“How’s she liking teaching full time again?”
“Loves it.” Ian’s grin widened. Just the mention of Taylor’s name made the man’s face change.
“Tell her hi for me. I’ll check in later.” Jaxon pocketed his phone and headed for the rear entry where he’d parked.
A lot of guys working the club scene got by doing whatever they needed to do. Jaxon had been in that situation plenty of times, but he’d drawn the line at being a hired tough guy who didn’t ask questions. It was one thing to go toe-to-toe against an opponent in the ring to see who was the better athlete. Beating up some guy for not staying in line just wasn’t it for him. Jaxon took no pleasure in beating the shit out of people. He wasn’t like that.
He got behind the wheel of his BMW and pointed his car toward downtown. He prayed they got lucky, that one of the guys would get a hit on Michelle’s whereabouts and come tonight, this would all be over. Then again, he’d thought all they had to do was find Freya. He had a sinking suspicion things were a lot more complicated, that they weren’t seeing the bigger picture at all.
Why Freya?
Why not Michelle?
Why keep Freya in Seattle?
Why this charade?
Jaxon didn’t consider himself brilliant. He wasn’t smart like Freya and he didn’t have a decade of experience tracking down bad guys like some of the others, but even he knew bad things were afoot. He just hoped they could get ahead of this somehow.
Even with the lunch traffic, it took him nearly a half hour to get to the Swan Palace. The lot was nearly empty, which was a little surprising since it technically closed for only four hours in the early morning. Those daytime clients should be partaking of what the palace offered, at least in the front of house.
He grabbed his gym bag from the back of the car and let himself in through the employee entrance with his keycard.
The kitchen was unusually silent and the lights in the main performance space were all the way up.
Jaxon tip-toed his way to the end of the hall and peered out at the area usually bathed in dim light and spread thick with customers. Empty like this it seemed...sad. Lonely. Full of broken dreams and stolen futures.
A woman mopped the stage.
“Hey, where’s everyone at?” he asked.
Something wasn’t right.
The woman glanced at him so fast that if he weren’t looking he might have missed it. She pointed at the ceiling.
Huh.
Jaxon headed for the VIP staircase and pulled out his phone.
No new messages.
He powered his phone off and shoved both it and the burner into the bottom of his bag. If things went down in a bad way, he didn’t want to hand evidence of his real intentions over to someone he already knew was bad news.
The second floor was also noticeably silent, the mood music had been killed and no one going to and from the rooms.
What if Thomas and Yuri were waiting for him upstairs? What then?
If Jaxon didn’t show up, he might as well admit his guilt.
He breathed deep and climbed to the third floor.
He needed to think as if this were a bout. He had to bring his A-game. No room for failure.
The door to the Queen’s Nest stood open, and Thomas was at the landing. He glanced up from his phone, a scowl on his face.
“There you are,” Thomas said with none of the urgency he’d expressed before.
“What’s going on?” Jaxon glanced over his manager’s shoulder into the suite behind him.
A man sat handcuffed to a chair. Yuri Gabor sipped coffee, sitting across from a pale, wide-eyed Freya.
“We had a little issue with the boss’ assistant. Seems he thought he could steal some customers, start his own business.” Thomas edged closer, keeping his voice low. “We need to teach him a lesson, and you’re the perfect guy to do it.”
“Me?” Jaxon frowned.
“You’re moving up. This is your opportunity to prove yourself to the boss.”
“You want me to—what? Exactly? No beating around the bush—what do you want me to do?”
“What do you think you’re here for? Use your fists, not your brain. Don’t ask any more stupid questions. Come on.”
Thomas turned and walked into the Queen’s Nest.
Most of the security team, plus a few guys he’d never seen before, were lined up against the mini bar, their postures tense.
“Mr. Wilson, I’m very interested to see your skills at work. Proceed.” Yuri leaned back in his chair.
Jaxon had to think of a way out of this. Yuri didn’t want to teach the guy tied to the chair a lesson, he wanted to make an example out of him. Thomas wouldn’t outright say that he wanted Jaxon to kill the guy, but that’s what was going on here.
He set his bag on the floor and pulled out his gloves. They fit his hands like old friends. He’d meant to go back to fighting, professionally, but not like this.
Jaxon studied the man in the chair.
Mid-thirties, maybe. Not overly active. He was a soft, paper-pusher kind of person. Chances were, he was just as rotten as Yuri, but it didn’t change the way Jaxon felt about hitting a person.
“Come on, this isn’t even fair. Uncuff him.” Jaxon grimaced.
He’d never punched someone who wasn’t also trying to punch him back, but there was a first time for everything.
Yuri was going to have to shell out some extra money for the top-notch cleanup crew. He didn’t even mind the expense. Watching Jaxon dance around Donny was magical. Yuri didn’t often see the value in bloodshed. It was more economical to put a single bullet into someone and be done with it. But Jaxon was a pleasure to watch. A true professional, and he’d shown no hesitation or familiarity when it came to Donny. They were strangers. Yuri was rather tickled that they’d lucked into such a gifted young man.
