The Madam's Lover

by Serenity Snow

  Alexi must be one of the club’s wealthier clients to do all they’d done for her at Alexi’s request. She’d left a note of thanks for her with the driver, who’d assured her Alexi would get it.

  Her phone chirped as she made her way into the kitchen to make herself a small salad for dinner. She strolled into the living area and picked up her cordless phone from the coffee table.

  A glance at the display had her tossing the phone onto the couch, slip-covered in the pale pink on white floral pattern that she’d favored over the brown. She’d liked the style but not the color, so she’d had the slipcovers made for it and the chairs.

  Tatiana continued to the kitchen where she made the salad using leftover roast chicken, butter lettuce, blueberries, dried cherries, green olives, and tomatoes. She shook a handful of croutons over the top and grabbed a bottle of homemade yogurt ranch from the fridge.

  She poured herself a glass of iced tea and headed to the living room where she put on a movie while she ate. Tatiana’s phone rang again as she finished her meal, and she picked it up to see who it was. A smile curved her lips.

  “Hi, Veda,” she said warmly. “How’s it going?”

  “Great,” she answered. “How are you doing? We haven’t gotten together in a while.”

  “I’ve been busy. I just got back from a buying trip last week.”

  “Oh, yeah?”

  “How are things going with Sabrina?”

  “We’ve been talking about marriage,” she said, excitement in her voice. “Course, my father is glad to hear it. He thinks she’s good for me.”

  “She is.” Veda worked for her father at a business he’d started for Veda. Veda had grappled with an eating disorder for years, but she seemed to be stable now that she was dating Sabrina.

  “Have you gotten your dress yet for the charity event?”

  “Yeah.” Veda’s family was one of social position and wealth. Though Veda was half-black, her father was white, so they rarely moved in the same circles, but some things were part of both white and black high society. The upcoming hospital event was one of them.

  “I do.” She thought about tomorrow night and the fact she wanted to be anywhere but there and even more so because it involved being with Ewan.

  “Great. I’ll be glad to see you there. Do you want to go to the spa with me tomorrow? I need a mani-pedi.”

  “Let me check my planner,” Tatiana said and got up. “Tomorrow shouldn’t be too busy at work, so I should be able to get off early.” She padded into her bedroom where she’d left her bag.

  She opened her purse and removed the case housing the disc-bound planner.

  “I can actually leave around three. Is that too late for you?”

  “It’s perfect actually. Meet me at Binki’s?”

  “Sure.” The spa had been one of their favorites for years now.

  “Sabrina’s coming in. I’ll talk to you later,” Veda said, happiness in her voice.

  “Bye.” Tatiana envied Veda. She wasn’t just successful; she was smart and more than willing to stand up to her parents.

  Coming out to her parents never made much sense, but it was growing increasingly impossible to pretend she was straight. She couldn’t marry Ewan, and Tatiana knew that. Yet if she didn’t, they’d wonder why she’d refuse such an eligible bachelor.

  She pushed out a rough breath and headed back to the living room to clear away her dirty dishes.

  She loved her parents, and she hoped they didn’t turn their backs on her when she finally came clean.

  ****

  The next morning, Alexi was still steaming over the girl’s death after seeing her body. They’d brutalized her, raped her, and left her on the floor like she was a used scrap of paper. Not only that, her room had been searched. The girl had a small apartment, which had been tossed, too.

  Alexi had gone through the girl’s apartment, but she hadn’t found anything. She’d merely developed a bad case of curiosity for what had been going on with her.

  Armed with the names of the men who’d booked the girl’s services, she perched on the edge of her desk as she waited for them.

  A rap on the door drew her attention from the window she stared out of, her thoughts having strayed for a moment to the woman she’d bedded last night. Alexi wanted to see her again, but she wasn’t certain that would be a good idea.

  She didn’t care that she was involved with a man. After all, Alexi wasn’t going to marry her, but still, getting involved with her even superficially might not be the best thing.

