Chapter Five
Adam didn’t know how long he stood in that alley, frozen, staring after the shadow of the woman whose lips had tasted like everything he’d ever needed or wanted.
She was a tiger.
An animal.
A shifter.
He’d known she was a thief, heck, she’d robbed him, but he hadn’t expected her to be one of them.
Shifters had come out recently and it was unnerving.
Sure, he’d met a few and they were just like anyone else, but they weren’t friends.
Now, though, this was something else entirely.
He had so many questions, and the pressing urge to find her again, kiss her, and make her his.
He shook his head. It was madness. He should probably let it go. File the robbery and hope one of his colleagues caught her red-handed in the future. He couldn’t. Adam ran his fingers through his hair.
“Shit,” he murmured.
Who was she? What was she doing here? Why was she so determined to get away from him?
Who were those powerful people she’d mentioned?
There was no doubt she was in trouble of some kind.
Normal people didn’t go around tempting men and stealing from them.
There had to be an ulterior reason. Drugs didn’t seem like the answer, so there had to be something else.
A visa? The promise of a job, perhaps? He’d investigated debt slavery before, and he wouldn’t be surprised if this was another case.
With a shake of his head, Adam finally forced his feet to move.
He’d find out. It was his job, and her warning didn’t scare him one bit, quite the contrary.
Helping people was his mission and regardless of their chemistry, he’d help her.
His lips twisted into a smile. He knew exactly where to begin.
****
Adam entered The Gin Room. Unlike earlier, the place was packed with patrons drinking, chatting, and having a good time overall. He headed to the bar and waved over the pierced waiter he’d seen speaking to Katya.
“What can I get you?” the young man asked with a friendly smile.
“I’m looking for a girl,” Adam replied. “She was here earlier today. I believe she’s a regular customer. You were talking to her.”
The waiter leaned onto the counter and stared at him. His blue gaze unnervingly penetrating and making Adam wonder if he was also a shifter.
“I’m sorry, sir, but I am under no obligation to give you any information about our clients.”
Adam smirked and pulled out his badge.
“I’m Detective Adam Carter. We have reason to believe the woman I’m looking for could be in danger and part of human trafficking.”
The waiter’s eyes widened. His lips pursed as if he were debating what to say next.
“I don’t think my boss would approve.”
“Listen, this isn’t about your boss or you, it’s about this woman’s life. She could be in danger. If you’ve seen her or know who she was with, it could really make a difference in the investigation.”
The waiter hesitated.
“Listen.” Adam glanced at the name tag. “Daniel, I get it. You’re worried the word might come out that you’re snitching on your clients.
If you want, we can step outside, or I can take a statement later in private.
If you refuse, however, I’ll come back with a subpoena and put this whole place under a microscope, and I’m sure you, your boss, and everyone here would rather avoid that. Don’t you think?”
Daniel sighed. He wiped his hands on his apron.
“What do you want to know?” he finally said.
Adam smiled triumphantly. “The woman was here earlier. Blonde hair, big green eyes. She sat over there drinking. I believe her name is Katya. What do you know about her?”
“Yes. She comes in at least once a week to unwind. She’s ... um—”
“A shifter?” he offered.
“Yes. We have special prices for our animal kin.”
“You’re one too.”
“White tiger.”
“I see. Does she ever come here with someone else?”
“No, never. I think this might be a bit of her sanctuary, and they don’t know about it.”
“They?”
Daniel sighed again. He glanced around the bar as if to make sure no one was paying attention to them. He leaned closer.
“I don’t know much, but I know Katya does illegal things, theft mainly. She has a debt to pay to some people, but I don’t know exactly who or why. I don’t ask questions I don’t want to know the answer to.”
“When you say illegal things, has she been caught stealing here or elsewhere?”
“Not here. I’ve just heard things. People talk.”
“Got it. Do you know anything about her debt? Who she owes it to? Gang members? Mafia?”
The waiter shook his head.
“I can’t say. All she mentioned one time was that she had to pay it off so she could get her sister. I didn’t ask more.”
“And she’s never been here with anyone?”
He shook his head.
“Never.”
Adam pressed his lips. It was some information, but not enough. “How often does she come in here?”
“At least once a week. Wednesdays usually, around 8:00 PM. It’s quiet at that time.”
“Great. Thanks, Daniel. That was really helpful.”
He slid a card toward the young man. “If she comes again, please give me a call. She could be trapped and we’re trying to help.”
“Will do.”
Adam watched the waiter go back to his work.
He took in the place again, this time with the trained eye of a cop instead of just a client.
The Gin Room was packed for a Saturday evening.
Jazzy tunes played in the background, loud enough to create an ambience and not disturb people’s conversations.
Candles illuminated each low round table, surrounded by burgundy velvet chairs.
There was no way of telling who a shifter was and who wasn’t, but now that Daniel had told him the animals had special prices, he wouldn’t be surprised if the joint was a popular place for their kind.
Adam sighed. Wednesday was eons away and there was no guarantee she would come then, but at least things were starting to make a bit more sense.
The sister who had come into the country and disappeared was clearly trapped in the same or a similar ring, and Katya was trying to help her.
Why she hadn’t gone to the police was a mystery to him, but something he’d unravel later.
For now, he had to find her first. It wasn’t a question of his own interest in her person, now it was a job.
He had to save her from whatever mess she was in.
He checked his notes. Time to go back to the area where they’d first met.