marked grave, now that he was fully back, they were not.
Their bodies would never be found.
Benito was not a man who refused to admit making mistakes.
If you could not make those admissions, you learned nothing.
He’d made mistakes.
Not instilling loyalty in his army was one of them.
He relished greed, was filled with it. It fed him, and he had no problem with those around him worshiping at that altar.
But if he didn’t want another bitch to cut him, he needed more.
Now, he was getting more.
He took his seat watching Tallulah rise from hers.
She moved to the “actors.”
They both wore serious faces as they listened and nodded while Tallulah spoke to them, like they were about to film an Oscar-winning performance, not go at each other in a room filled with people until they both came, loud and obnoxiously.
This set had none of the feel of Rodrigo’s set, and Benito found he liked sitting in that chair at the back that was reserved for him.
Being there calmed him.
Watching Tallulah work stirred him.
It also instructed him.
Now Tallulah, she knew how to instill loyalty.
Attention.
A listening ear.
Caring about what people had to say.
Benito understood his weaknesses.
As you’d get nowhere if you did not learn from your mistakes, you’d get nothing if you did not understand your weaknesses.
He could not do any of what Tallulah did.
But he could fake it.
His phone in his breast pocket vibrated and he took it out.
He engaged it and studied the text.
He smiled.
Common enemies made good friends.
Harrietta.
The woman was even more stupid than her daughter.
How she could think he could stomach the sight of her after what Camilla had done to him, Benito honestly could not fathom.
But she did.
And since she did, it served his purpose.
He’d gotten played by her daughter and played by Arthur, which was humiliating, but a fact was a fact.
He had underestimated them.
Fortunately, they’d done the same thing.
Now it was his turn to play.
And if Chaos would just understand that common enemies made good friends, all the playing he was enjoying with Harrietta, and through her Arthur, they could enjoy too.
Benito had pushed at Chaos. He’d been ambitious. He’d wanted it all. All of Denver. All in his control.
Which meant he had to convince Chaos to give up their patch.
Really, was it too much to ask? They were a motorcycle club. They wouldn’t allow whores and dope on their little island?
It was absurd.
Apparently, they wouldn’t.
But Arthur had assured him they’d back down. Arthur told him, to protect his brothers, to protect their families, Kane Allen would retreat.
And to offer further assurances, he’d shown Benito where the bones lay.
Those bones. Bones Chaos had buried.
Very important bones.
Bones no one was meant to find.
Kane Allen did not retreat.
Benito had learned after the fact that Arthur Lannigan did not know dick about what made Kane Allen.
Benito had learned after the fact, Kane Allen would never retreat.
When she had Benito’s operations under her control, Camilla had retreated from Chaos.
Since Lannigan was pulling her strings, that said a lot about what he actually did know about Kane Allen and the Chaos MC.
Yes.
Humiliating.
When he got control back, Benito left it that way.
It was too exhausting and really, just not worth it.
Further, if this new enterprise continued to be as promising as Tallulah was making it, Benito would consider a new future.
He saw that future and it was very bright.
They could go to conferences.
She could give workshops.
His actors could sit at tables and sign autographs and pose for pictures.
Put her in a glamorous dress and have her on his arm as they went to the AVN Awards.
Class that fucker up.
But to do that, he’d have to leave the dope and whores behind.
They’d served him well.
So well, with the porn monies continuing to come in, he could live the life he’d grown accustomed to even retiring that day.
And this would mean he’d not have to take another meet with a cartel (all of whom were lunatics and so paranoid it was ludicrous), deal with another gang or MC or whatever societal detritus that had firepower and vehicles to handle transport or listen to the whining of another dealer or pimp.
He was tired of it all.
But he could retire and keep making money.
With Tallulah.
And when he had her, she’d come home from the set and he’d force her to her knees and make her suck his cock.
Yes.
That future was bright.
Then he’d make her sleep naked, probably tied to his bed so he could do whatever the fuck he wanted to her.
In the morning, he’d let her get