Besides, Donny had it coming.
Yuri wasn’t sure how many of the others had made secret deals with Donny to jump ship, but now he didn’t have to. The threat of Jaxon’s fists would do nicely. Kismet was a wonderful thing. But Yuri had other things to do today, besides terrorize his staff.
“Don’t you think it’s time to put him out of his misery?” Yuri asked.
Jaxon took a step back. Sweat, mixed with the other man’s blood, trickled down his face, dampening his clothes.
“You don’t want me to do this here,” Jaxon said between breaths.
“Why not?�
�� Now Yuri was intrigued.
“It’s messy, and you don’t want to have to transport a body.” Jaxon spoke as if he’d done this before. Interesting. For whom? And why wasn’t he working for them now? “I can take him someplace he won’t be found.”
“Where?” Yuri asked.
“If I tell you that, then we all know.” Jaxon gestured around the room. “Not much value in a spot everyone knows.”
Yuri liked resourceful people. Jaxon had performed above and beyond Yuri’s expectations. Should he extend the trust?
Thomas stared at Yuri.
He knew that look. Thomas trusted few people, which was what made him valuable.
“I want photo evidence it’s done, understand?” Yuri stood and fastened the top button on his coat. “Help Jaxon, then see to opening the doors, will you, Thomas?”
Yuri couldn’t run everything himself. If Jaxon could be trusted, if he proved himself, then Thomas could move up. They were all jigsaw pieces in a bigger puzzle. Besides, Jaxon was a more charismatic, likeable person, compared to Thomas. Jaxon might do well running the club once he knew the ropes.
Thomas, with the help of some of the other guys, carried Donny from the room. Jaxon stood back, letting them shoulder this burden while he gathered his bag.
“I’ll send a cleaning crew by later, my dear.” Yuri glanced at Freya. She’d sat still as a statue, eyes wide, for much of it.
Yuri almost felt sorry for her.
If she only knew her fate.
Charles could talk all day about how things would be different with his pet, but in Yuri’s experience, men like Charles rarely changed their stripes. He’d kill Freya, and call Yuri in a panic to dispose of the body.
It was simply what would happen.
Yuri exited the Queen’s Nest and secured the room.
There was other business to attend to today. Donny’s betrayal, trying to usurp Yuri’s business, had ripple effects that needed to be smoothed out. He’d like to pay a few visits to clients, remind them that it was Yuri and not Donny, who knew where the bodies were buried. They’d all come back to the fold eventually.
Yuri left the Donny mess to Thomas and headed for his car. Once behind the wheel, he got on the road, pointing the car west. Toward the ocean.
A necessary aspect of his business was owning properties. Quite a few of them. Just in case he needed an alternate location for a job. Renting wasn’t always an option, since there could be questions and prying eyes. There were a few exceptions, of course.
Yuri parked in a private garage and used his keycard to gain entry to the condos.
He’d never liked apartments or condos. Growing up the way he had, so many piled in on top of each other, had made him yearn for more space.
It was a shame the country estate had been seized. He’d enjoyed that property. All that space. In time, he’d have to copy it. Make some improvements. It had suited his business needs in a way few other properties had. Besides, he’d enjoyed the illusion of being alone.
Yuri unlocked the condo and pushed the door open. Except the chain barred his entrance.
“Coming!”
He closed the door and waited.
The chain scraped in the catch on the other side, then the door whisked open.
“Michelle, we need to talk.” Yuri pushed past her.
“What’s wrong? Is she not cooperating?” Michelle sashayed past him, the short, satin robe barely covering anything.
“She is. She bought the ruse hook, line and sinker.” Yuri’s concern wasn’t Freya. She was falling in line.
Michelle, though?
What was she playing at?
Yuri knew there was some end game Michelle was angling for, he just hadn’t nailed down what it was yet. She sat on the sofa, a cup of coffee close by.
Michelle and her twin were so remarkably similar in appearance, save for the hair. Freya’s was longer, while Michelle had a shorter, flirty cut. The true difference was in the eyes. It was why Yuri had known at a glance that Freya was the girl for the job and not Michelle.
“When’s the last time Donny came by?” Yuri could reference the security footage, but that would take time. Here and now, he wanted Michelle’s take on things.
“Oh, gosh...” Michelle turned to stare out through the windows. “You know, I’m not entirely sure? Which one is he?”
“Don’t play dumb with me, Michelle. You won’t like what happens.” All it would take was a text to yank this comfort out from under her. Yuri could just as easily use both girls.
“He was here...maybe two days ago?” Michelle shrugged.
“What did he want?”
“He wanted me to do a deal with him, but I wasn’t interested.”
“What kind of a deal?”
“I don’t know. It sounded like trouble, so I said no.” She picked up the coffee and sipped it. “When’s Freya getting hitched?”
