Another ten minutes went past. I was smiling to myself the whole time.
“Louisa?”
“The one and only.”
His responses got faster now, like he wasn’t carefully considering them anymore and just typing to me.
“How are you doing this?”
“I’m very good with computers.”
“Clearly. Why, though? You can just call.”
“I can, but I thought this would be more fun. I want you to know that I’m serious.”
“I know you’re serious.”
“Do you? I can take control of anyone’s computer like this. I can read their messages, their emails, their personal files. Nothing is safe from me.”
“Is that what you’re doing to me right now?”
“I won’t pretend like I haven’t done my homework.”
“Did you like what you found?”
“Yes and no. You’re too clean.”
“I know.”
“How? This is a secure connection.”
“I work very hard to maintain appearances,” he typed.
“Still, there’s nothing.”
“I have some help. But I’m also aware that anything I type in an email could be read by someone one day. So I am careful.”
I nodded to myself, smiling. I liked that about him. He was a careful man because he was smart and could see a few moves in the future. He wasn’t so dumb that he thought he was invincible.
“I want to meet,” I typed.
“Okay. When?”
“Tomorrow night. I’ll need protection.”
“I can bring men.”
“Just bring yourself.”
“Okay then.”
“I’ll be in your hotel lobby at nine.”
“I’ll be there.”
I was smiling to myself like a stupid schoolgirl. I felt like a teenager again typing to a boy in a chat room, and I realized instantly how dangerous that could be.
If I was going to enter into business with this man, I cannot let myself be infatuated with him. There was so much more at stake for me than just our relationship and our power.
I really did want to save my girls. I wanted to control the city, but that was because I thought I could save even more lives. I would outlaw human trafficking and destroy anyone that got in my way. The police tried, but they were constrained by laws.
No law would touch me. I would be the swift hammer of justice and save lives.
I needed Wyatt to get to that level. But if I let myself get sucked into his world, I may lose sight of my real goals.
Just then, there was a knock at my door. I looked up. “Come,” I called out.
Brooks opened the door. “The Italians.”
“What happened?”
“Ernesto’s crew hit one of our houses.”
“Fuck.” I sat up. “Which?”
“The one on Jefferson.”
“The girls?”
“Most got away. Some didn’t.”
“Fuck.” I shook my head. “Fighters?”
“Most are dead. Regina, Lacey, and Alice made it out with the girls.”
“Shit,” I said softly. “We lost a lot of people tonight.”
He nodded grimly.
“I’ll be down soon.”
He nodded again and was gone.
I leaned back, shaking my head.
The Italians were getting more and more aggressive. They were rooting out our safe houses one after the other, and killing everyone inside. They used to try and take prisoners and bring the girls back into their employ, but not anymore, not since the real war started. Now they simply try and kill everyone without a care for who they harmed.
That was my father and his men. They were sick bastards, and they were the ones I was fighting against.
“I have to go,” I typed. “Tomorrow night. See you then.”
I ended the session and stood, anger and sadness rolling through me. I needed to speak to the others, try and reassure them. I needed to assess the damage and decide how we could strike back.
It would be more useless bloodshed, but I had to act. I couldn’t appear weak, not now.
Those fucking bastards were going to pay for what they did to my girls.
9
Wyatt
Louisa continued to surprise me. Every time I assumed I knew exactly who she was, she did something to show me that she was far more than what I assumed.
The trick with the computer was impressive, and suggested a talent that I didn’t know about. Maybe it was her showing off a bit, but it was a serious ability. The world was fast becoming more and more about the internet and information, which was part of why I kept Ethan around. He was skilled with that sort of thing, a skill that I didn’t posses. Louisa seemed to have a similar talent, which was in itself impressive.
Most of all, though, I liked that she wanted me. I liked that she was pursuing me, coming after me, trying to set up a meeting with me. I wasn’t used to strong women like that, and had always so easily dominated whatever girl I decided to bring into my bed. Louisa was going to be a challenge, and the thought of that made me absolutely fucking hard.