Chapter 45: Chapter 45: A Court of Snakes

After the meeting, Lavinia excused herself to the bathroom. Casey heard hushed voices as she talked on the phone with someone but she couldn’t tell what they were saying.

She also wouldn’t have listened anyway. She trusted Lavinia and wouldn’t betray her trust that way.

“Who was that?” Casey asked when Lavinia returned to Bee’s living room.

Lavinia was silent, her eyes darting around the room. Everywhere she looked, but never at Casey. “That was…Javier.” She chuckled mirthlessly. “He owns the club that you and I went to.”

Understanding dawned on Casey. “Why did you call him?” There was no malice in her words. He hadn’t hurt her, nor had his club.

Lavinia looked at her and Casey could almost see the thoughts churning behind her eyes. “I need him to do something for me. And it would be in his best interest if he did it. I was helping him see it.”

“Do you trust him?” Casey’s eyebrow climbed her face.

Lavinia laughed. “No,” she sighed. “No, I don’t. But I trust his greed.”