Page 77 of InfraRed
My teeth grind. It needed to be done, but I don’t fucking trust people. Henry chuckles reading my mind. “You know, I get Maddox and Ryder’s trust issues, so tell me, Graham, who hurtyou?”
I flip him off. “No one hurt me. I just know people are inherently corrupt.”
“Jaded much?”
“Aren’t you?”
He shrugs. “Maybe, but I know who hurt me,” he laughs at himself. “Well, these guys have access to shit I don’t. My security clearance only goes so far.”
“They could hold the Pentagon at gunpoint, and I wouldn’t give a fuck as long as I get what I want. And that’s Casey safe, and Krista six feet fucking under. I don’t care what it costs.”
“Oh, it will cost you something. Unless they’re feeling generous. It would serve you well to get on Maddox’s good side so that something isn’t your firstborn.” He reaches into his back pocket and comes back with a piece of folded paper. He hands it to me between two fingers.
I unfold the ripped, yellow legal paper and find a single name scrawled across it. My eyes lift, meeting Henry’s. My forehead ripples as I try to connect the dots. “This is who is bankrolling Krista.”
He leans further against the railing, nodding at the paper. “Recognize the name.”
Of course, I do. Edwin Lambert is the owner of Lambert Diamonds, an upscale jewelry boutique on Madison Avenue. It does well and is famous for its by-appointment-only demand of clientele. He can afford to help Krista—though he could never sustain her lifestyle for long—but he’s known for his reclusive nature. Multiple rumors are swirling about him, some ranging from him simply being a hermit to ties to organized crime that make him stay under the radar. Which means he’s not part of the social circles Krista is. How would they know each other likethat? And why would Krista even consider going to him? Sure, he has money, but he’s not her type. Meaning his bank account is nothing to laugh at for the upper ten percent of the world, but she prefers a higher tax bracket. Something feels… off. “Why would he help her?”
“That’s the million-dollar question. And whatever the answer, it’s enough for Bastian to come here. He said he needs to speak to someone else before he can answer our questions, but he has some suspicions.”
“That doesn’t help me today.”
“No, it doesn’t, but for Bastian to come to New York…” He lifts a shoulder and starts toward the door. “My guess is it’s Mafia-related.”
“So, are we thinking Krista or Lambert has tied themselves to the Mafia?”
“Either. Both. No matter what it is, we won’t be told more than we need to know.”
“None of this makes sense, though. Why in the hell would the Mafia be interested in Krista? Or anything she offers? I can’t imagine they’d want her. And if Krista is entertaining that damn idea she had when Casey was younger, then she’s out of luck. They don’t want tattooed women.”
“My money is, if it’s Mafia-related, it’s tied to Lambert. Krista, for all her conniving ways, is fucking stupid—a manipulative, self-serving cunt, but she doesn’t see beyond what she wants. I doubt she even realizes the Mafia exists.” He waves his hand toward the door behind him. “That bitch has done nothing but wreak havoc for years. She’s ripped apart my best friend—my brother—every chance she gets. She tore apart her daughter as if she were nothing but an inconvenience. I’ve watched her get away with it all for too long.”
“Is this your way of telling me you won’t stop anything I do when the time comes?” I lift a brow, curious about his response.
He laces his fingers together, rotating his arms as he extends them in front of him. His knuckles cracking is audible. “I’m telling you whatever you end up doing, it won’t be without me.”
“You know Casey can’t find out. She’ll hold herself responsible. Fuck knows why, but she loves her mom.”
“Because it’s her mom, and she’s Casey. She would love the dog that bit her.”
I walk across the stone balcony until I pass him to the door. Before I open it, I add one more thing. “I know you’re probably at capacity, but I want more eyes on her. Can you handle that, or do I need to find someone else?” It is that or I lock Casey in this apartment indefinitely. The latter would mean telling her about Krista’s threat, however vague, and breaking her heart some more.
“Already taken care of. Casey may not be my daughter by blood, but she’s mine all the same. I’ll do whatever is needed to keep her safe.”
I nod, then rip my hand through my hair with an irritated growl. The day I get my hands on that psychopath can’t come soon enough.
Casey
The music plays softly, weaving like a warm web through my body. An imaginary string pulls my torso into a straight line while another lifts my working leg behind me at a ninety-degree angle. I inhale as I transition from arabesque to developpe.
“Beautiful extension, Casey. The benefits of those long limbs are not lost on you.” It’s not the first time she’s told me this, but today, I think I believe it. Today, I actually have confidence. In my bones, I know I’m good.
Miss Dumond claps, dismissing the class with her usual instruction and words of encouragement, then calls to me. Her smile is wide as I approach, words spilling free before I reach her. “How did it go?”
She doesn’t need to elaborate. She’s had me keep her informed of every step of the music video, from the rehearsals to the choreography. Next to Graham, she’s been my biggest champion for the last few weeks.
I spin on my toes, unable to stop my lips from stretching ear to ear. “It was great. Amazing! Obviously, the whole thing won’t make it to television or the internet, but they gave me a copy of the entire ten-minute performance.”