Chapter 1
Louis
“Lou, honey, we need you back here.”
Louis Romero rolled his eyes at the petulant tone of one of his VIPs. “I’m taking out the trash, Conchita. I’ll be with you in a moment.”
“Hurry up, baby,” she cooed, blowing him a kiss with her silver glittery lips.
He smiled and made his escape through the kitchen door before anyone else could delay him. This was his club. He didn’t usually take out the trash. But the club was packed, three of his staff were out sick, and he’d been helping behind the bar all evening. Louis would put his hand to any job in the club if it kept his bar as one of the most popular in Seattle. At forty-two years old, Louis was at the top of his game.
Louis said a cheery hi to the kitchen staff as he walked through. Most of them returned his greeting in a variety of languages. He noticed one or two refused to meet his gaze. He was the big boss. Not everyone was comfortable being his friend. He was surprised at Dan Carter though. He was a sweet boy who Louis had taken under his wing. Carter always greeted him with a cheery hello. Not this time. Louis frowned but he decided he’d pick it up later. Conchita wasn’t known for her patience.
He opened the door to the alley and headed for the dumpster. It was pitch black, and he sighed. The lights were out again. He made a note to look at them in the morning.
The blow came out of nowhere. Louis cried out in shock. He tried to keep his balance, but the next blow took him off his feet and he crashed to the ground, cracking his cheek. It knocked the wind out of his lungs, but he didn’t have time to recover before someone kicked him in the kidneys. The pain was excruciating. Another kick, this time to his head. Louis lay in a puddle, inhaling the stench of the alleyway, praying they would think he was unconscious and leave him alone, but he nearly screamed at the next blow to his ribs.
“Take it easy,” a voice said above him. “We’re not supposed to kill him.”
“Gotta make it look good.”
Louis nearly moaned in shock. He knew these men. Knew both of their voices.
Another kick to his kidneys. Agonizing pain. He wasn’t going to survive this.
“Mr. Romero, are you out here? Mr. Romero? Hey, what are you doing?” A woman’s voice, sharp with concern.
Then he heard footsteps running away.
“Are you all right? Jesus, Mr. Romero.”
“Louis,” he husked. He forced one eye open to look into the concerned face of one of his waitresses, but his brain was so fuzzy he couldn’t remember her name.
Hands over him. He whimpered with pain.
“Sorry. Stay still, Louis,” she ordered. “I’m calling 911.”
It was an easy order to obey. Louis couldn’t move, even blinking hurt like hell as his eyes swelled. He heard her talking above him but couldn’t focus on her words. He tumbled into the darkness with one thought in his head.
Daddy, where are you? I need you!
The minute the red-haired man appeared in his hospital room, Louis knew he was in good hands. The knot of tension that had lodged in his gut since he woke up in the ER eased, and he felt he could breathe.
“Mr. Romero,” the man said in a brusque tone, “good to see you again.”
Louis forced a smile. “And you, Mr. Cook. It’s been a while.”
Dominic Cook joined him by his bed. “Dominic, please. Liam from QuickFire Securities has asked us to take care of you until more formal arrangements can be made. He’s on his way over here.”
Louis tried to sit but the pain was too much, and he lay back, holding his cracked ribs.
“Stay where you are,” Dominic ordered.
Louis wanted to argue, but he was in too much pain, and he subsided back onto the pillows.
Dominic nodded at his cooperation. “When Liam gets here we’ll make a plan for your security. You used CDR before but went over to Monaghan?”
“Yes.” He didn’t need to explain to Dominic why he moved his security team. The man wasn’t stupid.
“We’ve removed all Monaghan staff from your operations.”
“I think two of the men were the ones who assaulted me.”
“We’ve found them,” Dominic said grimly. “They’re in police custody now.”
Louis tried to frown but his face was too swollen. “How did you know?”
“You told Liam.”
“I did?”
The past few days had been so hazy, Louis barely remembered the call he’d made to Liam Quick. He’d woken up knowing he needed help and had called the one person he knew with recent experience in security. Cade Connolly, a pop star, had recommended QuickFire Securities. But they were in London, and he was in Seattle. Of course he should have known he’d end up with CDR guarding his back.
Louis closed his eyes. He must have dozed, because when he woke up there was a man he didn’t recognize in his room. He coughed and the man was by his side. Ex-military judging by his demeanor and his hair. He looked tired but alert.
“Mr. Romero? I’m Liam Quick.” His British accent was more noticeable than on the phone.
“Thank you for coming over here,” Louis rasped.
“Here.” Quick offered him a cup with a straw.
The cool water eased Louis’s dry throat. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Quick plucked the cup from Louis, easing him back onto the pillows. “We need to talk, but only when you’re ready.”
“I’m ready,” Louis sighed.
He wasn’t ready, but it had to be done.
Quick eyed him for a long moment before he spoke. “Okay. You told the cops you didn’t know why they attacked you.”
“I did?” Liam couldn’t remember that conversation either.
“You don’t remember that discussion?”
“No.”
“The two men who attacked you were part of the Monaghan team.” Quick pulled out his phone. “Jake Bell and Christopher Murphy.”
“I recognized their voices.”
“That was good,” Quick praised. “But they know as little as you. They were paid to hit you.”
“But why?”
“They don’t know. They didn’t care. The money was good, and both men had debts to pay off.”
“How many of my staff were involved? The kitchen staff, some of them knew. They wouldn’t look at me as I went through the kitchen.”
“Yeah, we pieced that together too. You kept saying “Carter knew,” when you woke up. From what we could gather, three of your staff knew it was about to happen. Carrie Rose—”
Louis stared at him, betrayed. “She asked me to take the bag out.”
Quick nodded. “Plus Dan Carter and Miles Roland.”
“I thought Carter liked me.”
Could he have sounded any more pathetic?
Quick gave him a sympathetic look. “Money’s a powerful motivator, Mr. Romero.”
“I guess so. Are they locked up too?”
“They are at the moment. We expect them to be arraigned tomorrow.”
“What happens to me?”
“We need to plan your security arrangements.” Quick hesitated and then said, “Louis, I’m sorry but I need to ask, are you a boy?”