Unwilling Pawn by Measha Stone

Chapter 2

Christian

As I left the room, the curious girl’s scent lingered with me. I’d seen her leave the main room of the party, casually sauntering down the hallway looking at the artwork on the wall. Her dress caught my attention first. Such a simple dress, black, form-fitting bustier with a flowing skirt. A tightly wound bun held what looked like thick blond hair at the back of her neck. While most of the women dressed as though they were going to be walking down the runway, this one looked as though she’d chosen comfort over beauty. But she’d missed the mark. Something about her pulled at me. Maybe it was that she was so different from the other women.

When I followed behind her, I wasn’t sure what I would do if I caught up to her, but once I caught her playing the piano, I wasn’t willing to walk away. She’d looked so peaceful, so at home while her fingers bounced over the keys. Even with her eyes closed, I could sense the joy as the melody played out.

Being caught startled her at first, but her little bout of fear was quickly masked by fire. She didn’t want me to see she was afraid, and once she realized who I was, she tried even harder to put on a brave face. But I could see through it.

I could always sense fear. I was like a hound in that way. A useful skill, given my position in life.

“Where is he?” I asked my brother Lukas as I entered Alderman Kozak’s office. It was his daughter’s celebration that drew us all to his mansion. A perfect cover for meetings such as these.

“He’ll be right here,” Lukas said, cracking his knuckles.

“You had me hunted down, and he’s not even ready?” I checked my watch. I could have had another five minutes with the sweet Amelia. Who knows what sort of secrets I could have drawn out of her.

“He’ll be here. He got called back out by his wife.”

I huffed. “These meetings are a pain in the ass.”

“It’s easy. Give his daughter the gift, and we can get the hell out of here.” Lukas rolled his shoulders back.

“What’s with you? You nervous or something?”

“Me? No. I’m fine.”

Before I could question him further, the alderman breezed in, wiping frosting from his lips.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

“It’s a family party. I understand.” I waved a hand in the air. Politicians made my stomach queasy. They always acted as though they were doing us huge favors by taking our bribes and turning their cheeks the other way, but they had no idea how much of what we did kept the city flourishing. They always made the wrong assumption that we needed them more than they needed us.

“I wanted to give you your daughter’s gift personally,” I said and motioned to my brother to hand over the envelope.

The alderman took it with the look of a toddler being gifted a pony at Christmas.

“Thank you. You’re very generous. I’ll be sure my daughter gets this.” He opened the envelope and thumbed through the bills, mentally counting my generosity. I shoved my hands into my pockets to keep from throwing one of my fists into his face.

“There’s a new gas station being planned,” Lukas stated. We didn’t play coy games like the alderman did. If we wanted something, we said it. “I’m sure we can count on your help with any zoning issues.”

Kozak looked up from the envelope. “Yes, yes. Of course.” He opened the top drawer of his desk and dropped the envelope inside.

“Good.” I turned on my heel. “I think I’m going to have some cake.” If I lingered too long, Kozak would start inching toward me asking for more money, or other favors. Business was business. I gladly greased the wheels that let my work go unfettered, but I wasn’t in the business of doing favors for politicians. Those pricks were nothing but trouble.

“Oh, sure. We can talk more later.” Kozak followed me from his office. Once we were back in the main party room, like the rat he was, he scurried off into the crowd.

“Thank god that didn’t take long. That guy is slime.” Lukas said, coming to stand beside me on the edge of the room.

“He’s no worse than any other politician.”

“No, but he thinks he’s better than us.”

I glance at him. “They all do.”

Lukas shrugged. “Hey, where were you, anyway?”

Just as he asks the question, the girl who’d been playing the piano was shuffled past us by an older man—her father maybe—across the room. My eyes lock onto her as she’s half dragged by him toward the fireplace on the opposite side of the room. When they reach his destination, my stomach lights on fire.

Sebastian Gorecki.

What the fuck is an innocent girl like her talking with a fucking prick like him?

“Who is that?” I elbow Lukas and nudge him in her direction.

“You know damn well who that is.” Lukas growls.

“Not him, the girl.”

Lukas leans to see better. “Oh. That’s Kacper Dudek, so that must be his daughter.”

“What’s he talking with Gorecki for?” I asked, keeping my focus trained on Sebastian. He didn’t even hide his lust for Amelia, licking his lips as he stared down at her. She might as well have been a side of beef the way he drooled over her.

“Not sure. Maybe Dudek is hitting him up for investment money. It’s what he does best.” Lukas snagged a glass of champagne from the tray of a passing waiter.

“Doesn’t he owe us?” I recalled the name from looking over ledgers that afternoon.

“He does. I forget how much, but it’s pretty substantial.” Lukas shrugged. “Why such an interest? You know we can’t touch Gorecki. As much as he deserves it.”

As much as it made my gut twist, Lukas was right. Due to agreements made before I rose to the head of the Kaczmarek family, I couldn’t touch either of them. Truce had been called; peace was made. But it didn’t stop my blood from heating whenever I laid eyes on either of them.

The perk of not living in Chicago year-round was I didn’t have to see him often at all. He would never find success as we have; he’d never leave the dark alleys of Chicago.

Sebastian put his hand on Amelia’s arm and leaned down to say something into her ear. Her jaw tightened and as soon as he pulled back, she took a small step to her left, letting his hand fall away from her arm. Her father, oblivious to his daughter’s body language, continued talking to Sebastian and gesturing toward Amelia.

“Find out what’s happening over there. I want to know what’s going on.” My phone buzzed from inside my jacket, and I pulled it out to read the text message. “Your sister is really starting to work my last nerve.”

Lukas laughed. “She’s my sister tonight?”

I typed my one-word response, No, then put my phone away.

“If you’ll take full responsibility for the little brat, you can have her every day.”

He shook his head. “I’d rather stick to the lowlife thieves and murderers and let you handle our little sister.”

I gestured toward the conversation still going on across the room. “Then I’ll leave you to get to work.”

“I’ll call you as soon as I have the information.”

With a curt nod, I left him to it. Kacper Dudek wasn’t one of us. He borrowed money from us to keep his business dealings flowing, but he didn’t get his hands dirty.

Whatever his business with Gorecki was, it didn’t sit well with me that Amelia was somehow involved. She was too clean to be near something so disgusting.

Whatever Lukas found out would probably assuage my curiosity, and I could forget the little innocent pianist.