“You aren’t concerned for your sister’s happiness?” Whatever Michelle was planning, it hinged on Freya being out of the picture.
“We’ve never been happy. Why start now?”
“You do realize there’s a high likelihood that the man she’ll be marrying will kill her, don’t you?”
“We’re all going to die someday.”
“You’re awfully mercenary.”
“I’ve learned that no one looks out for me but me. Especially not my sister.”
Yuri understood that sentiment. He could even support it. But nothing he’d learned about either of the twins led him to this leap of logic.
He still wasn’t seeing the bigger picture. Someone was playing him, and he wasn’t going to roll over and let it happen.
6.
Jaxon held the bottle of water while the man Yuri had called Donny sucked on a straw. Jaxon had done his best to keep his hits to meaty parts of the body to reduce lasting damage, but he hadn’t been able to completely avoid beating the guy to a pulp, or knocking him out. Twice.
“Tip your head back and hold this to your nose.” Jaxon held out the napkin. Now that he’d sent his supposed photo evidence that Donny was dead, he could do something about keeping the guy alive. It might be the wrong thing to do, but Jaxon wasn’t a killer.
“You know he’s going to find out you didn’t kill me.” Donny peered up at Jaxon with his one good eye.
“Not if you skip town. Go somewhere else. Find another occupation. You want him to come after you?” Yeah, Jaxon knew he was playing with fire, but he wasn’t going to kill a guy.
Donny muttered something under his breath.
“How’s your head?” Jaxon asked.
“Fucking hurts, you dumbass.”
Jaxon didn’t point out that the only way to get a dead enough looking picture was to deliver a hard, knock-out punch to Donny’s melon. Jaxon hadn’t wanted to do it, but Donny hadn’t left him a choice. The guy wasn’t exactly cooperative.
“Think you can walk?” Jaxon checked his phone. He needed to get out of here.
“You took my phone and wallet. What the hell am I supposed to do?”
“You’re still breathing, ain’t you?” Jaxon slid his hand under Donny’s arm and helped him out of the back seat.
“Where the fuck are we?” Donny squinted left, then right.
“Somewhere no one would be.” Jaxon glanced around. The residential area wasn’t busy, and there weren’t many people around. Fewer eyes to spy on them. “Have a nice life, Donny.”
Jaxon slid behind the wheel and gassed it. On the other side of the block a familiar dark-colored Charger was idling, waiting for him.
Owen got out as soon as Jaxon eased to a stop. By the time he was out of the car, Owen was there.
“What the hell are you doing, Jax?” Owen glanced left then right.
“The less you know the better.” Jaxon pulled Donny’s wallet out of his pocket, removed the money and cards, and thrust it at Owen. “There’s a guy around the corner. Real beat up looking. He might be a person of interest, or whatever
.”
“Jax.” Owen stared at the wallet, then Jaxon. “What the hell? I can’t do this.”
“His name’s Donny Braddock. I just faked his death and saved his life. I need him gone, or put up somewhere. The way I see it, the cops probably have some interest in him.”
“I wish I didn’t know that.” Owen shook his head. “You know that unless there’s a warrant, I won’t be able to keep him?”
“Yeah, just...take him to Kade. Get him looked at. See if you can hold him on something. Anything.”
“Fine.” Owen sighed. “I’ll take him out to the suburbs. Less chance someone out there will care who he is. I can...say I was driving a vic’ home, found him like this. Not my area, so I brought him there. It’ll keep him out of the Seattle system for a bit, but not long.”
“Sounds good. I’ve got to go.”
“Jax—the feds are asking questions.”
“Tell them what you know.”
“Which is nothing.”
“Exactly.”
Jaxon slid behind the wheel.
Time was ticking. He wasn’t supposed to work until tonight, but Thomas wanted him there. And then there was Freya. Jaxon needed to get in to see her, give her the phone, see if she knew anything else.
But would she talk to him?
He’d tried to not look at her, but he’d heard her gasp at times. She must think him a monster. He felt like one. This was why he wanted out of this kind of life. Nothing was straightforward. There were always side jobs his bosses wanted him to do that he wasn’t comfortable with. At least he’d walked into this of his own free will, for better reasons than getting a paycheck.
Jaxon got Kade on the phone to update him about Donny. Later he’d take Donny’s phone to Zach, see if they could find out anything from what was on it.
A couple weeks ago, all Jaxon had worried about was passing his class, making rent, and working up the nerve to ask Freya out.
Now he was thinking like a hired tough guy, trying to cover up a fake murder. It was all for Freya. To get her free.
Nothing was as simple as he’d thought it would be.
Jaxon arrived back at the Swan Palace in record time. Unlike before, there were cars outside, the lights were on, and business was back on track. He grabbed his work clothes and stashed the others under his seat. Prepared for just about anything, Jaxon re-entered the building only to stop short.
Bad Boy Prince: A Modern Fairy Tale (Twisted Royals Book 3) Page 7