  She was already strongly attracted and that could lead to heartache for her, but she was never one to shy away from something because of the possible consequences.

  Alexi turned to face the door. “Come in.”

  Zoe stepped in bearing a file folder. “I pulled her file, and she did have family.”

  “Who?”

  “Parents and a brother,” she said. “She kept in touch with them, but none of the girls can say she was close to them.”

  “Doesn’t matter,” Alexi said angrily. “I’ll have to call them. What was she even doing here?”

  “I didn’t know her obviously,” Zoe commented dryly.

  “No, I know why she said she was here,” Alexi muttered. “I just don’t understand why she didn’t just go back home after the guy she came here with dumped her.”

  Zoe shrugged. “Who can ever know what goes through someone’s mind?”

  “Find out what she might have been into. She might have gotten tangled up with a dealer.”

  “She wasn’t a user,” Zoe told her with a shake of her head. “But I’ll see if she had a boyfriend who was.”

  “She might have seen or heard something someone wanted her to forget.” Someone as connected to the mob as her killers.

  “I’ll find if someone came into this room after her killers left.”

  Alexi was about to reply when the phone on her desk buzzed. She picked it up. “Yes, Cara?”

  “Your guests are here,” her secretary told her.

  “Send them in,” Alexi advised.

  A moment later, her office door opened, and Zoe moved to stand against the wall near the door as the two men filed in.

  “Gentlemen,” Alexi said coolly. She didn’t offer them seats as she’d had them removed not thinking enough of them to keep the chairs in place for their convenience.

  “What do you want?” Carrington Beals demanded, blue eyes hard as they held her.

  She lifted a brow at him. “You owe me money,” Alexi said and glanced to Zoe. “How much?”

  “Twenty-five thousand,” Zoe answered.

  “I want that paid in full in two days or we’re going to have to make some unpleasant arrangements.”

  “You’ll get your money,” he snapped.

  “Good, now about the girl you two were with last night,” Alexi said, a growl in her voice. “She’s dead. What happened?”

  “We paid for a good time, and she backed out at the last minute,” Trevor Rayne muttered. “We didn’t mean to hurt her, but we did mean to get our money’s worth.”

  She studied the younger male with his brown skin and cold brown eyes. “I don’t believe she was one of the ladies who participated in ménages or rough sex.”

  Beals shrugged. “She came to our room. Anyway, I wasn’t even there long.”

  “Every woman has the right to say no, even in my club,” she told them, seething with anger. “You’ll pay for her funeral, and you pay her family a small settlement.”

  “Like hell,” Rayne burst out. “It’s not like you’ll go to the police, given you run a whorehouse.” He gave her a smug smile. “You’ll keep your mouth shut, or I’ll make sure you go to jail for a long time.”

  Alexi just managed to stop the growl bubbling in her throat. The animal half of her was just a hair away from tearing him apart right about now.

  The cat was territorial about what it considered her own, and those girls in her club were hers to protect.
/>
  “Mr. Rayne, you have me confused with someone else,” Alexi said calmly. “You’ll both write her family a check and split the cost of the funeral or—”

  “Or what?” Beals demanded crossing his arms over his chest. “I can’t afford that with what I already owe you. Plus, she was very much alive when I went down to the casino room.”

  She rounded her desk, keeping her eyes on them. “You boys aren’t getting the seriousness of what you’ve done,” she said carefully. “You seem to be laboring under the delusion that no one can touch you.”

  “You can’t,” Beals said. “Not without exposing yourself.”

  “Don’t even think about making trouble for us,” Rayne said in a threatening tone as he pointed a finger at her. “You won’t like how it turns out.”

  Alexi balled her fist and drove it into his groin, and Rayne coughed as he doubled over. She turned quickly, arm coming up to block Beals’s grab for her. She punched him in the stomach, and he grimaced, striking out and missing.

