Page 158 of Lavish

“Enough!” Victor bellowed, gun pointed to the ceiling, smoke drifting from the barrel. His face was slick with sweat now, his eyes wild.

“You brought the fucking bag, now give it to me,” he snarled at me. “Me and Jenese, we need it.”

My eyes darted to the bloodied woman Serena had been fighting. She was crumpled against the sideboard, one heel snapped, a fresh flame searing through the hem of her dress. She wiped blood from her mouth and smirked.

Serena’s voice cut through the flames.

“So he’s your partner?” Her speech was hoarse, but steady. “That’s the reason you wanted the Harrington estate?”

“She’sthe reason we don’t have the estate?” I asked Serena, coughing. It was getting harder to breathe with the smoke.

I didn’t know who this woman was. But Serena did. And that scared me more than anything.

“Serena—” I started, but the house groaned loudly above us. “We need to go,” I said, moving toward her.

Victor snapped his arm up, the muzzle of the gun turning—but not on me.

On Serena.

“No!”

“Stay right fucking there!”

“It’s a fucking fire, man!” I snapped back, edging closer to Serena.

“She stays,” he said. “We’re not done.”

“She’s not part of this,” I growled.

“She’s always been part of this,” Jenese rasped, her voice like sandpaper, cruel and sharp. “She just didn’t know it.”

Serena’s head whipped toward her, eyes blazing. “What are you talking about?”

“You think I found you by chance?” Jenese laughed bitterly. “You think I didn’t recognize the King name? Victor and I—we were already here. Already scouting Lush.” She nodded toward Victor, who stood stone-faced, the fire casting demonic shadows over his sharp cheekbones.

“We realized we could get more if we worked together,” Jenese went on, sweat gleaming at her temples. “He’d shake down the businesses, I’d manipulate the people behind them. You weren’t my mentee, Serena. You were my mark.”

“You were using me?” she whispered, her voice trembling but dangerous. “From the beginning?”

Jenese smiled—feral, triumphant. “I had to wait things out. I had to set myself up for the big payout in the end, with the manuscript. I taught you how to play the game. But you were never meant to win it.”

By now I had inched my way over nearly in front of Serena.

Victor’s grip on the gun tightened. “You brought this on yourself. You both did.”

The ceiling above us groaned again. Serena’s gaze flicked between the gun pointed at her and the burning room closing in.

“Look, whatever the fuck y’all got going on we can deal with it outside.” I coughed again.

“Give me the money, Miles,” Victor repeated. I tightened my grip on the bag.

Serena’s eyes met mine—raw, blazing

“Give it to him,” she said.

I blinked at her. “What?”

“Give him the bag,” Serena pleaded. “It’s not worth dying over!”