Sweet Possession (Carson-Fox Resorts #2)

Chapter 19

Fox

N ash wisely drove us to Diaz’s casino. My attention was completelydistracted by how I was going to handle the meeting.

The second I offered to pay Freddy’s debts off, Diaz would know why.His reaction at seeing Cora’s photo played over in my head, along with his comment about how much fun he’d have breaking her in, and I couldn’t stop my hands from balling into a fist.

Diaz was a vicious man. There was a chance he’d refuse my offer topay Freddy’s debts, and if he did, I’d be putting Cora at risk. But it was a chance I had to take.

Diaz might have been savage, but he was also a businessman, and I hoped he would have enough sense to knowthatNash and I could make his life fucking difficult if he didn’t play nice.

“You need to keep a cool head, Fox,”Nash said, not tearing his gazeaway from the freeway in front of us, but no doubt sensing the tension radiating from me .

“I’m aware,”I huffed, unfurling my fists.“I can’t help but wonder if I’mdoing the right thing though. You didn’t see the way Diaz’s eyes lit up when he sawthatpicture of Cora. What if I’m putting her at more risk by showing my hand?”

Nash turned to look at me briefly, pity flashing in his eyes.“What’s thealternative? You keep her locked up at your house for the rest of her life in case Diaz gets wind she only lives a few miles from him? Or you hire a bodyguard to be glued to her like a shadow anytime she wants to go out?”

I’d be lying if I said the thought of hiring a personal protection detailfor Cora hadn’t crossed my mind, but I didn’t wantthatfor her. I wanted her to be able to leave the house whenever she damn well pleased without fear of Freddy or some other cunt snatching her off the street in retribution for her dad’s fuck ups.

I’d promised her freedom, not some half-assed version of it.

I sighed and scrubbed a hand down my face. I had to hope Diaz wasin a reasonable mood. Both Nash and I had known him for years, and inthattime, he’d never done anything to jeopardize the weird relationship we had. There was no reason he’d change it now.

“She’s looking good,”Nash said after a few minutes of silence andpulling me from my chaotic thoughts. He snorted at me, rolling his eyes when he caught me glaring at him.“Not likethat, fuckwit. I mean she looks different. The girl sitting at the table this morning was not the same girl who sat there a few weeks ago. She was happy.”

I relaxed, muttering an apology. Nash was the last person on earthwho would make a play for Cora. Fucking Diaz had me on edge.“Yeah, she’sreallycome out of herself. I thought this whole thing with Freddy would set her back, butthatgirl is more fucking resilient than her shithead father ever gave her credit for. ”

“Pity she doesn’t want her old man dead, it would be a joy to knowthatasshole was six feet under,”Nash grumbled, echoing my thoughts.

He’d beenjustas keen as I was to arrange for Freddy to take a one-waytrip to hell, but after I’d told himthatCora didn’t wantthat, he’d mumbled the same thing I had; Freddy didn’t deserve her mercy.

Finally taking the turn into the parking lot at the front of Diaz’s shittycasino, Nash pulled the car to a stop.“Ready for this?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”

Diaz’s casino attracted clients who wouldn’t dream of stepping footinside a Carson-Fox casino, mainly because we had a zero drug tolerance and didn’t allow for naked waitresses to give lap dances at any given moment.

Once we’d made our way through the main hall, ignoring thesalacious looks from the waitresses and the sneers from guys playing at different tables, we were met by one of Diaz’s men who escorted us through to the backroom. The same room I’d been in when my world was flipped upside down,and for the better. Who knewthatthe last time I was here meeting Diaz, I’d walk out completely smitten by an olive-skinned angel?

“Nash, Fox,”Diaz said, shaking both our hands.“Please, take a seat.”He waved to the three leather chairs positioned around a small table.“I have to admit, I was a little surprised at the request for a meeting, I’ve ensured my men have kept my product out of your casinos.”

“We’re here for a different matter,”I said, raising my hand to stop thescantily-clad woman who’d appeared from pouring whiskey into the glass she’d placed in front of me, Nash following suit.

Diaz’s lecherous eyes fell to the waitress’s ass as she poured a drinkfor him. His hand trailed up her bare thigh before giving her ass a squeeze.

“And what mightthatbe?”he said, forcing his gaze back to us as thewaitress walked away, her hips swaying .

I pursed my lips. I wasn’t a religious man, but rightthen, I was prayinglike hell this wasn’t about to go to shit. Arnold Diaz was not a friend, but he wasn’t someone I wanted to go to war with.

But I would have gone to war with him, and any other motherfuckerwho wanted to hurt my girl.

“I understand Freddy Clarke has gotten himself into debt with youagain.”

His jaw clenched.“Thatfucking cunt,”Diaz hissed, his tone full ofvenom.“Yeah, he did. And now he’s done a magical disappearing act with my money.”

“Why the fuck do you keep lending him money?”Nash barked. Somuch for me keeping a cool head.

Diaz shrugged.“He paid the money back last time. Well, the sale ofhis daughter did. I had no reason to think he wouldn’t pay me back a second time.”

I bit my tongue, reining in my response. I knew my money would havegone to line Diaz’s pocket, and while I had no regret spending the money to buy Cora’s freedom, Ireallyfucking hated how casually he was talking about her life. It was as if she was nothing but a piece of meat up for grabs.

To men like Diaz and the Duke brothers though, she was.

“Do you know where he is?”I asked, steering the conversation awayfrom Cora.

