“Problems at the casino?”
“Not necessarily, no,” Max told him. “I’m lookin’ into another investment. Word is, one of the companies is havin’ some financial troubles. I’m hopin’ to work a deal.”
By “deal,” Leyton knew that meant Max likely had a stronghold on the company’s president and he was working his way into the business. It was something Max was quite good at.
“Worst case, I’ll give him a loan, take my payback from the profits, and then take over.” Max’s confidence had always impressed Leyton. Although he wasn’t legitimate—who really was, right?—the man had an admirable, shrewd business sense.
“Let me know if you need my help,” Leyton replied.
“Of course. But I need to be out of pocket for a couple of weeks to get this taken care of. Which means I’ll need you to handle things while I’m gone.”
“No problem.”
“Can you handle this issue with Tony? No matter what it takes?”
“Of course.” Leyton didn’t have a problem with the heavy work. If they did discover Tony had purposely stolen from them, he was dead. Easy as that.
“I’m takin’ Victor and Brent with me. That’ll leave you with Aidan should you need him.”
Leyton realized Max hadn’t said anything about Ashlynn, but he knew better than to bring her up. Clearly that subject was a point of contention between them, one Leyton eventually intended to address.
But not tonight.
“Keep an eye on Ash,” Max instructed.
Okay, so maybe they were going to talk about her.
“Jase is takin’ good care of her,” Leyton mumbled.
“I’ve noticed.” Max grimaced. “As much as I hate knowin’ what the two of them are doin’, I know he cares about her.”
When Leyton didn’t say anything immediately, he realized his mistake.
“Does that bother you?” Max asked.
“What?” Leyton frowned. “Jase and Ashlynn?”
“Yeah.” Max leaned back.
“No.” Honestly, the two of them didn’t bother him in the least. It was the fact that he couldn’t be part of it that bothered him. But he wasn’t about to tell Max that.
“This thing with Tony, it could get ugly. Keep an eye on her. And if need be, you stay with her.”
“Are you serious?” Okay, so now Leyton really was getting mixed signals.
Max smiled, and a chill ran down Leyton’s spine. He knew that look. It meant Max was sticking his nose where it didn’t belong.
Leyton wasn’t sure what prompted him to speak his mind, but he suddenly couldn’t hold the question in. “So you don’t have a problem with me and your sister anymore?”
“I didn’t say that.” It was Max’s turn to frown. “But my wife’s been tellin’ me that it ain’t my business.”
It wasn’t, but this time Leyton managed to hold his tongue.
“Take care of her,” Max finally said. “That’s all I’m sayin’ on that point.”
For some reason, Leyton felt as though Max was talking out of both sides of his mouth, but he couldn’t bring himself to ask what that meant. They both knew he would protect Ashlynn should it be necessary.
But Leyton was beginning to wonder whether he was the one who needed to be protected from her.
Chapter Nine
Sorry. Not at your beck and call.
Present day
Thursday, November 5 th
Ashlynn knew that Jase hadn’t been keen on the idea of going to Devil’s Playground on a Thursday night, but he hadn’t put up too much of a fight. On a normal day, she would’ve been content to hang out at home so they could get naked and work off some of the excess energy she’d stored up. But not tonight. Her adrenaline was free-flowing through her veins, leaving her edgy, and the last thing she wanted to do was be cooped up, even if the idea of fucking Jase made her pussy clench.
After he parked the Escalade in the underground spaces reserved for her family, Ashlynn waited for Jase to open her door and then allowed him to lead her into the building that housed Devil’s Playground Dallas. This particular club was their most popular by far, as were its sister locations in Las Vegas and New York. Although they owned several other clubs—most of them of the topless variety—this was the only one that Ashlynn frequented.
“You sure you wanna be here?” Jase asked as they made their way down the long, narrow hall that led to the club proper, passing several of the club’s security team on their way.
Rather than answer, she simply nodded.
Jase placed his hand at the small of her back. Sometimes Ashlynn wished he would take her hand, but he never did. The mere notion of holding hands seemed intimate to her, for whatever reason, yet the idea of Jase holding hers was something she’d wondered about. But they still had to keep up appearances since only a few people knew of her sexual interactions with Jase, and those were the four enforcers who backed him up. Since Leo, Teddy, Cowboy, and Derrick lived on her property and Jase slept in her bed, it was rather difficult to hide from everyone.
Granted, Max had never said anything, but she suspected he knew, as well, since he did have his entire house and the club wired with cameras. Not that she cared. She was a grown woman, and she did what she wanted, always had. Then again, if he ever chose to confront her, she wasn’t sure what she’d tell him. Truth was, it wasn’t his business.
A few minutes later, they were in the VIP section on the second floor, along with probably three dozen other people who’d passed the intense scrutiny of the guys who manned the door, plus paid a significant premium just to be there. The alcohol was free in that section, but considering how much these people were willing to pay for the chance to say they’d been there, it only seemed fair.
“He’s here, you know,” Jase informed her after taking a seat beside her on one of the crushed-velvet sofas in the back. The music wasn’t as loud up there, but unless they sat in the private seating in the back, it was still difficult to hear.
Ashlynn didn’t have to ask whom Jase was referring to. “I know.”
It was one of the reasons she’d wanted to come tonight. Ashlynn hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Leyton since last weekend when they’d been at Max’s. After Jase had informed her of the confrontation he and Leyton had had, she was hoping for one of her own. It seemed only fair that she would get the chance to tell Leyton how she felt, what she wanted, and what she needed from him. It didn’t help her cause when he performed his disappearing act whenever she was near.
Hence the reason she was there tonight. She knew Leyton would be at the club because Max was out of town. Her brother had called to let her know that he had to go take care of some business in Las Vegas and that Leyton would be handling things during his absence. Two whole weeks he was going to be out of pocket. Sometimes she wondered if these issues were merely his way of saying he needed a break. She got it. She really did.
Since she’d been involved in the family business from the ripe young age of nineteen, Ashlynn had become familiar with how things worked. Considering she was a female in a world generally run by men, she’d had to make a name for herself early on, which meant she’d paid her dues. Her days were generally spent making the rounds, talking to politicians, business owners, and a few others who needed small reminders of what they owed the Adorites.
For the most part, Ashlynn was responsible for the gun racket her family was known for. Although Max kept close tabs on it, was the one to bring in new business, Ashlynn handled it once it was established. They obtained, sold, and moved illegal weapons, and had established Texas as their territory, working directly with various gangs and cartels when necessary.