Page 34 of Close Your Eyes

I nod. “Sure.” My heart thumps wildly in my chest anticipating why Bane has called for me to meet with him.

Once Bane has poured me a glass of whiskey, he strides across the room and hands it to me. I take the glass from his hand and bring it to my mouth, tasting the liquor on my lips. I stroll over to a bookshelf, appreciating all the books he has.

“I received this from the mayor,” he says, pointing to some award for his business achievements.

“Congratulations.”

Bane retreats back to his grand-oak desk and takes a seat behind it. “Please, come and sit. I’ll make this quick.”

I take the leather chair facing his desk, and set my glass down on the table next to me. “How can I help?”

Bane sets his tumbler down as well, looking me right in the eyes. “How’s the investigation going?”

“On Posey’s attack?”

Bane nods. “Yes, have you got any suspects?”

“Do you know who Nicholai Orlov is?” I watch his eyes, looking for any ounce of recognition.

“The Russian? Isn’t he working over at Club Throwdown? He’s one of Yuri Chekov’s men, right?”

I nod. “I believe so. He’s also a member of Club Greed, and Posey remembered the smell of a cigar, and Nicholai smokes that same brand.”

Bane laughs. “Really? This is all you have to go on? A cigar?” He shakes his head. “I had really hoped you’d have more to go on than a cigar.”

I take a sip of my whiskey, my anger bubbling up and I want to keep myself in check. “Unfortunately no. Whoever attacked Posey knew she’d be there. He waited in one of the VIP curtained off areas for her to be all alone. Who, besides your crew, knew she’d be in that room?”

Bane studies me for a moment, his dark eyes growing darker. “That’s the thing. Nobody. I think I’ve got a rat in my unit. Somebody is working against me, and it pisses me off.”

“Why?” I ask him, not expecting an answer. He doesn’t know me. He has no reason to trust me.

He raises his glass to his lips, taking a deliberately slow sip, most likely stalling. “I think my men are jealous. Upset I’m getting married and what that will mean for my business. I think my outfit would like it better if I wasn’t always in the limelight. This case against me has hurt my business. It’s hurt a lot, and I’m stuck in this godforsaken house with this—” he points to the GPS monitor on his ankle. “—fucking thing on my ankle.”

“I see.”

He pounds a fist on his desk, and smirks. “Do you think it was the Russians?”

“I don’t honestly know. I think it makes more sense if it’s one of your men, because they knew she’d be there. Look closely at your men, who knew?”

Bane’s rubbing his chin as he listens to me. “Only a few.”

I stand. “There ya go.”

Bane stands and shakes my hand, and together we leave his office as he tells me I’ll only be watching Posey a few more times. He’s wrapping up business on a few things, and that the meetings at Club Greed can come to a halt until he figures out who is working against him.

I hope he figures it out soon, because I want Posey to be safe.

Chapter 12

Posey

I pace my room back and forth, my thoughts consumed by the scene unfolding downstairs. I itch to reach out to Ledger, to unravel the mystery shrouding Bane's office. The uncertainty gnaws at me, a relentless reminder of the secrets lurking just beneath the surface.

Clutching my phone to my chest, I'm seized by a sudden paranoia. Could Bane have my phone tapped? The notion sends a shiver down my spine. Does he know?

When Ledger told me he wished Bane would offer me up to him, I was so turned on I didn’t know what to do. It’s why I told him I had to go. I couldn’t even think straight. Couldn’t handle the new feelings bubbling up deep inside me.

Maybe Bane is offering me up right now.