Page 77 of Savage Desires

Sissy blanches at the implication of my words. Most women try to forget because remembering is horrible. It's understandable, but for me, remembering meant potentially being able to punish them. Of course, I didn't know if I'd ever get the chance to seek revenge, but it was enjoyable to pull up one of their faces in my mind and imagine all the ways I would make them bleed.

"How involved is he?" Kisten asks.

I sigh. "He's there every week. Sometimes, a couple times a week. He uses the VIP area often, but I've also seen him talking with Madam and the man in the mask in the basement." I avoid mentioning the Russians because we're still keeping that bit close to the chest. I'm glad for it now that it's a possibility that Seamus and his people are involved in the trafficking ring.

"That fucker." Chante looks like she's ready for murder. Not that I blame her. Being deceived sucks. "I'll string him up by his balls."

"We can't let anyone else know that he's involved. Not until we know if Seamus is aware. If we out them now, it'll screw our whole plan," Kisten says.

"If we make our plans tonight, we'll be telling our enemies exactly how we're going to attack," Sissy points out.

Kisten smirks. "That's why we're going to make our own plans. We gather those we know can be trusted and let them in on the change. I will call in the Savage Knights and some other friends for backup."

Chante laughs, sounding slightly unhinged. "I do love a little subterfuge to counter sabotage. This is going to be fun."

I shake my head. "You've got a peculiar perception of what fun is."

"Things get boring without a little drama. Anyone want to take bets on if Seamus is mixed up in this or if it's just his spawn?" she asks.

"I'll take a hundred on Seamus being clueless. I never liked Nolan. He's a little weasel. Pretty sure Seamus is hoping one of his daughters will marry a nice little mafioso to take over instead. I've heard he's already looking into the son of one of the leaders in Ireland," Sissy says.

"Really?" Chante asks. "You're holding out on me. What other gossip do you know?"

Sissy smiles. "So much. You know my specialty is information."

"Enough," Kisten barks. "Gossip later. We have bigger problems right now."

I run my hand up and down his side, trying to help calm him. He's on edge and could easily tip over it at the slightest provocation.

"He's right. How are we going to pull this off? Willow can't go back in there like this," Chante says.

I stiffen at her words. I know I didn't handle seeing Nolan well, but it's not like I was prepared to see a monster from my past among allies. "I can handle it. I was just surprised at seeing him."

"You don't have to go back in there, beauty. I can tell them you're not feeling well. You can hang out in the saferoom until we're done," Kisten offers.

"No," I say firmly. "I'm not going to hide away. I'll be fine. I'll walk back in the room and act like nothing happened."

"And what if he recognizes her?" Sissy asks.

"He will definitely recognize me, but I'll ignore him and act like I have no idea who he is," I say.

"After your reaction to seeing him, I'm not sure that's possible," Sissy comments.

"You give him too much credit. Ignoring him is going to piss him off. He'll do everything in his power to make sure I'm paying attention to him, and by not giving it, he'll realize I don't remember him at all."

We plan for a few more minutes, and then I follow them back to the conference room with my head held high.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

KISTEN

The meeting drags on and on. We plan for multiple contingencies because we're hitting two locations at once. Willow was right that Nolan would do everything he could to get her attention. Even with her sitting on my lap, he openly flirted, and when that didn't work, he asked her a barrage of questions about what they did to her at Mecca. Things that have zero bearing on our plans. Thankfully, Seamus told him to shut the fuck up before the thin thread of my control snapped, and I ended the meeting by gutting him right here on the table.

Several of the others were uncomfortable with Nolan's line of questions, too. Mauve stared daggers at him every time he spoke, and she didn't even know about his deception. When she finds out, shit's going to get nasty. She already doesn't like him because he tried to talk Seamus into adding gambling dens like Mauve's to their gambling empire. They focus on sporting events… typical bookies that break knees when you don't pay type stuff. Mauve has high-end underground casinos. They've had a peaceful relationship since Mauve's grandfather started the business. Nolan nearly undid it all by starting a war.

Finally, the meeting wraps up. I text Shawn, Davis, T.J., and Mauve to stay behind once we're done. Mauve, Sissy, and Chante move to the kitchen area, where they sometimes gather to chat after our meetings. Davis follows them, flirting with Sissy. The man has a death wish. She looks sweet, but that's a façade. She's deadly like my Beauty. Looks are deceiving, for sure.

T.J. and Shawn come up to me and Willow. T.J. tells Shawn about how good Willow is with any firearm put in her hands. He scoffs; obviously, he doesn't believe him. T.J. pulls out his phone and, after a few taps on the screen, hands it off to him. Shawn watches, eyes growing wider by the second. When the video is over, he's looking at Willow with awe.