  Alexi kicked him in the knee, and he grunted as he took a step back, falling to the floor.

  “Zoe.”

  Zoe threw a knife to her, and Alexi caught it deftly and grabbed Rayne by his tie and jerked him toward her before pressing the blade to his throat. The blade drew a bead of blood that trickled on the gleaming silver.

  “You can’t put a price on life, but I think ten thousand will help with the funeral and another hundred thousand will serve as a nice life insurance settlement.”

  “I’m not paying it,” Rayne said tightly. “I don’t have that kind of money to throw away on a whore.”

  “You come in here frequently enough. Find it,” she said through gritted teeth and shoved him away from her. “Fifty-five from each of you in two days, or your families will be getting the same message hers will.”

  Rayne paled a little beneath his lovely coloring as he backed away. Defiance flashed in his eyes. “We’ll see about that,” he growled.

  “The girl you killed was someone’s daughter. She deserved better than to be raped and killed.”

  “She was just a whore,” he snarled.

  “And you’re a pathetic bastard, but no one holds that against you, do they? I’m sure that doesn’t affect your ability to be a nice guy to someone or something special to your family.”

  “She was going to go to the police. I couldn’t have her ruin my career. After all, I’d already paid for her.”

  “Two days,” Alexi said impassively.

  “You’ll regret this, Alexi,” he said disgust in his tone. “You’re nothing more than a piece of garbage.” He raked his gaze down her. “You think you’re a man, but you don’t have the balls to go after us because you know we’ll tear you apart.”

  Alexi chuckled. “Don’t put even money on that.”

  “No one will give a damn about her death, but you, they’ll relish prosecuting you.”

  “Then, I’ll have to turn over your name as one of my frequent clients,” she said.

  “Do not fuck with me, bitch,” Rayne snarled. “I’ll bury you with the weight of my family.”

  “I think it’s time you both left,” Alexi said, already knowing what course of action she’d have to settle for.

  Trevor was a slime-ball who thought himself above the women he used. He was a lawyer with a degree from an Ivy League school and a family with the right pedigree, but she was a street rat who knew how to play dirty. Exacting vengeance was one of the first jobs she did when she’d been struggling to survive.

  “Don’t call us, we’ll call you,” Trevor told her. “In fact, I’ll be back Sunday, and I want a whore who’s far more willing than the last one.” He turned and strode from her office, nose in the air and oblivious to the fact he’d just signed his death warrant.

  “I didn’t kill her,” Beals muttered. “I wasn’t in the room. She said she wouldn’t do us both, so I left.”

  “So, you’re saying Rayne was the only one alone with her.”

  “Yes. He hit her before I even left and raped her against the wall. Then, he threw her on the bed.”

  “And you just left her there?” Alexi demanded incredulously.

  “That was a job hazard,” he retorted. “I figured she’d put out once I was gone and that would be that. I didn’t know he’d kill her.”

  “Are you sure he could have?” Alexi asked. She didn’t mind going after Rayne, but she wanted to be positive before she did.

  “I went back up to the room to get him thirty minutes later, and she was at the door. The room was a mess, her face bruised, torn clothes. She told him she was pressing charges, no matter who he or his family was.”

  “Then, he killed her?” Alexi asked.

  “He grabbed her before she could get out the door and hit her so hard she fell and hit her head on the dresser. He was freaking out at first, but then he said you’d never be able to pin this on him. You wouldn’t dare go to the cops.”

  “Did he tell you why he’d torn up the room?”

  “No. I thought that happened as a result of the—the situation,” Beals said.

  “I think I’ve heard enough,” Alexi replied. “I still want your half of her funeral costs.”

  “Fine. I’ll pay,” he agreed grudgingly. “I’ll get the kid to come up with the money, and I’ll talk to his grandfather about keeping him away from here.”

  “You do that,” Alexi told him, but she doubted Trevor would come up with the money or that his grandfather would on his behalf.

