Cash Money (Bad Money #4) (11 page)

Chapter 20

Kate

A thick film sat over her gaze as she tried to lift her head, but found it far too heavy to move.

"Princess. There you are." Rough fingers touched her cheek, and try as she may, she couldn't jerk from them. "I fucking told Reni not to soak the goddamn cloth in that shit. He never listens. You okay?"

"No," she whispered and blinked a few more times as her vision started to clear. "Where are we, Billy?"

Her throat hurt like someone had taken razors to the back of it. There was no reason to panic just yet seeing that she was still fully clothed, and untouched from what she could tell.

"We're at the Marriott, pretty girl. You slept all through the damn night." He chuckled and reached out, petting the side of her face again. "You're so incredibly beautiful. It almost seems as if you get more and more attractive with age. You're like no other woman I know, Kate."

The dreamy sound of his voice was sickening. He'd turned her into something far more than she was in his head, but maybe it was for the best. If he believed her to be something of worth, he might spare her life. Maybe. Doubtful. Funny how Victor was a day in the park compared to her current situation.

"Why are we at a hotel?" She kept her tone soft and as innocent sounding as she could.

"There's a big party tonight, you know the one after Mardi Gras they do here. Loads of costumes and people come out of the fucking woodwork." He nodded toward the wall. "I got you a dress. Should fit perfectly."

Kate turned her head a little and let out a groan as she realized she was tied to the bed beneath her. Billy was a sick fuck, so the goal would simply be to keep him preoccupied with everything but her.

"Are we going to the party?" She let her head drop back down onto the bed.

"We are. Your boys are coming as well. I figure we'll grab the information on the New York drug supplier seeing that you were being such a cunt about it." He licked at his darkened teeth and tilted his head to the side as he studied her.

"Billy. You know I would have gotten the information for you. It's been bad lately. Really bad. All that shit with Victor was horrible." She closed her eyes and took a quick breath. "I killed him for you. Why wouldn't I get the supplier information? That makes no sense."

"Very true." His smile grew wide. "I knew you offed him for me. Just like you did Benton."

Reni poked his head in the room. "Food's here. Get Kate and come on."

"Right." Billy moved onto the bed, brushing her hair back and working on the strap tied to her wrist. She tried not to think about how much she once cared about the disgusting bastard above her. He wasn't at all the monster back then that he'd become.

Not even close.

"We're gonna eat, and then we'll get changed and go." He pulled her up as she rubbed her wrists. He started to work on the bindings around her ankles. "Now listen, and hear me, Kate. You try to run, hurt one of us, or do anything I don't say do, and I'll kill you. I don't want to, baby, but I will."

"All right." She nodded and got out of the bed before walking in front of him to the living room. "I'm insanely thirsty. Do you have a bottle of water or something?"

"Get my girl a soda, Tim," Billy called out to a younger-looking guy with a nasty scar on his face. "Anything you want, just ask."

Kate was shocked that she hadn't been molested or beaten on or something. Nothing. She was absolutely fine. She walked to the kitchen and took the can of soda from the guy before turning to face Billy.

The younger guy wrapped her in a hug and squeezed her breasts before pressing his mouth to the side of her neck.

Kate jerked away from him and spilled her soda down the front of her shirt. She turned to scream at him to back the fuck up as the horror on his face forced her to stop.

Blood covered her shirt and splattered onto her chin and cheek from the kid getting shot twice in the chest just beside her. A silencer must have been fitted on the gun Billy's boys had.

"Fuck," she muttered and dropped the drink.

"Don't touch my fucking woman." Billy lifted his gun and pointed it at all of them as Kate turned around and held her breath.

"No one's going to touch her, Billy. Tim was new. You should have told him, man. Now we gotta clean that shit up." Reni got up and walked into the kitchen, moving around Kate, but not touching her at all. "Fuck. Dude."

"Keep it up, and they'll be cleaning you up." Billy pointed the gun toward them.

"Me?" Kate moved out of the kitchen and tried hard not to show a reaction at all to the blood on her.

"No, baby. Reni and his loud fucking mouth." Billy moved toward her and pulled her close, smiling down at her. "Red looks good on you, Katie."

She stiffened as he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, kissing her roughly. She kissed him back and prayed like hell that he'd kill her soon or the night would be over. There was no way she could belong to him. Not ever again.

She pushed at his chest softly. "Later. Not now in front of these guys. I'm not that kind of girl. You know that."

He smiled and nipped at her. "I know, baby. You're for my eyes only."

"Yep. I need a shower. Stay out." She walked past him as he whistled through his teeth and started to brag on how hot she was. She barely made it to the bathroom and locked the door before dropping to her knees and letting her stomach empty out into the toilet.

