Dangerous Conceit (Sample)

Chapter 5

When Sunday came, Lexi looked forward to a long-needed day off and had worked every night the past week. She had planned to spend the entire day with her roommates, ending with the date she agreed to have with Rafa. As much as her sarcasm masked what she thought about him, she did admit to herself that she liked being around him. It was a shame that Angelo made harsh requirements on his time. Lexi only had seen him for brief moments since.

Dating Rafa was never in her plans though. She still missed Giovanni and could not count how many times she lost sleep after being separated from him. Lexi knew she had to let go of the past and move on. She could not turn back the clock, but going out with Rafa could be a bad decision in the end. Lexi did not want to be connected to another powerhead. She wanted simple and Rafa was nowhere close to being simple. He also did not know about her past or her connection to Moretti.

Even with the situation as complicated as it was, she still looked forward to seeing him. He was growing on her, and it was past the time he normally came to eat. Rafa was never late—not this late, not eight at night.

Her thoughts on Rafa shifted when she spotted a man wearing a black trench coat, walking through the door. He was the same man who stole her from the driveway of her house five years ago. She hated him. She also dreaded his message every time she saw him. She could not believe Royce came to her job. The last time he had word for her, Ava ended up dead. Lexi vowed that none of her other friends would end with that fate.

Lexi cringed as he strolled to the bar and hoped Seth would not be cued that the situation was off. She did not need this getting back to Rafa. It would be a red flag.

"What do you want, Royce." She scowled at Moretti's henchman, leaning her elbows on the bar and making direct eye contact with the greasy, straight-haired man. He had a certain scent lingering about him, reeking of cheap cologne that screamed psychopath.

"What do you think I want, Cinderella?" he said, his breath every bit as putrid as his scent. "A moment of your time outside. You'll follow me if you know what's good for that little brat you're keeping. What was her name—Maura?" A twisted smirk settled on his lips. Royce knew exactly how to rile Lexi's temper.

"How dare you say her name?" Lexi slapped the bar with her hand. "If you lay one finger on her, I swear to god, nothing will hold me—"

"Outside, bitch." Royce cut her off.

Lexi grit her teeth together, moving around the bar to follow him, not bothering to tell Seth where she was going. What good would it have done? She knew what was in store for her—a warning to be sure, one that would leave Lexi foaming at the mouth, anxious for the day of retribution when she could fully return the favor to Moretti and his spawn.

Lexi continued to follow Royce to the dark alleyway beside the Sandy Shores, where trash dumpsters speckled the path between buildings and no person should be walking after sunset. Once they were halfway, Lexi spotted two other men lurking in the shadows. They were both pointing guns at her as Royce slammed her against the brick wall behind.

"Six weeks, Cinderella. Six weeks and you've gotten absolutely nowhere," Royce spat, saliva spraying from between his teeth. "Moretti isn't happy with your progress...or lack of, princess. You know he doesn't see a dime from Pearson with Tomassi in the way. We can't have you sitting on your ass."

"What the hell do you want me to do—waltz into the Royal Flush and shoot the man in the lobby? Does Moretti really want that shit coming back on him? I already told him that I have to wait for the banquet, so lay the fuck off."

His hand lashed across her face, leaving an inflamed print to match. Then he jerked the back of her hair and snarled against her ear. "You're nothing but a whore to me. Don't waste my fucking time, or I'll make sure it's time well spent."