“I DON’T LIKE SURPRISES,” I told Eric Queen as he straightened from the wall almost aggressively. He’d just learned that I’d actually spoken with “the Rabbit” at the party, under suspicion that she’d heard something about one of the biggest deals we’d been part of in years.
Apparently, he didn’t like being kept in the dark.
But did I give a fuck about that? No. I didn’t care what he liked and what he didn’t, and I didn’t care for his attitude either. Hands planted on the rich mahogany of my desk, I pushed to standing and leaned ominously toward the men packed inside my office. “So when I say I’m taking care of it, I mean I’m taking care of it. Does anyone have a problem with that?”
No one answered, but Jay Pidge, thanks to his freshly bandaged hand serving as a reminder of my lesson, shook his head enthusiastically.
I knew it was a good idea to force him back in line.
“When it comes to Charles King, you focus on the software,” I scolded Eric. “That’s where you live for the next three months. Got it?”
His jaw clenched, he gave a jerky nod.
He knew the software was crucial in our execution. Getting Charles King the nom for the presidential race wasn’t an easy feat by any means. But impossible wasn’t in my vocabulary. Everything was possible. Sometimes, you just had to get your hands dirty to make it happen.
Even if he dared to try, Eric couldn’t find fault with my instructions.
Charles King, a politician who had no moral qualms about selling his soul to the devil, was our ace in the hole. He liked money. He liked power. And the combination of both was the weakness we would utilize over and over again once we got him elected to the ultimate position of power. His longstanding debt of favors to Wonderland, Inc. would never expire.
Was it dirty? Yes.
Underhanded? Of course.
But no one got ahead in this life by playing by society’s rules.
My phone vibrated in my breast pocket, and I pulled it out to look at the screen. The number was instantly recognizable as one I’d been waiting to hear from for days. I almost hated how fucking relieved—and quite possibly excited—I was for her call. It felt like a lot more than trying to figure out if she was a liability.
One nod to Cal and he started to clear out the room.
I put the phone to my ear and answered. “Uh… Is this Matt?”
Her voice was shaky with nerves, so I kept my own soft and steady.
“Hello, Alex.”
“Wow…I guess you…uh…know who this is,” she stumbled, and I smiled, encouraging the lingering men in my office to move much fucking faster with nothing more than a nod. Damien Dormuss was the last to step outside and close the door behind himself, leaving Alex and me to our conversation.
“Yes. I know who you are.”
“Right. Okay. But…um…how?”
I could feel her anxiousness, potent and pure as though she were in the same room. Not many people were this honest with their emotions.
My smile deepened as I looked down at my desk and pulled her file from the drawer in the center. “I don’t give out this number to many people.”
“Really?” she asked. A little hint of wonder softened the edges of her already delicate voice, and I couldn’t stop myself from picturing that perfect little mouth of hers doing the same.
I shook my head at myself over how much I liked it. “Really. Now, what can I help you with?”
“I actually thought that was what you were going to tell me. All you left me with was a card and some mystery. What is Wonderland?”
What a fucking question.
“For the purposes of this conversation, let’s just say it’s a multimillion-dollar corporation with more opportunity for you than any children’s birthday party.”
“But why me?” she asked on a near whisper. The slight tremor of her voice revealed her uncertainty. “What kind of business is it, and why do you think I’ll be good at it?”
I smiled at her ability to question me even in the face of desperation. According to her file, she’d been hopping from one menial job to another for too long to have enough money to maintain any of her expenses. But still, she managed to be cautious. Not many people had the willpower. Then again, if she’d heard any of Jaybird’s conversation as I feared she had, she’d know she had reason to be vigilant. Reminded that this call wasn’t solely for pleasure, the crease in my forehead pulled at the skin until I felt it pinch. Like always, I worked subconsciously to smooth it. “The party business. It’s in your wheelhouse, don’t worry.”
Our parties weren’t exactly the same, but the memory of her curvy little hips and perfectly round ass reassured me that she’d do just fine. I avoided the spark of discomfort flaring in my stomach at the idea of sharing that luscious visual with anyone else.
“Oh. Parties?” Relief lightened her voice, and I bit my lip to stop my laugh. “That’s it? Wow. Okay. So, um, what do I need to do? Where do I need to be? Do I need to bring the bunny costume?” she asked rapid fire and then paused on a gasp. “Oh, wait. I don’t even have that stupid costume anymore. I had to give it back.”
Jesus. The bunny costume. Watching her face on Friday was going to be fun.
“No bunny costume required,” I demurred, closing her file softly. “I’ll messenger you a package with all the details you’ll need for Friday.”
“Messenger me a package?”
“Yes. You’ll receive it later today,” I confirmed to be nice. It wasn’t a habit I practiced frequently. Usually, I expected people to hear and understand me the first time.
“Okay. Um…”
“I’m glad to hear from you, Alex.” Maybe this wouldn’t have to be messy after all.
Her voice was a soft whisper. “Thanks.”
“Soon, Alex.”
“Uh…yeah…okay…Soon,” she agreed.
Soon she’d be tested. I couldn’t begin to predict the result, but I eagerly awaited the possibilities—especially the ones where she did well.
I tossed my phone to the surface of my desk and grabbed my jacket from the hook and slung it on my shoulders. I picked up my phone again and slid it into the breast pocket of my coat before strolling to my door and pulling it open. Damien Dormuss stood waiting.
“Well?” he asked. I shrugged.
“We’ll see.”
His eyebrows pulled together as I moved, and he fell into step beside me. One of my most prominent talents was reading people, knowing and meeting their wants and expectations before they even realized them for themselves. It was why I was so good in this business of desires. I was what they wanted me to be.
But Alex felt complicated all the way to the root. Her backstory, her current story. Her street skills—I’d never seen a pick as good as the one she’d done on Jay—along with her undeniable vulnerability. I’d yet to get a good handle on any of it.
“We’ll see?”
I cut my eyes to his. Wisely, he didn’t ask again. Reminding myself that Damien was smart, pointed, and almost never off base in his questioning, I gave him what he wanted.
“She shows potential, but there’s an innocence there. Virtuousness I’m not sure she can overcome.”
“How do you plan to find out?”
I shrugged with a smile. “By dropping her directly into the fire.”
“A party?” Damien asked, surprised again.
“In-house,” I explained. “This Friday.” The party was for the organization of Wonderland itself, rather than a client. There’d be less risk but plenty of debauchery. One way or another, Friday night, I’d know what I needed to about Alex Little.