“No. My boys ransacked his home but he’d packed up his shit. Theytraced him as far as Sacramento, but they lost his trail,”Diaz said, downing the rest of his whiskey.“What do you want with Freddy anyway? Don’t tell me he owes you money as well? ”

“No,”I said, second-guessing myself once again as to whether Ishould show my hand. But I had to try, for Cora’s sake.“I want to pay off his debt. And I’ll pay double if it means you never lendthatman another cent.”

Diaz’s brows rose so high up his forehead,thatthey almost disappearedinto his receding hairline. His eyes narrowed on me as I waited with bated breath for his response.

“Interesting,”he said, rubbing a hand over the stubble on his pointychin.“And why, may I ask, would you want to do something likethat?”

“I have my reasons.”

A menacing smile graced his pockmarked face, and before heevenopened his mouth again, I knew he’d figured out my situation.

“You know, I heard about the raid at the Duke’s warehouse,”he said, leaning forward to rest his arms on the table separating us.“And one of their workers, Dwayne, I believe his name was, hasn’t been seen since. Wouldthathave anything to do with you two, by any chance?”

His eyes darted between Nash and me, waiting for a confession ora denial.

“Funny, we heard the rumors too,”I replied, drumming my fingers onthe table.

Silence descended as tension began to build between the three of us.The ball was in Diaz’s court as to what happened next.

“Hmm. I’ll admit, I was curious about what happened to Freddy’spretty daughter. The raid happened before the auction took place, but when the police searched the cells, there was no one there. Yet, somehow, I got the money Freddy owed me.”

From the corner of my eye, I saw Nash’s fists clench, evidently notliking Diaz’s curiosity about Cora’s whereabouts as much as me .

“Let’s stop fucking around, Arnold,”I said, beginning to lose mytemper with his game-playing. It was obvious he’d figured out exactly who’d bought Cora.“Do we have a deal?”

He leaned back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest as hislips tugged into an amused smirk.“You sly old fox. You bought her, didn’t you? I have to say, I didn’t seethatcoming at all. Have you fucked her yet? Was she as innocent as Freddy claimed?”

My face contorted into a snarl, but before I could leap over the tableand pound Diaz’s face in like I wanted to, Nash spoke.

“Watch your mouth, Diaz,”he growled, his own features twistinginto a fierce snarl.“We’ve had a decent relationship up ’til now, don’t fuck it up by disrespecting Fox or his woman.”

Diaz chuckled, annoying the fuck out of meevenmore.“Let me getthis straight, you bought the girl, andthen, what? Fell in love with her?”

I glowered at him from across the table, imagining how fucking good itwould be to feel his bones cracking under my fists.

Amusement danced across his face as he once again looked fromme to Nash as if he was waiting for one of us to say this wasjusta joke.

“Do we have a deal or not?”I gritted out, my temper hanging on by athread.

“Alright, alright,”he eventually said, the grin sliding off his slimy faceas he held his hand up and clicked his fingers. Seconds later, the same waitress returned and filled his drink before sashaying away again.“I want more than double.”

“How much?”I said without hesitation. He could ask for every cent inmy bank account if it meant he wouldn’t try to take Cora as payment for Freddy’s debt.

He paused for a second.“Five million.”

“Done. ”

“And I want something else.”

Fuck. Of course the greedy prick wouldn’t be content with just the money.

Dread churned in my gut fearing what Diaz was going to ask. I’d betanything I ownedthathe was going to demand his men a free pass to our casinos so they could sell his product, something Nash and I could never agree to.

I turned to Nash who was staring at Diaz. Slowly, he twisted to faceme. To anyone else, his expression would appear neutral, but I knew Nash like the back of my hand. He was seconds away from losing control and was going through the steps in his head to keep calm.

“Go on,”I said reluctantly, my mind already running ten steps aheadwith how we would counter any proposition he would come up with.

“Your wife has recently launched a fashion company, isthatcorrect,Nash?”

“What the fuck has my wife got to do this,”Nash barked, anychance of keeping a cool head long gone at the mention of Savannah.

Diaz chuckled.“Calm yourself. I’m not interested in your wife. I wanther to help my daughter is all. She wants to be a model or some bullshit likethat, and all I get from her is an earache about how she doesn’t know how to get a shot at the industry. Your wife must have a few contactsthatcan point her in the right direction?”

He paused, looking between mine and Nash’s shocked faces. Of allthe things I expected him to say,thatwasn’t it.

Diaz tutted.“Honestly, you two portray me as such a villain because Isell drugs and occasionally have to order a few bones to be broken. Believe it or not, I’m not all bad. Like you, I’ll do anything to make my family happy. ”

I refrained from snorting. He’d do anything to make his family happy,except stop dicking around on his wife.

“So, now do we have a deal?”

Once again, I looked to Nash, his still stunned expression reflectingmy own. He gave me a small nod, no doubt thinking the same as me. If Savannah didn’t have the right contactsthenDominique Chèron, the fashion designer who’d given Sav her break, definitely would.

“We have a deal,”I said, reaching out to shake his hand.“The moneywill be transferred later this afternoon.”

“And I’ll be in touch once I’ve spoken to Savannah,”Nash added, alsoshaking Diaz’s hand.

“Verygood,”Diaz replied, standing as Nash and I did.“If Freddyshows his ugly mug again, he won’t get a cent from me. But I should warn you, Freddy is the type of greedy asshole who will find someone else to borrow money from, and there are a lot of people out there who are ten times worse than me. The best thing you can do to keep your girl safe is put a bullet in Freddy Clarke’s head and be done with him.”

If only it was that easy.