  “I’ll get you the money in two days,” he told her. “You have my word on it.”

  “You better, or I won’t be this nice the next time we meet.” No. She’d be beating his brains out before she went after Trevor, and Alexi had a feeling that’s what she’d have to do anyway.

  Chapter Five

  Tatiana laughed as she headed back to her office. Stepping inside, she found a bouquet of flowers on her desk and Ewan seated in the guest chair.

  She groaned, and he turned to watch her as she rounded her desk. “What are you doing here?” Tatiana demanded.

  “I don’t understand why you’re upset,” Ewan said. “I missed you at the dinner party last night.”

  “My car ran out of gas,” Tatiana replied.

  “You should have called me, and I’d have come and picked you up,” he said. “Where did you really go? I know you weren’t home because I went by there.”

  “You’re spying on me?” she demanded.

  “No, but I have right to know where you were when you were supposed to be by my side,” he said raising his voice. “But I guess the man who sent you those—” He jerked a thumb to the vase of colorful blooms, “was the one you were with.”

  She snorted. “You don’t own me,” Tatiana said and waited for that twinge of guilt to bite her in the ass, but it didn’t.

  Ewan got to his feet. “I deserve better than this attitude of yours,” Ewan said angrily. “We’re going to have to have a serious talk after the benefit tonight, so make yourself available.” He stalked from her office nearly knocking over her secretary.

  “He is one mad boyfriend,” the blonde said with a frown. “Here are those papers from the Cho deal.” She walked over and handed her the papers. “He’s so cute. If I were you, I’d be doing all I could to keep him before he finds a woman who will.”

  Tatiana snorted. “Thanks.” She hoped he did, but she had a feeling she’d have to help him along.

  “Tatiana.” Her boss, Andrea, strode in. “Have you gone over those papers yet?”

  “I just got them,” she said. “Don’t you want to check them out yourself?”

  “I have a meeting, and that’s what you’re for,” she replied airily. “Uh, when you’re done brief me, and I want you to check out some sketches. I’m considering selling the purses here.”

  “Okay.” She smiled, and Andrea blew her a kiss and scurried out the door.

  “Talk to you later,” Andrea called.

  Damn
, it was going to be a long day.

  ****

  Alexi finished watching the security cameras and frowned. “No one else went into the room,” she said to herself. So, why did he tear up the place?

  And her apartment.

  She tapped her fingers on the desk. Someone had been in the room or maybe the john before Beals and Rayne had messed up the room, and Rayne just hadn’t noticed. Alexi liked a surprise, but she wasn’t fond of puzzles.

  So, she would have to find out what the hell had been going on with the girl. When she did, she’d have some real answers as to why Rayne had really attacked and killed her.

  ****

  “Where are you?”

  Tatiana sighed as she slowed her stroll up to Binki’s. It had been a busy day for her, and she was glad for the opportunity to relax before tonight.

  “I’m at the spa,” she said. “I’m getting my nails done for tonight.”

  “Why haven’t you been answering Ewan’s calls?” her mother demanded. “Tatiana, the man wants to propose even though your sex life is less than stellar.”

  “How do—he told you that?”

  “He assumes you’re waiting for a ring,” Melissa replied. “If you have some kind of female impotence thing going on, I suggest you get into counseling. The man won’t wait forever.”

  “I’ll see you later at the hotel tonight, Mom,” Tatiana said as Veda waved to her.

  “Tatiana, don’t ruin this,” her mother snapped into her ear. “Connecting our family with his will be good for your grandfather and Ewan’s father. That’s the only way your grandfather will consider opening the other two locations Carrington wants to open.”

  She didn’t understand how that would be good for them.

  “That will create an even split between them and allow your grandfather to take things a little further.”

  “Good for them. I think we should have brunch tomorrow. I really need to talk to you.”

  “I don’t like the sound of that,” Melissa said carefully. “Do not tell me you’re fooling around with one of the nobodies at the store.”