Being trapped in her worst nightmare was only the beginning of things. Knowing that both Jon and Marcus were walking into a trap was far worse. She wiped at her face frantically with toilet paper and started to cry before stripping down and starting the shower.

Without waiting for it to warm, she got in and scrubbed at her skin frantically, trying to get the blood off of her as sob after sob left her. The roar of the shower would keep her cries contained in the bathroom, but she would need a few minutes to calm her nerves before going back out or he would know just how deep her façade ran.

A knock at the door caused her to stiffen and let out a soft yelp.

"You almost done, baby? We need to head downstairs in about twenty minutes. I know you like time to do your hair." Billy's voice was soft and caring. The sound of it caused her stomach to turn over violently.

"I am, but I'm going to braid it tonight, unless you don't like it like that." She pressed her hand to her mouth as she leaned against the decorative shower wall.

"I love it any way you wanna do it, Katie. Just hurry up. I don't want to be late for our guests." He chuckled.

She bent down and moved to her hands and knees, dry heaving through the torrent of terror pumping through her. She couldn't let anything happen to Jon or Marcus. There had to be a way to get a message to them, to call in help. Billy wasn't the run of the mill drug guy. Marcus knew that. He would know what to do.

She let out a soft cry as she moved to the back of the shower and pulled her legs up to tuck herself in the fetal position under the spray.

Marcus loved her. Even if he were ready to walk away forever. He would come in crazy and not thinking about anything but saving her.

Jon would be no different. Poor Jon. Having gotten wrapped up in the insanity of the world she and Marcus lived in. No one deserved a better outcome, a more solid future than Jon did. He hadn't signed up for all the shit they'd put him through, but he was persevering through it because he loved her.

"I love you too." She closed her eyes and forced herself to calm down. They could figure things out. Marcus and Jon had each other, and she could work Billy if needed. It was going to work out, they just had to be willing to descend into hell if necessary to pull each other out.

She was willing to go, but if they ever saw the light of day again... she was done. No more club. No more drugs. No more killing or stealing or lying. No more darkness.

No more Marcus. No matter how much she loved him.

It was over. All of it.

Chapter 21

Marcus

It took a full joint and half a bottle of Jack to get Jon to chill out enough to sit down the night before. He passed out around two that morning after working to exhaust every possible option. Marcus had never seen anyone so fucked up. Where he was torn apart inside, he'd never have imagined Jon's pain to rival his own.

The man loved Kate. There was no denying it.

"Hey. Get up, buddy." Marcus patted the cop's shoulder before pulling out his phone. "We need to get dressed. We got about an hour before we need to head over to the hotel."

Jon blinked a few times and let out a long groan. "What the fuck did you do to me last night?"

"I fucked you. You're welcome. Now get up." Marcus gave a cheeky grin before pulling the phone to his ear and walking to the window in Kate's bedroom. Why they'd decided to stay at the club and not one of their houses was a mystery to him.

"What?" he barked into the phone as he tugged the blinds up.

"Marcus. It's Izzy." The girl's voice sounded like sex. She and Kate would either get along beautifully or hate each other with a passion.

"Hey. You here?" He glanced back at Jon, glad to see the guy getting up and moving toward the bathroom.

"Yeah. I'm stationed at the hotel across the street. You're going to need to take the target up to the top of the building. There is a great opening to the roof that would give me perfect access to the guy. That, or I'll just come to the party as your date, and kill him in the elevator."

Marcus chuckled. "I think I'm going to like you."

"Everyone does. It would be a shame to be the odd-man out." She let out a sensual huff. "I gotta get ready. I'll be around the edges of the night watching you guys. Text me later with what the hit's wearing. I've seen him before, but let's make sure we're on the same page with who's not waking up tomorrow morning. Try to make it happen around eight thirty."

“Will do, and Izzy... thank you." Marcus dropped the call and turned to find Jon watching him. "What?"

"Who was that?" Jon brushed his teeth with his finger as he grimaced.

"Kate has a toothbrush in there. Just use it. I do." He smirked at the look on Jon's face. "She's all right, Jon. Billy isn't going to hurt her. He worships her. You don't get it, but if you'd ever seen him around her before, you would."

"I don't want to see it. I want her back." Jon moved back into the bathroom.

"That was one of the girls that runs tricks up in Chicago. She plays gunman when the boss needs something up there. Our job is to get Billy on the roof as soon as possible, and she’ll be waiting in a sniper position to take him out at the hotel across the street."

"And how the fuck are we going to explain that to the cops?" Jon poked his head out of the bathroom.

"Who cares? It's not on us. It's on the girl, and I'm pretty sure these guys in Chicago know how to cover their asses for a murder." Marcus pulled his keys from his pocket. "I need to get to the house to shower and change. You headed back to your place?"

