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Neither of us spoke as we ascended two flights of stairs and made our way halfway down the hall to apartment 2C. Since Dodd had flirted enough with Sienna for us to figure out she’d be our best way in, she knocked on the door while I hung back.
“It’s unlocked,” Dodd called from inside. “Bring the food in and leave it on the counter.”
Sienna and I exchanged glances, and I recalled her earlier words about him not being the sharpest tool in the shed. Anyone who’d leave their apartment unlocked in New York City was asking for trouble.
Then she opened the door, and we stepped inside, realizing he was even dumber than we’d anticipated.
And we’d definitely missed something.
Because Dodd was sitting at a small table a few feet away … and next to him was Ralf Crosse.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Sienna
I could count on one hand the number of times I’d been shocked speechless. This was one of them.
Both Ralf and Dodd stared at Fury and me long enough for Fury to close the door behind us, but they recovered much quicker than I did.
“If it isn’t the highest earner for RC’s Escorts.” Ralf smirked. “How about a private demonstration of your best moves?”
I heard Fury growl behind me, but I was already moving, breaking free of my shock. I didn’t think, didn’t consider whether this was smart. I just acted. My fist connected with Ralf’s nose, and I smiled at the satisfying crunch.
He yowled, jerking away hard enough to tip over his chair and send him crashing to the floor. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Dodd bolt for the door, but with Fury there, he wouldn’t get far.
“Get up, Ralf,” I ordered.
“Sit down, Dodd,” Fury said, shoving him back toward the empty chair. “You two have answers we need.”
Then Fury stepped back, crossing his arms over his muscular chest. When I shot him a questioning look, he nodded at me to go ahead. My heart gave an unsteady thump as I realized what he was doing. Even though he had as much at stake in this as I did, he was letting me take the lead because he knew how powerless I felt with Ralf.
“You first.” I pointed at Dodd. “You’ve been taking money from Arthur Dalton.”
He glared at me.
“That wasn’t a question,” I said. “We know you’ve gotten money from him, and we’re pretty sure we know what he got out of it. I want to know how far you went.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” His voice was thick, nasally.
I took a step toward him and was gratified to see him flinch. “Did you just let him or his goons into the club, or did you join in? Help them trash a place where your friends worked?”
“I don’t have any friends there,” Dodd said petulantly. “Everyone just stood there and let Gavin treat me like shit.”
“You let guys with guns into the club and nearly got people killed!” I shouted. I took a step back, inhaling slowly, then letting it out just as slowly. “Okay, so that’s where it started, right? Gavin demoted you, and then what? Keep in mind that since Fury and I aren’t cops, we can beat the shit out of you, and nobody’s going to care.”
I could see the wheels turning in Dodd’s head and wondered if he would believe me. While it’d been very satisfying to break Ralf’s nose, I didn’t think I was up to torturing Dodd for information. I’d do it to protect the people I loved, but I was hoping he’d spill before that became necessary.
“Yeah, that’s when it started,” he finally said. “I don’t know how Dalton found out about what happened, but when I got home from work the next day, he was there, waiting for me. He said he needed eyes and ears in the club, that he’d not only pay me, but he’d make sure I had any job he wanted when he took over the club.”
“What did you do as his ‘eyes and ears’?”
“I let in some guys for him, and they trashed the club,” Dodd admitted. “And they did some other shit, like messing with the lighting rig, that sort of thing.”
“That crashed during the middle of a practice, you idiot,” I snapped. “What else?”
“He said he needed to test the employees, see who he’d want to keep around when he took over.” Dodd shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “And he wanted to know if anyone was looking for Venus.”
My heart nearly stopped in my chest. “What about Venus?”
