All Chapters of Playing with the Enemy: Chapter 181 - Chapter 187

Vega was right. Of course he was. He always was. It was why I had kept him for so long. That and the fact that he wasn’t scared of me.Just like Clementine.Except I didn’t fuck Vega. Never had. Probably never would. Probably.I loved my freedom. I loved coming and going wherever I pleased, whenever I chose. If I made myself an administrator, a director in any part of the wide network I operated in, people would have expectations. Targets, other than the ones I already had, would be on my back. I didn’t want that. Never did.But I was not twenty-five any longer. I had to think about my future.All the happenings in the current days, with the losses and robberies that were happening in my arena, had begun to make me think about what I would have done if I had lost my investment the way my clients had.What I would have done to correct the situation and who I would punish along the way.It had excited me. That power. That authority.

“He invited me everywhere, and I went anywhere, anytime he called. I didn’t have guards then. It was me, my bank card, my phone, and the open road.”“I had just graduated from college. I was doing that taking-a-year thing to find myself.” He gave a short laugh.It sounded like how a slap would feel.“I was free. So, I did what free people with means did.”He sat back, his gaze distant.“Two, maybe three weeks into keeping up with him, we were at a strip club. He asked me to dance for him. It wouldn’t be the first time. I did it, freely, like I had more than once.”He shrugged.“He praised me, as he always did. Then…,” he slowed, his eyes darting left and right. He closed his eyes and inhaled.“He asked me to dance for his friend. An older guy. I had seen him before; we, the three of us, had hung out maybe twice, but I didn’t have that kind of relationship with the man.”“The older guy laughed it off when he saw my face,

Rina had unearthed a lot from Leon’s office files.It turned out that Leon, and those he worked with, were not simple criminals. They were the underground of the underground.We had found out that Leon Ralis was not involved in a singular arena of crime; he was a syndicate unto himself, and he didn’t run in local circles. The man was an international illicit business owner, trafficker, and fence.Even if he were to be arrested, there were not enough courts in the country to process his dealings in one sitting. He would not only have to face local jurisdictions across state lines; he would have to stand before international courts for cross-border crimes.The man was not only involved in human trafficking, but he was also a broker for high-value stolen properties, from ancient artifacts to modern artwork, jewelry, and tech.Leon had billions, with funds in not only currencies but also in commodities. He had safe deposit boxes all over the country an