"Yeah. Black tie?" Jon walked out, wiping his mouth on a towel.

"Yeah. Look the part, and I'll meet you around eight outside in the circle drive of the Marriott. The one a few blocks from here." Marcus walked to the door. "Lock up. You know the code?"

"Yeah. Be careful, and I'll see you in a little bit." Jon disappeared back into the bathroom, and Marcus jogged down the stairs and walked to his car.

Billy was moving around the city, which was smart of him. The news late the night before showed the New Orleans Police Department out at the rundown plantation home he was using last. They were gathering evidence, but knowing Billy, that's all they would get. He didn't mind being implicated in a million murders. They were trophies to add to his collection. They built his fame. What they wouldn't find was the trail to his next location. The bastard was a chameleon that blended into ordinary settings with ease.

Marcus would have to remind Jon to let his cop friends know that Billy and his boys were going to be at the hotel, or maybe it was better that they didn't know. Things would go down smoothly if the cops didn’t get involved. It was impossible to keep them stealthy, and if Billy believed that he was walking into a trap, he'd run, and the fucker would take Kate with him.

"Not happening." Marcus started the car and called Zak. "We're meeting at eight at the Marriott. Be there to help us out tonight, all right?"

"Of course. I'll stick to the edges of the room in case you need something. Probably best to keep one of us out of sight." Zak coughed away from the phone.

"You doing all right?" Marcus glanced in the rearview mirror, unable to shake the fact that someone was following him. It was paranoia thanks to all the shit he'd been through, and the night they had ahead of them, but he couldn't help it.

"Yeah. Just ready to get this over with. There's nothing worse than having to look over your shoulder all the time."

"Very true. It's black tie, so dress pretty." Marcus tossed the phone in his passenger side seat and pulled up to his place. Billy should have called by then, but maybe he wasn't interested in talking anymore. Marcus had hit Zak up during the night when he was dealing with Jon's torn up ass, asking for help. The other man had gotten the information they needed from Victor's safe on the New York supplier without a question over why. He was a good guy. The right guy to join Marcus in Chicago.

They were set and ready to go, though everything inside Marcus was tight, tense. Billy was a loose cannon. Things wouldn't go as expected. They never did with killers.

Sad that he should know.

*

"You clean up nice." Zak smiled and moved up to offer Marcus his hand.

"You do as well." Marcus glanced around the lobby of the ornate hotel and pulled at his tie. "I hate these fucking things."

"The gala or the tie?"

"Both." Marcus glanced down at Zak. "Have you seen Jon?"

"Yeah. He's in the bathroom. I'm not sure the cop is handling this too well." Zak ran his hand over his scruffy beard and glanced around. "I wouldn't either if it were someone important to me."

"Yeah, well, part of making sure we all get the fuck out of here tonight is keeping our wits about us. Billy and Kate should be here already. I'm going to look. Tell Jon to find me when he gets out of the bathroom. You stay around the edges of the room and try to be inconspicuous. I don't want them to know we have you with us. Got it?" Marcus barked his demands and tugged at his tie again.

"Crystal clear. Relax. We're going to pull this off. There are too many of us involved not to." He patted Marcus's chest. "Go find the girl."

"Right." Marcus walked up the large stairs in front of him toward the sound of music and laughter. There had to be several thousand people in the enormous ballroom at the end of the hallway before him. He stopped and took a shallow breath.

"My life isn’t worth much, but I'd give it up for her. If that's what's required tonight... take it." He tugged at his tie one more time before shoving his hands into his slacks and walking toward the party.

The strobe lights forced him to narrow his eyes a little so that he could better make out the faces of everyone moving past him.

"Masks. Fuck." He mumbled and moved to the bar, ordering a beer and accepting the silky black mask the pretty girl pouring drinks offered him. There was no way he was going to find Billy. He'd have to let the fucker find him.

"Where's your boyfriend?"

Bingo. Billy pulled his mask down as Marcus turned and gave him a tight smile.

"He's taking a piss. I heard he's got a huge dick. You up for holding it later tonight when he's too drunk to hold it himself?" Marcus smirked and let his eyes move around quickly, trying to find Kate.

"Funny boy. Always good for a laugh, right?" Billy tilted his head and waited until Marcus turned his attention back to him. "She's here, but you'll not find her until I'm ready for you to. How about you gather your boy and meet me on the patio?"

"How about the roof? The view of the city is great, and if we get tired of each other's company, you can throw me down, and I'll not have to wake up broken and pissy in the hospital tomorrow." Marcus lifted his beer to his lips.

"Always such a good time, aren't you, Marcus? Much like Kate, and yet not at all like her." He smiled and turned, walking back into the crowd. The assumption was that he'd agreed to meet on top of the building, or at least, that was what Marcus was betting on.