Page 69 of Sins

“It’s so fun watching you big, scary men fall hard for a woman.” She moved to stand next to me. “I call it Pussy Power.” I side-eyed her, and she laughed. “Come on. Trigger wants to see you.”

Simon

People tended to underestimate the quiet ones in the room. Those who didn’t cause a problem, talk back, or disturb others weren’t given a thought. Prison taught me the same thing. Blend in to survive and gain trust. As a PI, I saw how useful that skill really was. I was lean, nerdy, wore glasses, and only spoke when necessary. I didn’t attract the focus of those around me. I was merely a plant in the room. But what people didn’t know was how much I saw when they forgot I was there, and boy did I see a lot.

“Hey, new guy,” Calli Tame smiled brightly at me when I looked at her, “can you pull down that file for me?” She pointed high up on the shelf.

“Yes, of course.” I reached above her head and handed it to her.

She smiled and pushed it back into my hand. “Take it to Cameron for me?”

“Sure.” I brushed past her; she was a pretty girl.

“If he’s not there, just toss it on the rest,” she called.

“Will do.” I walked down the hall to Cameron’s office and knocked, but there was no answer. “Cameron?” I called and heard the water running. I pushed the door open farther and set the file on top of the others, but some papers slipped out and fell to the floor. I hurried around the desk and collected them. His computer screen was on, and as I still heard the water running, I quickly glanced at it and saw he was transferring emails to a secondary hard drive. If I hadn’t known already who they were, I wouldn’t have thought much of it, but as the names went by on the screen, I saw they were all Potens members. Kurt had mentioned several of their names over the years. Big players in his world. I snapped a quick photo then hurried back around the desk. I snatched up the file again just as Cameron emerged from the bathroom.

“Calli wanted me to drop this off to you.” I stood on the opposite side of the desk and held it out.

“Toss it there.” He didn’t think anything of me being there. The perk of being the quiet, trusted one paid off once again. I turned to leave. “Simon, sit down for a moment.”

“Okay, sure.” I sat. “What can I do for you?”

“We’re opening an office at Indulge on the twentieth floor, per Jim’s request.” A smile tugged at his lips while I frowned. I wasn’t a big fan of being at the hotel. “You’ll have an office right next to mine, but you’ll work here, mostly. I know you don’t like crowds.”

“I don’t.”

He clicked a few buttons as his printer made a noise. Then I watched the reflection in his glasses as he dragged files into a folder. What was he up to? “But what I really want to know is whether you can handle being up close to the bikers who sent you to prison.”

“If you’re asking me if I’ll say anything to Allen’s son or start any type of friction, the answer’s no.” I looked at him,and he pushed out of his chair and paced as if in thought. Then he walked over to a shelf and picked up a photo in a thick frame. He set it down again and moved to the window. I wondered what he was thinking and decided to offer more. “You know I’ve seen firsthand what they’re capable of. I have no reason to kick that hornets’ nest.”

He seemed reassured. “Happy to hear that.” He looked at the picture again then nodded. “You can go.”

“All right.” I pushed the chair in and headed out into the hallway. I hurried outside and rounded the small building to get to Cameron’s office window. As I peered in, I saw him slip some papers into the back of the photo frame then put it back on the shelf.

Later that night, I sent the photo of Cameron’s computer screen to the contact marked XX in my phone. Seconds later, I got a reply.

XX: We’ll take it from here.

I didn’t mention I knew where he’d hidden the papers. I wondered what else Cameron was hiding. Something told me he might be a lot smarter than some people thought.

My phone rang, but when I went to answer it, no one was there.

It just kept ringing and ringing until I jolted awake. It took a moment to realize I had fallen asleep in Cameron’s office at the hotel. I’d spent many nights on that leather couch, and it was often his heavy footsteps or his loud voice that would rip me from my sleep, but this time it was my phone.

“Hello?” My voice was groggy.

“I need your help getting me into the hotel.” Sonny’s voice made me instantly annoyed.

I rubbed my head; he was such a mess. “I can’t do that.”

“Why?”

“Because you tried to drug Kenna, for starters. You’re reckless and unpredictable, you’re?—”

He sighed heavily. “For fuck’s sake, get off your moral wagon and help me out.”

“Sometimes I think you forget I’m not one of you. Your orders don’t work on me.”